Funeral Shipping
Shipping Human Remains to Brazil
Brazil’s own Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes the steps for sending a body or ashes from the United States, including what to do in Florida. Here is what it says, what the consulate does and does not do, and how we help.
The short version
Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.
- Brazilian authorities require US documents to be apostilled. For documents from Florida, the Miami consulate says the originals are sent to the Florida Secretary of State for the apostille. The consulate does not do the apostille.
- For a body, the Brazilian government lists a transit permit, the original death certificate, an embalming certificate and a certificate that the death was not from a contagious disease.
- The US funeral home must coordinate with a funeral home in Brazil, which handles the arrival of the body in Brazil and the burial paperwork.
- The consulate states that it has no funds or legal authority to carry out the transfer, embalming, cremation or burial. Those are the family’s responsibility.
Sources: Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Traslado de corpo e cinzas para o Brasil (updated July 25, 2025); and Consulate General of Brazil in Miami: Registro de óbito e outros trâmites (updated August 14, 2023). The Miami page was last updated in August 2023, so we confirm the current list with the consulate. Fees may not be the same today.
How shipping human remains to Brazil works
- Choose a licensed funeral home in FloridaIt cares for your loved one, embalms or arranges cremation, and prepares the notarized certificates the Brazilian government lists.
- Choose a funeral home in BrazilThe Brazilian government says the US funeral home must coordinate with a Brazilian funeral home, which is responsible for the entry of the body into Brazil and the burial documentation.
- Obtain the Florida documentsThe death certificate, the transit permit, the embalming certificate, and the non-contagious disease certificate. For the body, the Miami consulate also lists a boarding authorization from the County Health Department.
- ApostilleThe originals go to the Florida Secretary of State for the apostille. The consulate does not do it.
- Register the death at the consulateA family member appears as the declarant. The consular death certificate is later transcribed at a civil registry office in Brazil.
- Airport authorization and flightThe Brazilian page says the transport can only happen after authorization from the airport administration at the departure airport, which the funeral home obtains.
Documents the Brazilian government lists
This table combines the two Brazilian consulate pages. The pages do not mention a translation requirement, so we ask the consulate and the Brazilian funeral home whether any translation is needed.
| Document or item | Who usually provides it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original death certificate (apostilled) | Florida funeral home and the vital records office | Listed by the Brazilian government. See Why Death Certificates Matter. |
| Transit permit, “Certificado de traslado do corpo” (apostilled) | Florida funeral director | See What Is a Burial-Transit Permit?. |
| Embalming certificate (apostilled; notarized, per the Miami consulate) | Funeral home | The Brazilian page specifies the certificate follows US standard methods. |
| Certificate that the death was not from a contagious disease (apostilled) | Funeral home, arranged with the health authority | The Miami page lists a “non contagious diseases” sanitary certificate. |
| Boarding authorization from the County Health Department | Funeral home | Listed on the Miami consulate page for a body. |
| Hermetically sealed metal coffin | Funeral home | Required when the case involves a contagious or quarantinable disease, according to the Brazilian page. |
| Cremation: cremation permit, cremation certificate and death certificate (apostilled) | Funeral home or crematory | The cremation certificate must be signed by the funeral technician, notarized and apostilled. Ashes travel in a sealed, waterproof urn. |
| Authorization from the departure airport administration | Funeral home | Required before transport, according to the Brazilian page. |
For how a Florida apostille works, see our Dominican Republic guide, which explains the Florida Department of Health and Department of State steps.
Consular death registration and ANVISA
Registering the death. The Miami consulate says a member of the deceased’s family must appear at the consulate as the declarant, with the completed form, the US death certificate stating the cause of death, a Brazilian document of the deceased (a passport is preferred, even if expired) and the declarant’s photo ID. It says the registration and the first copy are free and each additional copy costs US$5.00 (fees may not be the same today). The consular certificate must later be transcribed at a registry office in Brazil, either where the deceased lived or in the Federal District. Errors on the certificate do not stop the transport.
Health authority. The Brazilian page names ANVISA, the national health surveillance agency, as the authority to ask about doubts on transport, together with the airline, and links to ANVISA Resolution 33/2011 for further information. We confirm which rules currently apply.
What the consulate does not do. The Brazilian page says the consulate has no funds or legal authority to carry out the transfer of remains to Brazil, or to arrange embalming, cremation or burial abroad, and that these are the family’s responsibility.
Timing and cost factors
We do not publish a fixed price or number of days. For Brazil the main variables are:
- The Florida apostille, which is an additional government step.
- The county health authority’s boarding authorization and the airport authorization.
- The consular death registration and the funeral home in Brazil’s readiness.
- Flight availability, cargo cut-off and the arrival airport, and the onward trip inside Brazil.
- Funeral home charges at both ends and airline cargo charges, which may not be the same from case to case.
Read What Affects the Cost of Funeral Shipping, and How to Keep It Affordable and How Long Does Funeral Shipping Take?.
How we help families with Brazil repatriation
We coordinate the shipping side: sequencing the Florida documents, the apostille and the county authorization, coordinating with the Florida funeral home and the funeral home in Brazil, helping you prepare for the consular death registration, booking transport and keeping you updated. We do not have an office in Brazil, and the funeral and burial there are carried out by the receiving funeral home.
Frequently asked questions
Do you ship to Brazil?
Yes, we coordinate repatriation to Brazil. We confirm the current requirements and the route on every case.
Who does the apostille for Florida documents?
The Miami consulate says the originals are sent to the Florida Secretary of State for the apostille, and that the consulate does not do it.
Which documents does Brazil list for a body?
The Brazilian government lists a transit permit, the original death certificate, an embalming certificate and a non-contagious disease certificate, all apostilled. The Miami consulate also lists a boarding authorization from the County Health Department.
Does the consulate arrange or pay for the transfer?
No. The Brazilian page says the consulate has no funds or legal authority to carry out the transfer, embalming, cremation or burial, which are the family’s responsibility.
What about cremated remains?
The Brazilian page lists a cremation permit, a cremation certificate and the death certificate, all apostilled, and says ashes must travel in a sealed, waterproof urn. See Cremation and Shipping.
Do we need to register the death at the consulate?
The Miami consulate describes a consular death registration done by a family member, which is later transcribed in Brazil. Ask the consulate whether it applies to your case.
How long does it take?
We cannot promise a fixed timeline. It depends on the apostille, the county authorization, the consular registration and flights.
Arrange repatriation to Brazil
Tell us where your loved one is and where in Brazil the funeral will be held. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.