Death Abroad Checklist: Every Document You Need When Someone Dies in China

Phase 1: The First 72 Hours

The documents you need immediately are the ones that establish who you are and who the deceased was. Everything else depends on these.

Retrieve the deceased's U.S. passport. This is the single most important document in the first hours. Every Chinese authority — the hospital, the PSB, the funeral home — requires it for identification and civil registration. If a tour operator, employer, or hotel is holding it, get it into your hands or your representative's hands immediately.

Prepare proof of relationship. Chinese authorities require strict proof of next-of-kin status before releasing remains, authorizing cremation, or granting access to personal effects. Bring or transmit a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or other civil document establishing your relationship to the deceased.

Execute Form DS-5511 (Affidavit of Next of Kin). If you cannot produce civil certificates quickly, this affidavit — signed before a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy or a notary public in the United States — serves as your proof of kinship. It is mandatory when primary documents are unavailable.

Execute a Power of Attorney. If you are in the United States and cannot travel to China, a notarized POA designating a local representative — an employer contact, a friend, or a funeral director — is essential. Without it, nobody in China has legal authority to act on your behalf.

Phase 2: The First Two Weeks

Once identity and authority are established, the administrative documents begin flowing.

Chinese death certificate. For hospital deaths, the attending physician issues the Unified Resident Medical Death Certificate (居民死亡医学证明). For out-of-hospital deaths, the PSB forensic division conducts a mandatory examination (typically 15 working days in Beijing and Shanghai) and issues either a standard or Non-Normal Death Certificate. This document unlocks everything downstream.

Visa cancellation. Present the deceased's passport and death certificate to the PSB Entry and Exit Administration to cancel the Chinese visa. In the Shanghai district, this step also produces a separate "Report of the Death of a Foreigner" — a district-specific requirement that must be completed before funeral homes will act.

Cremation certificate (if applicable). Issued by the state-approved crematorium after local cremation. Lists the decedent's full name, date of birth, and date of cremation. Required for the CRODA application and for ashes transport.

Insurance notification. Contact travel insurers and credit card claims divisions as soon as possible, ideally during the first 72 hours. Insurers require the original Chinese death certificate, itemized hospital bills, police incident reports (for accidents), flight itineraries, and the original insurance policy certificate. Missing the notification window can jeopardize the claim.

Phase 3: After the First Two Weeks

This is the document authentication phase — converting Chinese records into documents that U.S. institutions will accept.

Notarial translation booklet. Submit the Chinese death certificate to a Chinese Public Notary Office (公证处) for official English translation. The notary compiles the original, the translation, and a certificate of accuracy into a permanently bound booklet sealed with an embossed or paging seal. Do not break this seal under any circumstances — it voids the notarization.

Hague Apostille. Submit the notarial booklet to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a provincial Foreign Affairs Office (Waiban). They affix the Apostille certificate with a tracking number and verification QR code. Since China's Hague accession in November 2023, this replaces the old multi-tier consular legalization chain.

Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA, Form FS-240). Submit the Chinese death certificate, cremation or disposition certificate, deceased's canceled passport, Social Security number, Form DS-5511, your photo ID, and a notarized POA (if applicable) to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The consulate issues an electronic e-CRDA that you can print unlimited copies of for domestic use.

U.S.-based certified translation (recommended). U.S. probate courts and insurance companies often reject the Chinese notary's translation. Be prepared to obtain a certified translation from a licensed U.S. translation agency working from the apostilled original, and confirm whether the receiving institution requires one.

Phase 4: Estate Settlement

Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. Issued by the U.S. probate court after you file the CRODA and the apostilled death certificate. These letters give the executor legal authority to access estate-controlled bank accounts and manage the estate; insurance claim requirements depend on the policy and beneficiary arrangement.

Survivor benefit application. Survivor benefits cannot be filed online — call 1-800-772-1213 and say "Fairness Act" to reach a specialized representative. You will need the CRODA, the deceased's Social Security number, and your own identification.

Final tax returns. The executor files Form 1040 for the year of death and Form 1041 if the estate generates income during administration. Attach the CRODA to both filings.

The Dependency Chain

Documents have hard dependencies — you cannot skip ahead. The death certificate unlocks the visa cancellation and CRODA application. The CRODA unlocks probate. Probate unlocks access to estate-controlled bank accounts, while insurance claim requirements depend on the policy and beneficiary arrangement. Understanding this sequence prevents the most common mistake families make: trying to do everything at once and hitting walls when prerequisite documents are missing.

Our American Dies in China — Family Emergency Guide includes a printable chronological checklist with every document, its issuing authority, its prerequisites, and the estimated timeline for each phase.