What to do if someone dies in Seychelles

If a British National Dies in Seychelles

Call the British High Commission Victoria emergency line immediately. The High Commission is on Mahe. Seychelles is a Commonwealth country and the High Commission handles consular cases regularly given the volume of British tourists visiting the island group.

Then contact a specialist repatriation company. Seychelles is low complexity by administrative standards, but has two factors that can significantly extend the timeline: limited forensic capacity, and island dispersal.

Step 1: Confirm the Island

This sounds basic, but it is the first practical question. Which island? Is the body accessible? Is it on Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, or one of the private outer islands?

If the death is on Mahe: proceed directly to the Seychelles Police Force and Seychelles Hospital.

If the death is on Praslin: a short flight transfer to Mahe is required. Praslin has a small airport.

If the death is on La Digue: there is no airport. Transfer to Praslin by boat is required before the Mahe flight. In poor weather, sea crossings from La Digue can be delayed.

If the death is on a private outer island (Denis, Bird, Silhouette, Fregate): charter evacuation to Mahe is required.

All documentation and forensic processing happens on Mahe.

Step 2: Report the Death

Deaths are reported to the Seychelles Police Force. The death certificate is issued by the Civil Status Office once investigation procedures are complete. English is an official language in Seychelles and most documentation is in English.

Step 3: Forensic Assessment

Post-mortems for unnatural or suspicious deaths are conducted at Seychelles Hospital, Victoria, Mahe. The forensic pathology capacity at Seychelles Hospital is adequate for straightforward cases.

Critical point: if the case is forensically complex — drowning with disputed circumstances, possible third-party involvement, unexplained death in a remote area — the local forensic pathologist may recommend transferring the body to Reunion or South Africa for specialist analysis. That transfer adds 10 to 20 days to the overall timeline.

Drowning deaths are the most common trigger for complex forensic assessment in Seychelles. Underwater currents and deep-water diving fatalities can be forensically ambiguous.

Step 4: Documentation and Export Permit

The Ministry of Health issues the export permit once police investigation, forensic process, and death registration are complete.

Required documents:

• Death certificate from the Civil Status Office
• Seychelles Police Force investigation report for unnatural deaths
• Post-mortem report (from Seychelles Hospital or Reunion/South Africa)
• Ministry of Health export permit
• Embalming certificate

Documents are in English.

Step 5: Routing to the UK

Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) is on Mahe. British Airways operates seasonal direct London Heathrow services to SEZ. Emirates via Dubai is an alternative. Pre-book cargo capacity before confirming departure dates; seasonal BA direct flights do not operate year-round and connection routings add transit time.