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Whether you need to bring a loved one home who has passed away overseas or ship a body to another country for burial, you have to deal with a slew of paperwork that needs to be completed. Documentation must be accurate for shipping a body overseas from Brooklyn. Global funeral shipping services only go smoothly when everything, including the body, is in order. Count on Brooklyn-based Harmony Funeral Home to get the details right and guide you through the entire process.
What Is International Funeral Shipping?
International funeral shipping is the process of safely and legally transporting a body across country borders. Whether the person passed away while traveling abroad or you’re honoring a request to be laid to rest in their home country, global funeral shipping services ensure that the body or cremated remains are returned with dignity and full legal compliance.
Global funeral shipping services are complex, but you’re not left to figure it out alone. Harmony Funeral Home handles every detail of funeral transfers, whether within the U.S. or shipping a body overseas from Brooklyn. Planning ensures you’re cared for with dignity through pre-arranged funeral transfers.
When Do I Need International Funeral Shipping Assistance?
International funeral shipping becomes necessary if your loved one died in another country, or they requested to be laid to rest in their homeland. Whether on vacation, seeking medical care, visiting family or working overseas, you may face the unexpected task of bringing them home.
If they expressed the wish to be buried in their homeland, international funeral shipping allows you to fulfill that promise. Some faiths and cultures recommend or even require burial in specific places. You may return your loved one to sacred land, follow ceremonial customs in another country or comply with religious timelines. These traditions include practices such as:
How Long Does Shipping a Body Overseas from Brooklyn Take?
Shipping a body overseas from Brooklyn takes anywhere from five to 15 business days. Each country has its own rules for receiving human remains. Some require extensive documentation, legal translations, notarized paperwork or embassy review, which may add extra days or even weeks to the process. You must secure several official documents before shipping is approved, including:
- A certified death certificate
- An embalming certificate
- A letter from the funeral director
- Transit permits for human remains
- Consulate or embassy paperwork for the country you’re shipping to
If you’re missing even one or if it’s filled out incorrectly, it may cause delays. Not all airlines handle international funeral transfers. You need a carrier approved for shipping human remains and flights must be scheduled correctly. If there are no direct flights or if layovers are involved, you might face additional delays due to logistics or customs clearance. Stay on schedule when you allow your New York City funeral parlor to provide essential tasks, such as:
- Requesting and starting the paperwork immediately
- Contacting the embassy early to confirm their current requirements
- Being mindful of embassy holidays or closures that might affect timing
- Preparing the body to meet transportation regulations
What Should I Do if Someone Dies Abroad Unexpectedly?
Once you receive word that someone has passed away abroad, your first step is to contact the local authorities where the death occurred. They help officially document the death and provide a local death certificate. If you’re not present in the country, you may work through the U.S. embassy or consulate to initiate this process and get legal verification.
Contact Harmony Funeral Home for immediate assistance. With their years of experience navigating the logistics, legal documents, permits and consulate requirements involved in bringing your loved one home, they know the steps you need to take. And when you need help quickly shipping a body overseas from Brooklyn, they are the best funeral home in Brooklyn to make it happen.
Harmony Funeral Home
2200 Clarendon Rd.,
Brooklyn, NY 11226
(718) 469-6666