Repatriation from the United States
A death in the United States — while travelling, visiting family or after years of living there. We bring the deceased back from the USA to Germany and also repatriate to Russia, Ukraine and the CIS countries. You do not have to travel.
Available around the clock · We handle the time difference · Fixed price within 2 hours · English, German, Russian, Ukrainian
What does it cost?
Repatriation from the USA — the order of magnitude
Repatriation from the United States is by air freight, usually from New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles or San Francisco. The figures exclude additional services and any connecting domestic flight.
Services
What we take care of
From the place of death in the USA to the funeral in Europe — one contact, one invoice.
Repatriation home
Air freight from the major US airports, with reception at the destination airport.
Working with the funeral home
We instruct and coordinate the funeral home on site and review its estimate before anything is ordered.
Documents & translations
US death certificate, proof of embalming, burial transit permit and certified translations.
Consular liaison
For entry into the destination country we align the documents with the relevant consulate.
Insurance & payment
Where travel insurance covered repatriation, we report the case and settle directly wherever possible.
Support in your language
English, German, Russian and Ukrainian. We make the calls during US office hours.
Transparency
What determines the price
For a repatriation from the USA, three factors matter above all.
Place of death and airport
Flights from the East Coast are shorter and cheaper than from the West Coast. Where the place of death is far from the nearest international airport, transport within the USA is added.
Coffin or urn
Cremation is common in the USA and usually available at short notice. Repatriating an urn is therefore often faster and considerably cheaper — see urn repatriation abroad.
Services of the US funeral home
Prices of American funeral homes vary widely and services are itemised individually. We obtain a detailed estimate and review it before you sign anything.
How we work
Guided step by step
From the first call to the funeral in Europe — you will not have to make calls at night because of the time difference.
First contact & insurance
Tell us where the deceased is. At the same time check whether travel insurance covering repatriation was in place and report the case.
Local funeral home & paperwork
We instruct a funeral home at the place of death and obtain the state death certificate, proof of embalming and the transit permit.
Translations & air freight
Certified translations, coffin with zinc liner, booking of air freight and issuing of the air waybill.
Arrival & funeral
We receive the deceased at the destination airport, take them to the place of burial and arrange the subsequent registration of the death.
Documents
What is required
Repatriation from the USA generally requires the documents listed here. We obtain and check them — you do not have to deal with any of it yourself.
- US state death certificate
- certified translation into the language of the destination country
- burial transit permit
- proof of embalming and coffining
- certificate of the soldered zinc liner
- passport of the deceased
- air waybill
- consular approval for the destination country where required
- where a post-mortem was ordered: release by the competent US authority
Good to know
What is specific to a death in the USA
Statutory health insurance does not pay
Statutory health insurers do not cover repatriation costs, and consulates bear none either. Check whether travel insurance covering repatriation was in place.
Review the estimate carefully
Prices of American funeral homes vary widely and many services are charged separately. Ask for a detailed, itemised estimate before instructing anyone — we will review it for you.
Usually available quickly in the USA
Cremation is common in the United States and available at short notice. If the family agrees, repatriating an urn is the faster and considerably cheaper route.
Frequently asked questions
What families ask us most often
A relative died in the USA. What should we do first?
Do we have to travel to the USA?
What does repatriation from the USA cost?
Is an urn cheaper?
How long does it take?
What is the Consular Report of Death Abroad?
When it has to be quick
One call is enough
We take over from the first step — around the clock, including Sundays and public holidays. Free initial advice, liaison with the funeral home and insurer, in English, German, Russian and Ukrainian.
+49 151 17463888
