Death of an American Citizen Abroad
When an American Citizen dies abroad, Consular Officers:
- Confirm the death, identity and U.S. citizenship of the deceased.
- Notify the next-of-kin if they do not already know about the death.
- Provide information about disposition of the remains and the effects of the deceased.
- Provide guidance on forwarding funds to cover costs.
- Serve as provisional conservator of the estate, if there is no legal representative in the country.
- Prepare documents for disposition of the remains in accordance with instructions from the next-of-kin or legal representative.
- Oversee the performance of disposition of the remains and distribution of the effects of the deceased.
- Send signed copies of the Consular Report of Death of an U.S. Citizen Abroad to the next-of-kin or legal representative for use in settling estate matters in the U.S.
What is a Foreign Death Certificate?
A Foreign Death Certificate:
- Is issued by the local authority, often the registrar of deaths.
- Is written in the local language and prepared according to local laws.
- May not be accepted in the U.S. for insurance and estate purposes.
What is a Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad?
A Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad is:
- Issued by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
- Provides essential facts about the death, disposition of remains, and custody of the estate of the deceased American.
- Generally used in legal proceedings in U.S. as proof of death.
- Based on the foreign death certificate, and cannot be completed until the death certificate is issued (can be up to 4-6 weeks, depending on the country).
Obtaining Copies of the Report of Death:
- Consular Officer will send the family up to 20 certified copies at the time of death at no fee.
- Additional copies can be received by contacting:
Department of State,
Passport Vital Records Section
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 510
Washington, D.C. 20522-1705
Tel. (202) 955-0307 - You must submit a notarized written request to the above address, with the following information:
- Full name of the deceased
- Date and place of death
- A copy of requester's valid identification
- Your return address and telephone number
- Signature of requester
- Appropriate fees, payable to the “Department of State” by check or money order
- There is a $50 fee for each additional certified copy of a Report of Death.
- Overnight Delivery: Send your request to our office using overnight delivery for quicker service. To have your records returned to you using overnight delivery, include an additional $12.72 with your request or a pre-paid envelope for the delivery service provider of your choice.
Profile of services available in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
(1) Maximum period before burial. BiH law does not impose any specific time limit for burial. It only requires that the body be refrigerated. Embalming is rarely performed in BiH.
(2) Embalming. Although almost never requested by Bosnian citizens, embalming can be performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina if the family of the deceased U.S. citizen wishes. The Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Sarajevo University’s Medical School is the only institution that embalms the deceased. If an autopsy is requested, embalming must be done immediately after the autopsy. In any case, it should be performed as soon after death as possible.
Note: Without embalming, an open-casket ceremony is still possible if the remains are shipped to the U.S. within a week. However, the U.S. local funeral director should examine the remains first and advise the family about the possibility of viewing the remains.
(3) Cremation. Bosnia and Herzegovina has never had a crematorium. One is now under construction in Visoko, but it is uncertain when it will be completed. The nearest crematorium is in Zagreb, Croatia or in Novi Sad, Serbia. This requires export of remains from BiH and transport by road to Croatia or Serbia.
(4) Caskets and containers. Zinc caskets required to export remains may be purchased locally, as are wooden caskets with shipping bags necessary for air transport. The prices of coffins range from $500 to $2,000 (zinc casket included). The cost of an air-transport bag and packing of the coffin (placement in the bag) is $180. The soldering of the zinc casket costs $80, and disinfection of the zinc casket at the time of soldering is $20. Dressing of the deceased in the clothes in which he/she will be buried costs $32. Name plates for the coffin cost $ 7. Therefore, the total cost of a medium-quality coffin and preparation for shipment (without embalming) is from $1,100 to USD 2,500.
(5) Exportation of remains. Air export requirements are that the zinc casket must be sealed by soldering, and then placed in a wooden coffin. The wooden coffin must be placed in an air transport bag and sealed. The act of sealing of the casket must be witnessed by the representatives of the Health Department and Customs. After the sealing, the Health Department issues the exit permit, i.e. “laissez-passer for corpse”, which is the key document for export of remains from Bosnia and Herzegovina. These administrative fees amount to about $100.
(6) Various prices. The price of local burial without embalming (including a middle-quality coffin and grave site) is approximately $ 2,500.
- Embalming: approximately $500
- Use of refrigerated chamber for one day: approximately $30
- Road transport within BiH: about $1 per kilometer
- Transport within Sarajevo Canton (Hospital-Funeral Home-Airport): $60
- Export permit (administrative costs): $100
Air cargo prices from Sarajevo to different U.S. destinations (per kilogram). The weight of the remains is most often between 100 and 150 kg (220 to 330 lbs).
