CDC requirements for importing human remains depend on the purpose of importation, whether the body has been embalmed or cremated, and if the person died from a quarantinable communicable disease .

When a US citizen or lawful permanent resident dies outside the United States, the deceased person’s next of kin or legal representative should:

Notify US consular officials at the Department of State Consular personnel are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide assistance to US citizens for overseas emergencies. If the deceased person’s next of kin or legal representative is in a different country from that of the deceased person, they should call the Department of State’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services in Washington, DC, from 8 am to 5 pm Eastern time, Monday through Friday, at 888-407-4747 (toll-free) or 202-501-4444. For emergency assistance after working hours or on weekends and holidays, call the Department of State switchboard at 202-647-4000 and ask to speak with the Overseas Citizens Services duty officer. In addition, the US embassy or consulate external icon closest to or in the country where the US citizen or lawful permanent resident died may provide assistance.

Work with consular officials to obtain: Country export clearance requirements where death occurred (such as death certificate, autopsy report * ) US import documents (such as death certificate, Consular Mortuary Certificate, Affidavit of Foreign Funeral Director and Transit Permit, CDC import permit in the case of a quarantinable communicable disease) Packaging (such as urn for cremation, casket, body transfer case) Assistance with transportation (such as local transportation, international airline)



*While CDC does not require an autopsy before the remains of a person who died overseas are returned to the United States, depending on the circumstances surrounding the death, some countries may require an autopsy before exportation.

There likely will need to be an official identification of the body and official documents issued by the consular office.

Authority and Guidance

CDC’s regulatory authority under 42 CFR §71.55external icon Importation of Human Remains, governs the importation of the remains of a person intended for burial, entombment, or cremation (“final resting”). This authority applies to the whole body or body portion of a deceased human being, including internal or external body parts, being consigned directly to a licensed mortuary, cemetery, or crematory for immediate and final preparation before final resting. This provision explains that if imported remains will undergo a medical examination or autopsy, the remains must be consigned directly to an entity authorized to perform such functions under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction prior to final resting.

42 CFR §71.55 also indicates that certain human remains may require a permit under 42 CFR §71.54 Import regulations for infectious biological agents, infectious substances, and vectors. Human remains imported for any purpose other than final resting (such as research, training, education, ceremonial, collectible), or those remains of a person who died from a quarantinable communicable disease , unless embalmed, fall under the authority of 42 CFR §71.54 external icon, and may require a CDC import permit.

Permits for the importation of the remains of a person known or suspected to have died from a quarantinable communicable disease such as COVID-19 may be obtained through the CDC Division of Global Migration and Quarantine by calling the CDC Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100 or emailing dgmqpolicyoffice@cdc.gov.

There are no requirements for importation of human remains consisting entirely of

Clean, dry bones or bone fragments; human hair; teeth; fingernails or toenails; or

A deceased human body and portions thereof that have already been fully cremated before importation.

Death certificate

Except for cremated or embalmed remains, human remains intended for final resting after entry into the United States must be accompanied by a death certificate stating the cause of death. A death certificate is an official government document that certifies a death has occurred and provides identifying information about the deceased, including (at a minimum) name, age, and sex. The document must also certify the time, place, and cause of death (if known).

If the official death certificate is not written in English, then it must include an English language translation of the official government document. A person licensed to perform acts in legal affairs in the country where the death occurred, such as a notary, must attest to the document’s authenticity. In lieu of a death certificate, a copy of the Consular Mortuary Certificate and the Affidavit of Foreign Funeral Director and Transit Permit shall together constitute acceptable identification of human remains. If a death certificate is not available in time for returning the remains, the US embassy or consulate external icon should provide a consular mortuary certificate stating whether the person died from a disease classified as quarantinable in the United States.

Leak-proof containers

All non-cremated remains must be fully contained within a leak-proof container that is packaged and shipped in accordance with all applicable legal requirements. Germs that can cause disease could be present in the blood or other body fluids of a deceased person even if the stated cause of death is not a contagious disease. Such germs include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and other germs that can be present in body fluids.

The requirement for leak-proof containers is based on medical Standard Precautions to prevent exposure to infectious diseases carried in the blood and other body fluids. This requirement is intended to protect the public as well as federal, airline, and airport employees from potential exposure to blood and other body fluids during transportation, inspection, or storage of human remains.

This guidance does not apply to these items addressed under other US federal regulations: