When a British national dies in the USA

A death in the USA
When a British national dies in the U.S., the funeral home or the doctor registers the death with the local vital records office. Registering it in the UK as well is optional. The FCDO helpline in London answers 24 hours on +44 20 7008 5000.

This guide follows the FCDO's page When someone dies in the USA. It was published in March 2026, and this is practical rather than legal advice.

The first calls

If the person had travel or health insurance, call the insurer straight away. The FCDO says the insurer should appoint funeral directors in the U.S. and the UK, may cover repatriation, and that families should not then appoint their own funeral director or bow to pressure from local agencies.

Registration and the death certificate

The funeral home or the medical professional who pronounced the death registers it and files a death certificate with the local vital records office. U.S. death certificates give the cause of death, and the FCDO suggests asking for extra copies.

After a death in the U.S.

If the death was sudden, unexpected or alone, a medical examiner investigates and may order an autopsy before releasing the body. Organs and tissue samples may be removed for testing without the family's permission, and access to the report varies by state.

Option What the FCDO page says
Burial or cremation in the U.S. Arranged by a local funeral director; if a family cannot pay, the county or state takes financial responsibility
Bringing the body to the UK Ask the funeral director or insurer; documents may include the death certificate and an embalming certificate
Bringing the ashes yourself A certified copy of the death certificate, the cremation certificate and a non-metallic urn
 If you want a coroner in England or Wales to hold an inquest, do not have the person cremated in the U.S. 

Telling the UK authorities

You do not have to register the death in the UK, but you still need to tell the UK authorities.

Registration with the FCDO is possible for deaths on or after 1 January 1983, by mail to the Overseas Registration Unit; it can take up to 3 months if documents need verifying, and you can order a consular death registration certificate. See registering a birth or death.

The deceased person's passport should be returned, or reported on form LS01 if it is lost; our guide to a lost passport explains the form.

Keep these together
  • Several certified copies of the U.S. death certificate
  • The insurer’s policy number and contact
  • The funeral director’s details
  • The deceased’s British passport
  • Any medical examiner or police case number
    • Belongings

    Belongings may be handed to the family or held by police as evidence, and the British embassy and consulates cannot take responsibility for them.

    Finding a U.S. lawyer

    The FCDO points to the state bar association where the person died.

    When the death was a crime

    Police investigate and a prosecutor decides whether to charge; this can delay the release of the body.

    Costs and documents

    When a family cannot pay for funeral services in the U.S., the county or state government takes financial responsibility, and the hospital, coroner's office or social services point the family to assistance programs.

    Ashes can be shipped by air freight, which can be expensive, and may not be accepted by mail or courier, according to the FCDO page.

    For UK registration, the Overseas Registration Unit’s mailing address is PO Box 7656, Milton Keynes MK11 9NS, and translations of foreign documents must come from an approved translator.

    If you register the death with the UK and send the person's passport with the forms, the FCDO's form for returning the passport of a deceased person goes with it.

    All the procedures
    Fees and requirements
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