Bureau of Quarantine Clearance Remains Philippines

No Remains Leave the Philippines Without BOQ Clearance

The Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), under the Philippine Department of Health, controls the export of all human remains and cremated ashes from the Philippines. Without a BOQ Transit Permit and export clearance, no airline will accept human remains as cargo and no airport security checkpoint will permit ashes through.

Your funeral director handles this process, but understanding the requirements helps you anticipate delays and ensure nothing is missing.

Documents the BOQ Requires

The funeral director must present the following at the BOQ office:

1. Original LCR-registered death certificate — from the Local Civil Registrar of the municipality where the death occurred
2. Professional embalming certificate — issued by the licensed funeral home that performed the embalming (exempt for Muslim remains under Republic Act 12160)
3. Municipal transfer permit — from the City or Municipal Health Office, authorising the movement of remains

If the death involved a police or medico-legal investigation, the BOQ may also require PNP or NBI clearance documentation confirming the remains have been released from the investigation.

Where to Process

• Metro Manila departures: BOQ Main Office in the Port Area, South Harbor, Manila, or the BOQ desks at NAIA Terminal 1, 2, or 3 (depending on the airline)
• Provincial departures: Regional BOQ offices handle clearances for domestic transport to Manila, after which the international export clearance is processed at the Manila or NAIA office

For remains being shipped from a provincial location (Cebu, Davao, Palawan), the funeral director first secures a domestic transit permit and BOQ clearance for the internal flight or cargo shipment to Manila, then a separate international export clearance at NAIA.

Processing Time

BOQ clearance is handled after the documents are complete; confirm the current processing time with the BOQ or funeral director. Incomplete submissions — a missing embalming certificate, a death certificate with discrepancies, or an outstanding police clearance — are the most common cause of delays.

Operating hours and Philippine public holidays can affect timing, so confirm them with the funeral director before booking.

The Australian Side: DAFF Biosecurity

Once the BOQ clears the export, the remains are the airline's cargo until they land in Australia. On arrival, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) take over.

The receiving Australian funeral director must email DAFF's Human Biosecurity division at least 48 hours on weekdays before arrival with the flight number, air waybill, and the name of the licensed funeral home collecting the remains.

For intact remains, the accompanying documentation must include a death certificate stating the cause of death (or a medical statement confirming no Listed Human Disease). For ashes, DAFF has no import restrictions — but wooden or organic urns must be declared and will be inspected for biosecurity risks.

No formal customs import declaration is needed when remains are imported solely for burial or cremation.

Common Bottlenecks

• Hospital hasn't released the medical death certificate — this blocks LCR registration, which blocks everything downstream including BOQ clearance
• Embalming certificate delayed — if the funeral home is slow to issue the certificate, the BOQ submission stalls
• Weekend or holiday timing — confirm BOQ operating hours; your funeral director should factor this into the repatriation timeline
• Provincial deaths — allow additional time for domestic transit to Manila and separate international export processing

The Australian Dies in the Philippines — Family Emergency Guide includes a repatriation document checklist with every BOQ and DAFF requirement mapped out, plus a timeline planner that accounts for weekend and holiday gaps.