In this guide
The cost of repatriation depends mostly on the route, so we only share ranges from cases we have coordinated. For example, a body from the U.S. to Honduras has typically cost the family between US$8,000 and US$10,000, door to door. If we have not coordinated your route, we do not guess a number: below we explain what drives the price and how to get one written total. These are not quotes.
Reviewed November 2026. See our editorial policy.
The question most families ask first is how much it costs, often before they have given any details. Honest answers are ranges, because the price depends on a handful of things that are different in every case. This guide breaks the total into the parts you will see on a quote, gives ranges from cases we have coordinated and shows how to get one written total that does not grow.
What is inside the total
International funeral shipping is a chain of independent services. Each link has its own provider and its own charge.
| Component | What it is | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Origin funeral home | Transfer of the body, basic services, storage days, permits | Licensed U.S. funeral home |
| Body preparation | Preparation for travel, often embalming, performed by the provider | Licensed U.S. funeral home |
| Container | A sealed or hermetic container and an outer shipping case that meet airline and country rules | Provider or specialized shipper |
| Documents | Certified death certificates, transit permit, certificate of preparation and, where needed, apostille and translation | State or county office, provider |
| Consulate | Paperwork or consular steps, depending on the destination | Consulate of the destination |
| Air cargo | Air waybill, handling, airport fees, sometimes two flights | Airline and cargo agent |
| Destination funeral home | Airport reception, customs release, ground transfer, casket, wake and burial or cremation | Licensed local funeral home |
| Coordination | One point of contact across all of the above | Coordination company |
The share of each part moves with the route. A short direct flight and a simple release is a smaller cargo bill than a trip with a connection. A long ground transfer to a rural town is a larger destination bill.
Ranges from cases we have coordinated
We do not publish estimated or public ranges for repatriation. We share only what comes from cases we have coordinated, always as a range, and only for the routes where we have cases.
| Route (cases we have coordinated) | What it covers | Range for the family, in cases we coordinated |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. to Honduras, body | Door to door | US$8,000–10,000 |
| Honduras side only | Airport reception, ground transfer, wake, casket | US$1,500–3,500 |
| Florida to the Dominican Republic, body with wake and burial | Door to door | US$12,000–14,000 |
| Florida to the Dominican Republic, body with cremation at the destination | Door to door | US$8,000–9,000 |
| Florida to the Dominican Republic, cremation in the U.S. and ashes | Door to door | US$5,500–6,500 |
| Guatemala to the U.S., body | Door to door | US$8,000–11,000 |
| Colombia to the U.S., cremation and ashes | Door to door | US$4,500–6,000 |
| Peru to the U.S., cremation and ashes | Door to door | US$6,000–7,500 |
| Venezuela to the U.S., cremation and ashes | Door to door | US$6,000–7,500 |
| Between continents (Europe or Asia to the U.S.), body | Door to door | US$10,000–24,000 |
| Between continents (Europe or Asia to the U.S.), cremation and ashes | Door to door | US$6,000–11,000 |
Mexico, Spain, Ecuador, El Salvador, Brazil, Nicaragua and other routes. We do not have enough coordinated cases to publish a range, so we do not give one: we price these case by case. The cost depends on the airline route and any connection, the distance from the airport to the final place, the casket and container, the documents the destination asks for, storage days and what the family chooses for the wake and burial. In large cities, the destination postal code is needed to price the last leg. The honest way to know is a written quote for your route: contact us and ask for it. Read our guides for Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras for country steps.
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 coordinates services through licensed funeral providers. We are not a funeral establishment, and we do not provide legal or immigration advice.
Body versus ashes
| Body | Ashes | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical total | In cases we have coordinated, roughly double the ashes on the same route | In cases we have coordinated, about half of the body on the same route |
| Preparation | Preparation for travel and a sealed container | Cremation and a suitable urn |
| Documents | Death certificate, preparation certificate, sometimes a non-contagious-disease certificate | Death certificate and cremation certificate, sometimes translated |
| Transport | Air cargo with air waybill | Hand-carry, airline or postal shipping, depending on the rules |
| Destination | Funeral home, casket, wake, burial | Family receives the urn; ceremony as the family chooses |
More on this choice, including USPS and TSA rules, in Body or ashes?. Funeral costs in the U.S. before shipping are in our funeral cost guide and cremation cost guide.