- Chicago: 8.58 Euro = $11.21 (exchange rate as of April 29, 2009: 1 Euro = $0.765)
- New York: 7.60 Euro = $9.93
- Washington, DC: 9.32 Euro = $12.18
- Los Angeles: 10.80 Euro = $14.11
- Houston 10.85 Euro = $14.18
- San Francisco: 10.80 Euro = $14.11
- Atlanta: 9.94 Euro = $12.99
- Detroit: 9.88 Euro = $12.91
Note: Each airline has a different surcharge for fuel that should be added to these prices (it is approximately one dollar). The fee for issuance of an airway bill is $17, and the handling fee is $24.
(7) Exhumed remains: In order to obtain a permit for exhumation, a written request and death certificate must be submitted. The funeral home will forward the request to the Sanitation Department, which gives the final approval. They will also ensure the presence of the police if required in a particular case. The procedure of preparation and shipment of the exhumed remains is the same as stated above. The total cost of an exhumation service is about $400, and the same administrative fees apply as stated above.
(8) Autopsy: The local prosecutor determines whether an autopsy is necessary. The Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Sarajevo’s Medical School is the main institute that performs autopsies. There are also qualified pathologists in other major hospitals in BiH, such as in Banja Luka, Mostar and Tuzla.
(9) Local Customs: Funerals and memorial services are conducted in accordance with the customs and traditions of the religions represented in the country. There is also a big population of atheists, so funerals without any religious service are also common.
(10) Remarks: A big modern Commemoration Center has recently opened at the main Sarajevo cemetery “Bare”. It is run by the main state-owned funeral home “Pokop”. It is an excellent facility for any kind of memorial service (adequately decorated hall, with a speakers’ platform, platform for coffin, fancy organ). It can receive about a hundred people. It has video coverage of the whole cemetery as well, and big TV screens, so the guests in the hall can watch the procession to the gravesite and actual laying of the coffin in the grave, if they choose not to accompany it all the way. The Center can broadcast whatever happens inside it or at the whole cemetery live over the Internet, which can be particularly important and convenient for the families of the victims of the Bosnian war from 1992-1995, who are spread throughout the war. The remains of their family members are still being exhumed from several mass graves in Bosnia and they are receiving proper funerals only now.
Funeral homes and related services available in Bosnia and Herzegovina
DISCLAIMER: The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the following persons or firms. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. Professional credentials and areas of expertise are provided directly by the funeral directors, morticians and other service providers.
Sarajevo:
Funeral Home „Pokop” Sarajevo
(main state-owned company-all denominations)
Mula Mustafe Baseskije 96, Sarajevo
Director: Nuko Grebovic
Tel.: 551-370, 535-170; Fax: 535-164
Morgue: 664-686
Kantonalno javno komunalno preduzece "POKOP"
Funeral Home “Bakije” (Muslim only)
Tel: 533 763; 233 062; 447 122; 233 062
Cell phone: (061) 131 788; (061) 150 146
E-mail: info@bakije.com
Pokopno Društvo "Bakije"
Funeral Home "Jedileri" (Muslim only)
Bistrik 8, Sarajevo
Tel: 712-800; Fax: 712-801; Cell phone: 061 490-592
Hrvatsko pogrebno društvo “Sveti Anto” (Croat Funeral Home “St. Anthony”- Catholic only)
Hamze Hume 4, Sarajevo
Tel: (033)200-887
Srpsko pgorebno društvo "Sveti Marko"
(Serb Funeral Home “St. Mark”—Orthodox only)
Mula Mustafe Baseskije 58, Sarajevo
Tel: 534-804
Ukop Martinovic (Funeral Home Martinovic - Catholic only)
Nikole Sopa 1, Ilidza, Sarajevo
Tel: (033)468-379
Mostar:
City Funeral Home “Bijeli Brijeg” (primarily Catholic)
Bijeli brijeg bb, 88000 Mostar
Tel/fax: (036) 327-485
Zenica:
Funeral Home “Gradsko groblje” (all denominations)
Tel: (387-32) 403-400
Tuzla:
Funeral Home “Komemorativni centar” (all denominations)
Tel: (387-35) 310-900
Visoko:
Funeral home “Gradska groblja”(all denominations)
Director Asmir Hodzic,
Tel: (387-32) 735-001 or 730-760
Republika Srpska:
Funeral Home Sveti Marko (all denominations)
Karadjordjeva 2, 71123 Istocno Sarajevo
Tel: (387) (0)57 321-311; Fax: (0)57 321-310;
E-mail: svetimarko@zona.ba
Funeral home “Flor” (all denominations)
78240 Čelinac, Republika Srpska, Bosna i Hercegovina,
Tel/Fax: +387 51 560 100, +387 51 560 101, +387 51 560 102
Branch Banja Luka,
Address: Aleja Sv. Save 46,
Telefon: +387 51 300 555
Branch Sarajevo-Lukavica,
Address: Vojvode Putnika 96,
Telefon: +387 57 342 501
e-mail: flor@inecco.net