What to do if someone dies in Bolivia

Bolivia’s geography defines everything about repatriation from the country. It is landlocked and sits at extreme altitude. These two facts shape every logistical decision your specialist will make.

Step 1: Notify the British Embassy La Paz

The British Embassy must be notified on the day of death. Address: Avenida Arce 2732-2754, La Paz. Phone: +591 2 243 3424. FCDO 24-hour emergency: +44 1908 516666.

Step 2: SERECI death registration

Deaths are registered at SERECI (Servicio de Registro Civil) in the municipality where the death occurred. The Acta de Defuncion is the official document. For hospital deaths in La Paz or Santa Cruz, registration proceeds through the hospital. For deaths in tourist areas such as the Uyuni Salt Flat or Tiwanaku, registration follows transfer to the nearest town with a SERECI office.

Step 3: Fiscalia and FELCC investigation (unnatural deaths)

For all unnatural, violent, or suspicious deaths, the Fiscalia General del Estado (Prosecutor’s Office) and the FELCC (Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Crimen) take jurisdiction. This includes deaths from altitude sickness (soroche). Bolivian law treats soroche deaths as unnatural because the cause of death requires medical and legal confirmation.

The Fiscalia orders a post-mortem at the Instituto de Investigaciones Forenses (IDIF). There are IDIF facilities in La Paz and Santa Cruz. The body cannot be released until the Fiscalia issues its release order.

Step 4: Altitude considerations for La Paz operations

La Paz sits at 3,600 metres and its airport (El Alto) at 4,061 metres. At this altitude, embalming chemicals behave differently, cold storage performance varies, and aircraft cargo capacity is reduced due to lower air density. Your specialist’s local agents will use mortuaries experienced with these altitude-specific constraints. Most international cargo routes via Santa Cruz Viru Viru (VVI), which is at 416 metres and has better cargo infrastructure.

Step 5: Ministry of Health export permit

The Ministerio de Salud y Deportes issues the export permit. Required documents: Acta de Defuncion, Fiscalia release order, IDIF post-mortem report, embalming certificate, freedom from contagious disease clearance. Allow five to seven days for the permit.

Step 6: Routing to the UK

Bolivia is landlocked. No international flights operate directly to the UK. From Santa Cruz (VVI), LATAM connects to Lima (LIM) or São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), both of which have direct or well-connected cargo services to Heathrow. Copa Airlines via Panama City is an alternative from Santa Cruz. Allow one to two transit days for multi-leg cargo routing. Source: FCDO guidance on death in Bolivia; Bolivian Code of Criminal Procedure (NCPP); SERECI registration; British Embassy La Paz guidance (2023).