Why the first number goes up
This is the objection we hear most. It is almost never one big surprise. It is several small items that were not on the first number:
- A first figure that covers only the flight, and leaves out the origin funeral home or the destination.
- Delivery to the family's home or to a village, not only to the airport.
- Storage days at the origin funeral home while documents are completed.
- Certified copies of the death certificate. You will probably need several, and fees vary by state.
- An urgent apostille, which can add a few hundred dollars.
- Translations.
- A casket upgrade or a change after the first order.
- Restoration so the family can hold a wake with the body present, typically US$1,500–3,000.
- Shipping of personal belongings, which travel separately and have typically cost US$1,000–2,000.
- Provider travel to a consulate in a complex case, which has cost several thousand dollars.
How to ask for one written all-in quote
- Ask for one total. Say that you want a single price from the pick-up to the last step at the destination.
- Ask who does each service, and in which country.
- List what is excluded and what could be added later, with a range for each.
- Confirm the destination details: who receives, where, the full address and a phone number.
- Ask what happens if a date or route changes. Dates stay estimates until the air waybill is issued, so do not buy tickets or fix the funeral date earlier.
- Confirm how and when you pay, and to whom. Providers usually require payment before they start, so understand the refund terms.
- Get it in writing, from a named person, with an address and a phone number you can call.
If you already have a quote, send it to a coordinator and ask for a line-by-line comparison. Our guide to how international repatriation works shows the sequence step by step.
Who usually pays
Most often the family pays. If the person had a plan through an employer, an assistance company, a veterans office or a similar source, ask early whether it can pay or support part of the cost. Always ask if the person served in the military. Some consulates also have limited support programs; confirm with the consulate before you rely on one.
How Eternimax helps
Eternimax is not a funeral home and not an insurance company. We are a U.S. company that coordinates the whole chain with independent licensed providers, in English and Spanish, with one coordinator and updates in writing. We do not promise dates, and we explain each line of the quote. You can contact us to start. Eternimax also offers a separate membership for coordination services in the country where a loved one lives.
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 repatriate a body from the US to Latin America?
The cost depends on the route, so we only share ranges from cases we have coordinated. For example, a body from the U.S. to Honduras has typically cost the family between US$8,000 and US$10,000, door to door. If we have not coordinated your route, we do not give a range: we explain what drives the cost and invite you to request a written quote. These are not quotes.
Why did the price go up after the first number I heard?
Often the first number covered only part of the trip, such as the flight, or left out the destination funeral home, delivery or documents. Extras such as storage days, urgent apostilles, extra certified copies, a casket change or restoration for a viewing can also appear later. Ask for one written all-in total before you pay.
What does a written quote need to show?
It should list who performs each service, what is included and excluded, the route, who receives the remains at the destination, what happens if a date changes and how and when you pay. It should come from a named person you can reach.
Do ashes cost less to ship than a body?
In cases we have coordinated, on the same route, ashes have cost about half of what the body costs. The right choice also depends on the family wishes, faith and the plans for the funeral.
How long does repatriation take?
In cases we have coordinated, the transfer typically takes about 5 business days once the body is with the provider and no police or medical examiner is involved. With a medical examiner, police or chained permits, it typically takes 10 business days or more. An apostilled death certificate typically adds 5 to 9 business days. Dates are estimates until the airline confirms the air waybill.
Can the government of the country help pay?
Some consulates and ministries have limited support programs, but they vary by country and change. Ask your consulate directly and confirm before you book anything.
Who do I hold accountable if something goes wrong?
Ask any company for its U.S. address, a named coordinator and a written agreement that shows who is responsible for each step and who you pay. At Eternimax, one coordinator is your point of contact and gives written updates.
Official sources
- Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Rule
- Hague Conference (HCCH) — Apostille Section
- USPS — Shipping Restrictions (cremated remains)
- NFDA — Statistics
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.
