In this guide
To send a body or ashes from the U.S. to Brazil, the death is registered with a Brazilian consular post, a licensed U.S. funeral home prepares the remains and the sanitary paperwork, and a funeral home in Brazil handles arrival and release. Cremated remains must travel in a sealed, waterproof urn. Eternimax coordinates these providers and keeps the family informed; the providers perform the services.
What is specific to Brazil
Brazil's government service for registering a death abroad is run through its consular posts. A family member or a representative chosen by the family usually must appear at the post, sometimes by appointment. The post registers the death and issues a consular death certificate, which must later be transcribed at the civil registry office in the person's home municipality in Brazil. The page says the service is free for the citizen, and that the state has no legal provision to pay for transporting ashes or remains.
For transport, the Brazilian government's page points to health rules. It lists originals that must be presented: the death record, a preservation or cremation certificate, a medical certificate that the death was not from an infectious or contagious disease, and a removal authorization from the local police authority. Note that the service page still refers to an older Anvisa resolution; a later resolution (RDC 662/2022) replaced it. We could not confirm the current wording of every requirement, so confirm with the consulate before booking.
Press reports also say that, from the United States, the transfer should be handled by a local funeral home working with a Brazilian funeral home. We list that as a practical pattern, not as an official rule.
Step by step
Confirm who releases the body
Find out where the person is (hospital, funeral home, medical examiner or police) and who may decide.
Order certified death certificates
Get several certified copies, with the cause of death. If a cremation takes place, also ask for the cremation certificate.
Contact the Brazilian consular post
A family member or representative registers the death and receives the consular death certificate. Ask what the post needs, including the deceased's ID or an expired passport, and whether an appointment is required.
Choose body or ashes
A body needs preservation, a sealed container and a health certificate. Ashes need a cremation certificate and a sealed, waterproof urn.
Choose the receiving funeral home in Brazil
The air cargo company needs its details. Agree on the service, burial or cremation before paying.
Book the flight as air cargo
The funeral home books it with an air waybill. Do not fix the service date until you have it.
Arrival and customs release
In Brazil, the funeral home presents the shipping document and the customs request to release the casket.
Transcribe the certificate in Brazil
A family member typically completes the registration of the consular certificate in the civil registry.
Documents
- Registration form for the death abroad, completed and signed (consular).
- Death certificate issued by the local U.S. authority; additional certified copies and, where the consulate asks, an apostille or legalization.
- Cremation certificate, if applicable.
- Deceased's ID, preferably with a photo (an expired passport is accepted per the government service page).
- Declarant's passport or valid photo ID.
- Preservation (embalming) or cremation certificate and a certificate that the death was not from a contagious disease.
- Removal or transit authorization from the local authority.
Requirements can change, and each post may add steps. Confirm with the consulate before booking.
Costs
The cost usually includes: the U.S. funeral home (removal, preservation or cremation, container), air cargo, certified copies and legalization, any ground transport, and the funeral home in Brazil. We do not publish a range for Brazil because we have not found a reliable public source for it and we have no family cases on this route. Brazil is a large country; the receiving city and the flight route can change the price a lot. Ask for written, itemized quotes.
Estimates are for general information only. They are not a quote or an offer. Final costs depend on the providers, the airline, the destination and the family's choices. Eternimax is not a funeral home or an insurer; it coordinates independent licensed providers.
Extras that can appear: extra certified copies, urgent legalization, storage days, translations, restoration if the family wants a viewing, and shipping of personal belongings, which travel separately.
Body or ashes
| Body | Ashes | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | Higher | Generally lower on the same route |
| Documents | Preservation and health certificates, transit permit | Cremation certificate, death certificate |
| Container | Sealed casket or container | Sealed, waterproof urn |
| Services in Brazil | Viewing and burial possible | Memorial or scattering at the family's choice |
Some families carry ashes in person. TSA must be able to screen the container and officers will not open it. Airlines set their own rules, so check before you fly.
Support
The Brazilian government's service page says there is no legal provision to pay for transport. Press coverage from 2025 reported a rule that may let the foreign ministry help when a family proves it cannot pay, but reports differ on the details. Ask the consulate directly. If the person had a benefit from an employer or an association, ask about that as well.
Common mistakes
- Buying tickets before the air waybill exists.
- Skipping the consular registration and finding out later that the certificate cannot be transcribed in Brazil.
- Using an ashes container that is not sealed and waterproof.
- Ordering too few certified copies.
- Assuming belongings travel with the body.
- Giving different instructions from different relatives.
How Eternimax helps
Eternimax coordinates international repatriation. We are the family's single point of contact, we explain which documents are requested and by whom, and we send written updates, in English and Spanish. We do not currently coordinate in Portuguese. The independent licensed providers perform the services. This is general information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy; reviewed November 2026.
Talk with a coordinator. One call. One coordinator. We assist in English and Spanish. +1 (866) 978-5207 · Write to us
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send a body to Brazil?
We do not publish a range for Brazil because we have not found a reliable public source and it depends heavily on the origin city, the flight route, the container and the funeral homes on both ends. A coordinator can explain what each part includes. Any figure you hear should be a written quote, not an estimate from a guide.
Does the Brazilian government pay for the transfer?
Traditionally the family pays. The Brazilian government's service page says there is no legal provision for the state to pay for transporting ashes or remains. Press reports in 2025 described a new rule that may allow help in cases of proven financial inability, but reports differ. Ask the Brazilian consulate what applies today.
What is the consular death certificate?
It is the document a Brazilian consular post issues after registering the death abroad. According to the government service page, it must later be transcribed at the civil registry office of the person's home municipality in Brazil. Appointments may be required, so check the consulate that covers your area.
What kind of urn is needed for ashes?
Brazilian guidance says cremated remains must be in sealed, waterproof urns. For flying with ashes, TSA must also be able to screen the container, so lighter materials such as wood or plastic usually work best. Confirm with the airline and the consulate.
Can Eternimax help in Portuguese?
Our team assists families in English and Spanish. Our website has a Portuguese version for convenience, but coordination is in English and Spanish. The Brazilian consulate and the Brazilian funeral home will work in Portuguese.
How long does it take?
In cases we have coordinated, the transfer typically takes about 5 business days once the body is released and no medical examiner or police are involved. With a medical examiner or police it typically takes 10 or more. The apostille typically adds 5 to 9 business days. No provider can promise a date.
Official sources
- gov.br — Registrar óbito no exterior (Brazilian consular service)
- Politize — Entenda novas regras para traslado de corpo de brasileiros no exterior
- Anvisa — RDC 662/2022 (replaced RDC 33/2011 on transfer of human remains)
- TSA — Cremated remains
- CDC — Importation of human remains into the United States (for the return direction)
Links to the official sources. Requirements change: always check the current version.
General information
This guide is general information. It is not legal, medical, immigration or tax advice and does not replace a professional licensed in your jurisdiction. Requirements, timelines and costs are determined by the providers and authorities in each case and may change. Eternimax coordinates between the parties and does not itself perform funeral or other regulated services.
