What to do if someone dies in Somalia

Somalia is one of the most complex bereavement situations any UK family can face. FCDO advises against all travel. Al-Shabaab controls large rural areas across south and central Somalia. The British Embassy in Mogadishu operates under severe security restrictions. Civil registration is fragmented across three separate administrations.

The first and most important question is always: where exactly did the death occur? The answer determines which administrative track applies, what is achievable, and who to contact first.

First step

Call the FCDO Emergency Travel Line: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours). The FCDO will advise on current British Embassy Mogadishu consular capacity and the correct contact channel given the security situation.

Do not travel to Somalia.

Three administrative tracks

1. FGS-controlled areas (Mogadishu and other government-held towns) Civil registration through FGS civil status offices. Somalia Police Force attendance for non-natural deaths. Ministry of Health export permit. Turkish Airlines (Mogadishu-Istanbul-London) is the primary UK cargo route.

2. Somaliland (Hargeisa, Berbera, Borama) Somaliland has functioned as a self-governing territory since 1991 with its own civil administration, police, and courts. Death registration goes through Somaliland civil status offices. Somaliland police clear non-natural deaths. Hargeisa Egal International Airport (HGA) connects to Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines. Timelines are generally shorter than for FGS areas — 14 to 42 days is achievable for straightforward cases.

3. Puntland (Garowe, Bosaso, Galkayo) Puntland is a semi-autonomous federal member state. Its own administration handles civil registration and police clearance. Bosaso Airport (BSA) connects to Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines.

Islamic burial pressure

Somalia is almost entirely Sunni Muslim. Local custom and community expectation strongly favour rapid burial — within 24 hours where possible. If repatriation is the intent, this must be communicated clearly and promptly to local contacts and the Embassy. The window to prevent local burial is narrow.

Al-Shabaab-controlled areas: not achievable

Lower Shabelle, Middle and Lower Jubba, Bay and Bakool, and other Al-Shabaab-controlled rural areas: civilian body recovery is not achievable. The British Embassy will advise on whether any specialist crisis channels are applicable. In most cases they are not.

Document checklist (FGS track)

Routing

• Mogadishu (MGQ): Turkish Airlines via Istanbul (IST); Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa (ADD)
• Hargeisa (HGA): Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa (ADD)
• Bosaso (BSA): Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa (ADD)

Turkish Airlines via Istanbul is the most reliable route for UK-bound cargo from Mogadishu.

What to do first

FCDO: 020 7008 5000.

Identify the exact location. Confirm which of the three administrative tracks applies. Engage a specialist firm with East African and Somali-context experience — and specifically one with existing contacts in the correct track (FGS Mogadishu, Somaliland, or Puntland). Address Islamic burial pressure in the first hours.

Sources: UK FCDO Somalia travel advice (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/somalia, updated 2024); British Embassy Mogadishu; ACLED Somalia conflict data 2023–2024.