We now live in a global society and many people leave their birth country because of work, relationships, for vacation, to retire or to serve in the Armed Forces. When looking for a funeral home to ship your loved one’s remains internationally, you should find one with funeral directors who are experts and trained in international mortuary shipping logistics. They should have the knowledge, contacts and expertise to guarantee the safe and dignified transportation of your loved one at a reasonable price. This will make a difficult and stressful time for you and your family much easier.
Find a funeral home that is a “known shipper,” meaning that it is authorized to schedule flights on airlines. This will allow the funeral home to confirm flight availability with ease and will provide it with discounted rates that will translate into savings for you. It is best to use a funeral home that does not receive remuneration or commissions from the airlines. A funeral shipper with experience will know the shipping windows and after hours release processes, permitting them to repatriate your loved one as quickly as possible.
A funeral home that is also a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Screening Cargo Facility is able to screen human remains, keeping airport delays minimal. You should choose a funeral home that is sensitive to your faith, customs and traditions and that you feel will treat your loved one with dignity and respect. You may find that an independently owned licensed shipping specialist will offer you greater flexibility and lower prices. Each country has its own requirements for international shipping so prices for this service may vary. The export/import of human remains must satisfy the regulations of both the disembarking and receiving nation. Written authorization from local officials to remove the body, a certified English translation of the death certificate and an embalming certificate must accompany the departed.
Generally, international shipping services include the removal and transfer of the departed from the place of death, the refrigeration and care of the deceased, preparation, sealer casket, shipping container approved by the destination country, booking of all international flights, coordination with the funeral provider in the receiving country and delivery and supervision of the loved one onto the airplane.
The funeral home will take care of the bureaucracy and all needed documentation and translations required by the consulate or embassy, with whom they should have a close working relationship. The paperwork should be completed and filed in a prompt manner. The time that it takes for the body to arrive in the foreign country and be buried revolves around the Office of the Consulate General. After the demise and with all necessities completed, it usually takes five business days.
Also, the funeral home should be skilled in preservation techniques and embalming, allowing your loved one to arrive in the destination country in excellent condition. You also must engage the services of a funeral home in the destination country to collect the remains, handle the import protocol and manage continuing funeral arrangements. If you work with a well-established funeral home having substantial experience in international mortuary shipping, the funeral directors will likely have strategic funeral contacts around the world. If the deceased passed away in another country, you can find a domestic funeral home to arrange to have him or her brought to the United States to avoid the duplication of work and costs.