How to Return Human Remains to the United States

The death of a loved one is challenging enough without the added burden of arranging to return his or her body home from another country. Unfortunately, whether traveling or living abroad for business or pleasure, people often die far from home, and the next-of-kin must arrange for the repatriation of the remains from the country in which the death occurred. Here are the steps to take if you need to return a body to the United States if your loved dies while traveling in a foreign country.

Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate

Whether you are traveling abroad with your loved one when the death occurs, or remain back in the United States and learn of it afterward, the first step is for the next-of-kin to contact a consular officer at the closest U.S. embassy or consulate in the country in which the death occurred. The “next-of-kin” is the person possessing the nearest degree of relationship to the deceased, such as his or her spouse or domestic partner, a blood relative, or someone legally appointed to handle the affairs of the deceased.

Visit the U.S. State Department website, USEmbassy.gov, to find the necessary contact information for the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country in which the death occurred. Keep in mind that many countries contain more than one U.S. embassy or consulate. The U.S. Department of State maintains four embassies in Russia, for example, nine embassies in China, and 13 embassies in Mexico, so you should contact a consular official in the city located nearest to where your loved one died for assistance. (But don’t worry: if the consular official you contact thinks a different embassy or consulate should help you, then he or she will redirect you.)

If the next-of-kin is located in the United States, he or she can also contact the U.S. State Department’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services toll-free at 888-407-4747, or locally at 202-501-4444, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time. (For help outside of those hours, such as weeknights, weekends and/or holidays, the next-of-kin should call the U.S. Department of State at 202-647-4000 and ask to speak with the Overseas Citizens Services Duty Officer.)

The Bureau of Consular Affairs

Once you or the next-of-kin has contacted an official at the Bureau of Consular Affairs, this individual will immediately offer various forms of assistance that will prove invaluable. Foremost, a U.S. consular official can provide information about the options and potential costs associated with repatriating the remains of the deceased to the United States. Navigating the often-complex regulations and laws governing the transport of human remains from one country to another can feel overwhelming for those grieving a death; fortunately, the consular official can help make this process easier by conveying a family’s instructions to the appropriate individuals/offices abroad.

In addition, a U.S. consular official can inform you about how to transmit/transfer the funds necessary to return your loved one to the United States. Please understand that the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the embassy or consulate, and the U.S. Department of State do not provide money to pay for the expenses incurred when repatriating the remains of your loved one to the United States. The surviving family must pay all expenses.

Next, when the deceased has no next-of-kin or legal representative present in the country in which he or she died, the U.S. consular official will assume responsibility for the deceased’s personal estate. Acting as a temporary “personal conservator,” the official will first collect the items owned by the deceased, such as clothing, jewelry, documents and paperwork, etc., and then create an inventory of these objects. After communicating with the next-of-kin or legal representative, the consular official will process these items per the instructions he or she received.

Finally, returning human remains to the United States from another country is subject to a myriad of laws and regulations. The disposition of the deceased individual is subject to both U.S. law and that of the country in which he or she died, as well as the customs requirements of both countries. An essential duty performed by a U.S. consular official is the preparation of the necessary paperwork to facilitate the shipment of the body/human remains to the United States.

Chief among these documents is the “Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad,” which is also called a “Consular Mortuary Certificate.” Based upon the death certificate issued in the country in which the death occurred, this English-language document provides essential information about the cause of death, the disposition of the body/human remains, and the deceased’s personal estate.

The consular official can provide up to 20 certified copies of this document to the next-of-kin at no charge. Not only does the “Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad” help ensure a smoother shipment of the remains back to the United States, but U.S. courts also recognize this official document when settling estate cases.

Sources:
“Death Abroad.” U.S. Department of State. Retrieved January 01, 2017. https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/abroad/events-and-records/death.html

“Death during travel” by Clare A. Dykewicz & Nicole J. Cohen, August 1, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 01, 2017. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/conveyance-transportation-issues/death-during-travel

“Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad.” U.S. Department of State. Retrieved January 01, 2017. https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/abroad/events-and-records/death/CRDA.html