Documents for transportation of human remains overseas

The loss of a loved one is life’s most stressful event and is one of the most difficult things you will ever experience. When a person who meant so much for us died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him or her. However, besides the event can cause a major emotional crisis, in many cases it also results in number of issued you have to deal with. If a relative dies in a foreign country, the costs and paperwork associated with transportation of human remains for burial purposes overseas can make a terrible event even worse. In view of the above said, we have some advice on how to keep the pain, troubles and expense to a minimum.

Procedures for transporting human remains (bodies) into a foreign country

1. The funeral home or you shall presents to the Consulate the documents listed
2. The Consulate will request from the proper foreign authorities the authorization allowing the remains to cross the border of the country for burial;
3. Once the said Burial Permit is granted, the Consulate will issue s special document in the same name of the deceased and consigns it to the Funeral Home.
4. Documents required Apostille or Legalization for transportation of human remains
5. One or two (depending of the country) certified copy of the Death Certificate with “Apostille.” The “Apostillle” is a special certification obtained from the Office of the Secretary of State of the State where the death event occurred.
6. Certified translation of the Death Certificate into the language of the country where the body is to be transported to (Note: Most of the countries require the translation to be legalized by Apostille as well.  Please contact the Consulate to verify)
7. An official document (certified by the proper authorities Affidavit from the County Department of Health with “Apostille” and translation stating that:

•  “at the time of death of Mr/Mrs ….. there were no epidemic diseases within the County”
•  “the remains were embalmed in accordance to the laws of the State in which the Mortuary operates”
•  “the deceased did not die of any contagious disease”

Note: Different states issue different types of the said affidavits, however, no matter how the document looks like, they shall contains the above mentioned statements.

If the body was cremated, Certificate of Cremation and Sealing from the funeral home, notarized, authenticated, apostilled and officially translated.

The documents must comply with specific regulations for both bodies and cremated remains, requirements of specific countries and, of course, international rules on transportation of human remains.

Considering the said, families dealing with the grief of a relative dying overseas often find themselves dealing with the unexpected consequence of finding a knowledgeable professionals who will be able to assist them with the preparation of the said documents in accordance with the specific requirement of foreign authorities. Failure to submit the document will result in deniable to bring a body of the deceased home.

At the Apoling Solutions, Inc., we understand the pain of your grief and are committed you to get through the loss by doing the best we can – solving the document – related issues.  We’ll navigate you through the process of the documents legalization and translation and guarantee that the remains of your loved one will cross the borders safely and securely.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We are here for you to listen, answer and help.