What to Do When a Family Member Dies Abroad

When a family member dies in another country, start with three things: confirm where the body is and who holds it, contact the embassy or consulate of the person's citizenship, and gather identity documents and a local death certificate. If the person was a U.S. citizen, the U.S. Department of State can help and may prepare a Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad. Avoid booking flights or setting funeral dates until you know the documents and the release.

Hearing that someone you love has died far away is one of the hardest calls a family receives. Everything feels urgent and unfamiliar at the same time. This guide covers the two situations families ask us about most: a relative who dies in another country, and a relative who lives in the United States and dies far from their home country, where the family is waiting. The steps are similar, but who you call is different.

Reviewed November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy.

First steps, in order

1. 1

   Confirm where your relative is

   Ask the hospital, the police or the local authority exactly where the body is and who is responsible for it right now. Write down names, phone numbers and any case number.

2. 2

   Find out who can decide

   Usually it is the legal next of kin, such as a spouse or an adult child. Hospitals, medical examiners and consulates often speak only to that person.

3. 3

   Contact the right embassy or consulate

   Use the one for the person's citizenship, not necessarily the country where they died. For U.S. citizens, see the next section.

4. 4

   Collect identity documents

   A passport copy, an ID and proof of relationship such as a marriage or birth certificate. Recent certified copies are better than old ones.

5. 5

   Ask for the local death certificate

   It is the foundation for almost everything else. For the U.S. side, see our guide to the death certificate apostille.

6. 6

   Decide on the main question: body or ashes

   Both are possible in many cases and cost differently. See body or ashes.

7. 7

   Choose one coordinator or provider before you pay anyone

   Ask what is included, what is not and who will be your single point of contact.

For a short checklist you can use right now, see the first 72 hours and the family checklist.

If a U.S. citizen dies abroad

The U.S. Department of State assists families of U.S. citizens who die overseas. Through its Overseas Citizens Services and the local embassy or consulate, consular officers can:

• notify the next of kin and help with contact to local authorities;
• explain local procedures and options for the remains, including local burial or cremation, and returning remains to the United States;
• prepare a Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad, an official record often used in U.S. estate matters. It generally depends on a local death certificate, and the family can later ask for copies from the State Department.

Costs are normally the family's or the estate's responsibility. The State Department's page on death of a U.S. citizen abroad explains current options and what documents are needed. Policies change, so use that page as the source of truth.

If your relative lives in the U.S. and dies far from their home country

Many of the families we speak with are the ones waiting at home, in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, the Dominican Republic or Spain, while a son, daughter, brother or parent died in the United States. If that is you:

• Contact the consulate of your country in the U.S. Many consulates keep a department for protection of citizens abroad and can explain their documents, any local support and the steps to send the remains home. Ask first what they require, because requirements differ by country and can change.
• Name one person on the family side to decide. Several relatives giving different instructions is one of the most common causes of delays. One written, signed instruction from the legal next of kin keeps the process clean.
• Ask the U.S. funeral home or hospital for the documents early. A certified death certificate, often apostilled, and the permits that go with it usually come first. Start with the apostille guide.
• Ask what has been charged already, including storage days, so there are no surprises.
• Check the country guide. We have step-by-step pages for Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia and other countries.

Documents you will probably need

• Local death certificate, certified, and often an apostille or consular legalization depending on the destination
• Passport of the person who died, first as a copy, and the original when the consulate asks for it
• Identification and signature of the next of kin
• Proof of relationship, such as a recent marriage or birth certificate
• Embalming or cremation certificate, depending on what is chosen
• Receiving address and contact of the funeral home at the destination

Requirements change by country and consulate. Confirm with the consulate before you buy anything or fix a date.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying flights or fixing the funeral date first. Dates are estimates until the paperwork and an air waybill are in place.
• Not knowing who is physically holding the body. Hospital, morgue, funeral home or police each have different rules.
• Assuming belongings travel with the body. They usually move separately, cost separately and can take longer, especially if police hold them.
• Too few certified copies of the death certificate.
• Paying before you know what is included. Ask for an itemized list.
• Leaving a trusted relative out of the loop and then receiving conflicting instructions.

How Eternimax helps

Eternimax coordinates international repatriation for families, in English and Spanish. We are not a funeral home. We do not give legal advice. We help you understand the steps, keep the documents in order, coordinate with independent licensed providers on both sides and keep you informed along the way. You can read how repatriation coordination works or see the cost ranges before you decide anything.

Frequently asked questions