How​ international​ repatriation​ works:​ steps,​ documents​ and​ who​ is​ responsible

What is repatriation?

Repatriation is the transfer of a person who has died from the country where they died to another country — almost always their home country — for their farewell and burial or cremation there. The body can be transferred or, if the family chooses cremation, the cremated remains.

Every transfer crosses at least two sets of rules: those of the place of departure and those of the destination country. That's why no single list of requirements fits every case: it's defined by the responsible providers and the authorities in each place.

Who takes part

The family

Makes the decisions, authorizes the services and provides the information and documents requested.

The sending funeral home

Licensed where the death occurred. It collects and prepares the person, obtains the local permits and tenders the transfer to the airline, according to local rules.

The airline or cargo agent

Transports according to its own rules. The person who has died travels as cargo, not as passenger baggage.

The authorities

Vital records, health and the medical examiner at departure; on arrival, the destination country's authorities, as applicable.

The consulate

Of the destination country. It often issues or reviews documents for the transfer of its citizens.

The receiving funeral home

Licensed in the destination country. It receives the person, handles the local steps within its scope and performs the services the family chooses.

A coordinator (optional)

The communication point between the family and all the parties. A coordinator does not perform the regulated services.

The stages, one by one

1. 1

   First contact and case information

   The person's details, where they are and who decides for the family are gathered.

2. 2

   The family's decisions

   Body or ashes, destination city, ceremonies and budget.

3. 3

   The provider determines the requirements

   The sending funeral home, together with the receiving funeral home and the airline, defines which documents, preparation and packaging the case requires. This is the step that organizes everything else.

4. 4

   Documents and authorizations

   The authorities issue the death certificate and permits; the consulate acts under its own rules; the family signs the authorizations and provides what's requested.

5. 5

   Preparation and transport

   The licensed provider prepares the person according to the case's requirements and tenders them to the airline, which transports them as cargo.

6. 6

   Arrival and services at destination

   The receiving funeral home receives the person, handles the local steps within its scope and performs the services the family chose.

Documents usually requested

This list is a guide. The final list is determined by the provider and the authorities in your case, and some documents apply only in certain countries.

If the transfer is into the United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes the federal public-health requirements for bringing human remains into the country ², based on the regulation at 42 CFR 71.55 ³. Among them:

• The remains must arrive with a death certificate stating the cause of death; if it isn't in English, with an English translation.
• Remains that have not been cremated must travel in a leak-proof container.
• That container requirement does not apply to cremated remains.
• If the person is known or suspected to have died of an infectious disease and was neither embalmed nor cremated, a CDC permit may be required.

State and airline requirements also apply. The receiving funeral home in the United States confirms what applies to your case.

If a U.S. citizen dies in another country

The U.S. embassy or consulate in that country can help the family communicate with local authorities and with the transfer documents ⁴. According to the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual, the consular officer does not decide on the remains: that responsibility, including the costs, rests with the legal representative, the surviving spouse or the next of kin, and arrangements follow local law ⁵.

Transferring cremated remains

When the family chooses cremation, the transfer is often simpler, though it has its own rules:

• On the plane: in the United States, TSA allows cremated remains in carry-on bags if the container can be screened by X-ray. It suggests a lightweight container, such as wood or plastic; if the image is opaque, it won't be allowed, and officers won't open the container even if asked ⁶. Some airlines don't accept them in checked bags: check with yours.
• By mail: the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) publishes how to package and ship cremated remains ⁷. For international shipments, it depends on what the destination country allows.
• At the destination: the country may require documents such as the death certificate and the cremation certificate. Ask the consulate or the receiving funeral home before you travel.

What affects the costs

We don't publish prices because every case is different. These are the factors that usually matter:

• Distance, route and airline.
• Whether the body or the cremated remains are transferred.
• The preparation and container required by the destination and the airline.
• Documents, translations and consular steps.
• The services the family chooses in the destination country.

Ask each provider for an itemized written estimate before you authorize anything. In the United States, the FTC's Funeral Rule gives you the right to a written price list and to a written statement of what you're buying before you pay ⁸.

Frequently asked questions