What to do if someone dies in Cape Verde

Cape Verde is one of the most visited UK holiday destinations in Africa, and the most likely scenario for British families using this guide is a death during a package holiday on Sal, Boa Vista, or Santiago. The process is manageable, but Portuguese documentation and inter-island logistics are the two things that catch families off guard.

First 24 hours

Call the FCDO Emergency Travel Line: 020 7008 5000. The in-country point of contact is the Honorary Consul in Praia, Santiago Island. For anything beyond initial registration, British Embassy Dakar (Senegal) takes over — Cape Verde has no resident British Embassy.

If the death occurred during a package holiday with a tour operator, the tour rep or resort manager should already be involved. UK tour operators have in-resort teams trained to assist in exactly this situation. They can initiate contact with the Honorary Consul on your behalf.

If the death is classified as non-natural — drowning, accident, sudden collapse — the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal (INML) will conduct a forensic examination before release. Do not authorise body movement until INML clearance is confirmed.

The inter-island problem

Cape Verde is an archipelago. If the death occurred on a smaller island — Fogo, Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Brava, Maio — the body must be transferred to Sal or Santiago before a transatlantic repatriation flight is possible.

This transfer adds 3 to 7 days to total costs. Options include:

• TACV Cabo Verde Airlines inter-island services (where frequency allows)
• Charter aircraft from smaller islands
• Ferry for certain routes (Santo Antão to São Vicente), then air from São Vicente

Do not assume this step is automatic. It requires coordination with the receiving funeral director on the main island and advance booking of cargo space.

No cremation in Cape Verde

There are no cremation facilities anywhere in the Cape Verde archipelago. If the family wishes cremation, the body must be repatriated to the UK first. Cremation in the UK is then arranged through the UK funeral director after Coroner release.

This is a significant planning point for families who assumed in-country cremation was an option. It is not.

Document checklist for Cape Verde

The routing and what it costs

Most bodies travel from Sal (SID) or Santiago (RAI) to Lisbon (LIS) or Las Palmas (LPA), then to London. The full journey from smaller islands adds the inter-island step.

Water sports deaths: specific issues

Drowning and water sports deaths are a significant cause of British fatalities in Cape Verde. Where the body has not been recovered at the time of this guide being read, the INML examination cannot proceed. Recovery of remains from ocean incidents can take days. All timelines above assume remains have been recovered.

Dive deaths may require a hyperbaric medicine report as part of the forensic documentation. A local dive school incident report is usually required by insurers even where civil liability is not alleged.

Getting help

We coordinate repatriations from all Cape Verde islands including inter-island transfers. The inter-island step is something we handle regularly. Call us or use the enquiry form for immediate guidance on your specific island.