When someone dies far from where they will be laid to rest, families quickly learn that moving a loved one is a specialized process, not a simple errand. Human remains shipping, sometimes called funeral shipping, is the coordinated transportation of a deceased person from the place of death, or from a funeral home, to another city, state or country. Families usually arrange it so that a loved one can be laid to rest near family, in a hometown, or in a country of origin.
What human remains shipping includes
It is more than a flight or a drive. A shipment normally combines several separate pieces of work that have to line up:
- Preparation of the deceased by a licensed funeral home, which may include embalming or other preparation depending on the route and the carrier.
- The paperwork, such as a death certificate, a burial-transit permit, and for many international destinations consular documents and translations.
- A suitable container that meets the carrier’s requirements for air or ground transport.
- Booking and coordinating with an airline cargo department or a ground transport provider.
- A receiving funeral home or family contact at the destination who completes local procedures and takes the person into their care.
Who is usually involved
Most cases involve the family, the funeral home caring for the deceased, a shipping and repatriation coordinator, the carrier, and the receiving funeral home at the destination. Each has its own role and its own requirements. Problems usually come from gaps between these parties, such as a document that was filed with the wrong spelling or a receiving funeral home that was never given the flight details. A coordinator’s job is to close those gaps.
Domestic and international shipping
Domestic shipping moves remains between locations within the United States. It generally involves fewer documents, but states have their own rules and airlines have their own acceptance procedures. You can read how that works in How Domestic Human Remains Shipping Works Between U.S. States.
International shipping, usually called repatriation, crosses a border. It adds destination-country requirements, and the rules differ widely from one country to the next. Our guide to what repatriation of human remains means explains the term in more detail.
Burial, cremation and cremated remains
Shipping is not limited to casketed remains. Some families choose cremation first and then travel or ship the cremated remains; others ship and cremate at the destination. Each option has different rules, which we cover in Cremation and Shipping: What Families Should Know. For travel into the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes its own rules for importing human remains.
Where a specialist helps
A company that specializes in funeral shipping handles the supporting documents, carrier arrangements and communication so that families and funeral directors are not left to work out unfamiliar procedures during a difficult week. We ship to destinations worldwide and specialize in the Caribbean, Central and South America and Europe. For a checklist of what you will typically need, see Documents Typically Needed to Ship Human Remains.
Who does what in a shipment
One reason shipments go wrong is that people assume someone else is handling a step. This table shows where responsibility usually sits. The exact split can vary by state, country and funeral home.
| Party | Typical role | What to ask them |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Makes the decisions, provides identification and information, chooses the funeral homes and the final resting place. | Who is the legal decision-maker, and does everyone in the family agree on the plan? |
| Originating funeral home | Cares for the deceased, prepares the remains, files or obtains key documents and releases the remains to the carrier. | What does your General Price List include? Do you have experience preparing remains for air transport? |
| Shipping coordinator | Tracks documents, confirms carrier and destination requirements, books transport and keeps everyone informed. | What exactly is in your quote, and who is my point of contact at night? |
| Carrier (airline or ground) | Accepts the shipment under its own policy, checks documents and container, transports the remains. | Which flight, what is the cut-off time, and who delivers the shipment to the cargo facility? |
| Receiving funeral home or family | Meets the shipment, completes local formalities and arranges the funeral or burial. | Are you ready to receive on the expected date and what do you need from us? |
Common situations that lead families to ship a loved one
- A person dies while traveling or working away from home and the family wants them returned for services.
- A longtime resident of Florida wished to be buried in the town or country where they were born.
- Relatives live in different states and the family chooses a central place for the funeral.
- A family wants a loved one buried beside parents, a spouse or other relatives.
Each of these situations involves the same basic building blocks, but the documents and the airline requirements are different for each one. That is why the first question we ask is always where the person is now and where they need to go.
What to have ready when you call
You do not need every detail to begin. It helps to have the person’s full name, the date and place of death, the name of the funeral home caring for them, the destination, and the dates of any planned services. If some of that is unknown, say so; we will help you work out what to find out first.
Frequently asked questions
Is human remains shipping the same as repatriation?
They overlap. Repatriation usually refers to international transport, especially when a person is returned to their country of origin. Human remains shipping is the broader term and includes domestic moves between states.
Does the body have to be embalmed to be shipped?
Not always, and it depends on the carrier, the route and the destination. According to the Federal Trade Commission, no state law requires routine embalming for every death, but airlines and destination countries may have their own requirements. We confirm this for each case.
Who pays for shipping?
Usually the family or the estate, though in some cases insurance, a benefit program, an employer or another source may help. Ask early whether any of these apply to your situation.
Can cremated remains be shipped instead?
Yes. Cremated remains follow different rules and can often be carried or shipped more simply. See our article on cremation and shipping for the details.
How quickly can a shipment happen?
It depends on the documents, the preparation, the airline schedule and, for international cases, the consulate. We do not promise a fixed number of days, but we can give you a realistic range once we know the route.
Keep reading
- What Does Repatriation of Human Remains Mean?
- How Domestic Human Remains Shipping Works Between U.S. States
- Documents Typically Needed to Ship Human Remains
Sources
Need help?
Funeral Shipping coordinates domestic and international funeral shipping, including the supporting documents, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn more about our domestic human remains shipping services, request a quote, or call 786-565-9525.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by destination, carrier and circumstances and can change. Always confirm current rules with the relevant authority, and note that no timing or outcome is guaranteed.