Death of a U.S. Citizen Overseas

The Consulate and Consular Agencies can assist family and friends in the event of the death of a U.S. citizen loved one in the Mexican states of Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Campeche. We maintain a list of  local Funeral Homes. We can assist you in making arrangements with the Mexican funeral home for disposition of the deceased and forwarding of personal effects.  We will work with the funeral home to ensure proper documentation for shipment of remains to the U.S.  The U.S. Consulate and Consular Agencies cannot cover any of these costs; family or friends of the deceased are responsible for all expenses.

We will issue a Report of Death Abroad of an American Citizen (RODA) to settle legal and estate matters in the U.S., at no expense to the family.

The death of a loved one is often followed by an emotional, stressful period which may be felt even more acutely by family navigating through the many steps and paperwork required when a loved one dies outside of the U.S.  The information contained herein is general, for deaths with no unusual circumstances, does not constitute legal advice, and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.  Procedures and requirements may vary from case to case and depending on local authorities.

Upon learning of the death of a U.S. citizen, an employee of the Consulate or Consular Agency (consular officer) will inform the next of kin (NOK), family member, or friend (herein referred to as “you”) and offer condolences.  In general the order of kinship for a person who dies without a will are surviving spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, although local authorities may decide who will make decisions on disposition of remains (for example, the blood adult relative of the deceased rather than a spouse).  The following is then required:

1. You fill out and send as completely and quickly as possible (via email to: Meridacons@state.gov) the personal data sheet (PDF 8 Kb) with information about the deceased.
2. You select a local funeral home.    
3. You make a decision (normally within 24 hours) on disposition of remains.  Will the body be embalmed and returned to the U.S., cremated and ashes sent or hand-carried to the U.S., or buried locally?  Check with the funeral home for prices and payment options.  The policy of most funeral homes in Mexico is pre-payment for services.
   
   

   Your choices would be:

   Burial:  Interment in a local cemetery in Mexico.

   Embalming/shipment of remains: From Mexico for burial or cremation in the U.S.

   Cremation:  Local cremation procedures result in a fine ash, similar to the results of cremations performed in the United States.  For information on hand-carrying the ashes please visit the Transportation Security Administration website as well as your airline’s website.

   In cases where embalmed remains or ashes will be sent to the states via air shipment (i.e. in the case of the latter ashes will not hand-carried by NOK), the NOK must choose a U.S. funeral home to receive remains and pass all contact information for the U.S. funeral home to the Mexican funeral home. The local Mexican funeral home and the U.S. funeral home will act as your agents during the repatriation.  It is very important that they have clear lines of communication.  It is recommended that they know each other’s phone, cell, fax and email.  In most cases, payment must be received before the Mexican funeral home will send remains to the U.S. funeral home.

   The deceased is legally in the custody of the local police authorities (Ministerio Público) until they have authorized, in writing, the release to the NOK.  Please note the funeral home you select in Mexico cannot begin the process of repatriation until the local authorities have released the remains to the funeral home with your written, notarized authorization. 

    
4. Requirements for releasing the deceased from police custody
   
   If the death occurred outside of a doctor’s care, family and/or friends traveling with the deceased must give a statement at the local police station explaining events and attesting to the identity of the deceased person.  Four copies of the passport and Mexican visa of each person giving a statement and of the deceased must be presented.  (Note: When U.S. citizens enter Mexico they fill out a form and upon admission to Mexico you are given the smaller part of the form.  This is your Mexican visa).  It is normally at this time that the police will release the deceased from their custody to the NOK, someone designated by NOK, or the funeral home, pending the autopsy.
   
   Local law requires that an autopsy be done on all foreigners that pass away in Mexico, except in cases deemed “death by natural causes”.  There are no exceptions.  In case of “natural death”, the attending doctor will provide the family of the deceased or the Mexican funeral home with the death certificate (at a cost) and the family will be required to appear at the civil registry office to give information about the deceased for the death certificate.  The medical examiner will provide the Mexican funeral home with the death certificate.  Your Mexican funeral home will assist you with the entire process.   
   
   Also before the remains can be repatriated the NOK must clearly inform, in writing, the Mexican funeral home of their wishes regarding disposition of the body.  
5. In cases where there is no NOK/family member/friend present
   
   If the deceased was traveling alone, the NOK can solicit release of the deceased, in writing, through the U.S. Consulate or Consular Agency in Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Cozumel.  The letter must have the stamp and signature of a notary public.  A clear copy of the solicitor’s official government identification (U.S. passport page with your name and photo on it, driver license, etc.) with signature must also accompany this request.  Please note that authorities will not accept illegible copies or illegible faxes.  Accordingly, whenever possible it is best to scan and send via email rather than fax.  Remember we cannot accept a letter without signature, so you will need to produce letter, print, sign, and scan and return via email.  See our contact information.  Please see the attached sample letter (PDF 186 Kb). 
6. Report of Death Abroad of an American Citizen
   
   The U.S. passport and Mexican visa of the deceased must be given to the Mexican funeral home so that they may process all the paperwork necessary to repatriate your loved one.  Before the remains are repatriated, the Mexican funeral home will give the passport to the U.S. Consulate or Consular Agency along with an original death certificate. The U.S. Consulate in Merida will use those two documents to issue a “Report of Death Abroad of an American Citizen” that will act as the U.S. death certificate in all legal, estate and insurance matters.  The U.S. Consulate will return the passport, along with 20 originals of the “Report of Death Abroad.”  Normally we prepare and send this report approximately one month following receipt of the personal data sheet from you, Mexican death certificate and other documents.  In order for you to receive in a timely manner the U.S. Consulate in Merida should be supplied with a third-party Fedex or DHL account number along with the address and phone number of where the NOK would like the documents sent.   To the contrary, the report will be sent via regular U.S. mail and may take approximately one month to arrive (two months total from date of death).

For more information please visit the following U.S. Department of State websites:

Return of Remains of Deceased U.S. Citizens

Estates of Deceased U.S. Citizens

Deaths of U.S. Citizens Abroad by Non-Natural Causes