Death Notification
When an American dies abroad, the Bureau of Consular Affairs must locate and inform the next-of-kin. Sometimes discovering
the next-of-kin is difficult. If the American’s name is known, the Bureau’s Office of Passport Services will search for his
or her passport application. However, the information there may not be current.
We provide guidance to grieving family members on how to make arrangements for local burial or return of the remains to the
U.S. The disposition of remains is affected by local laws, customs, and facilities, which are often vastly different from
those in the U.S.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs relays the family's instructions and necessary private funds to cover the costs involved to
the embassy or consulate. The Department of State has no funds to assist in the return of remains or ashes of American citizens
who die abroad. Upon completion of all formalities, the consular officer abroad prepares an official Foreign Service Report
of Death, based upon the local death certificate, and sends it to the next-of-kin or legal representative for use in U.S.
courts to settle estate matters.
A U.S. consular officer overseas has statutory responsibility for the personal estate of an American who dies abroad if the
deceased has no legal representative in the country where the death occurred. The consular officer takes possession of personal
effects, such as convertible assets, apparel, jewelry, personal documents and papers. The officer prepares an inventory and
then carries out instructions from members of the deceased’s family concerning the effects. A final statement of the account
is then sent to the next-of-kin. The Diplomatic Pouch cannot be used to ship personal items, including valuables, but legal
documents and correspondence relating to the estate can be transmitted by pouch. In Washington, the Bureau of Consular Affairs
gives next-of-kin guidance on procedures to follow in preparing Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, and Affidavits
of Next-of-Kin as acceptable evidence of legal claim of an estate.
For information on Deaths Abroad of U.S. Citizens click here .
For more information from other government websites, click on the links below: National Archives
When a Foreign National Dies in the U.S.
If federal, state, or local government officials become aware of the death of a foreign national in the United States, they
must ensure that the nearest consulate of that national’s country is notified of the death. This will permit the foreign government
to make an official record of the death for its own legal purposes. For example, such notice will help ensure that passports
and other legal documentation issued by that country are canceled and not reissued to fraudulent claimants. In addition, it
may help ensure that the foreign national’s family and legal heirs, if any, in the foreign country are aware of the death
and that the death is known for estate purposes in the foreign national’s country.