DFAT Consular Assistance After a Death in the US
The Government Helps, But Not the Way Most Families Expect
When an Australian citizen dies in the United States, DFAT's consular services are the first official Australian response. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade operates under the Consular Services Charter — a formal policy document that defines exactly what consular officers can and cannot do. Families who understand these boundaries before the crisis avoid wasted calls and redirect their energy toward the steps that actually move things forward.
What DFAT Can Do
Verify the death and coordinate notification. Consular officers contact local US authorities to confirm the death, then coordinate with Australian state police to ensure the next of kin are notified in person — not through a phone call from an unknown number or a message on social media.
Provide vetted referral lists. DFAT maintains lists of local US funeral directors, legal practitioners, and NAATI-accredited translation services in each consular jurisdiction. These are not endorsements, but they are filtered for relevance and legitimacy.
Outline regulatory requirements. Consular staff can explain the export and import rules for remains — what documents the US requires for export, what Australia's biosecurity rules demand on arrival, and the apostille process for death certificates.
Facilitate emergency fund transfers. If the family needs to send money from Australia to pay urgent US funeral or mortuary expenses, DFAT can help arrange the secure electronic transfer of private funds to US providers. The money comes from the family, not from the government.
Provide crisis support. The Consular Emergency Centre connects distressed family members to Lifeline counselling services and offers 24-hour crisis support.
What DFAT Cannot Do
These limitations are not negotiable — they are written into the Charter and apply to every consular case.
DFAT will not pay for anything. No funeral costs, no mortuary storage fees, no cremation, no casket, no airline cargo, no repatriation. The financial responsibility falls entirely on the family and the deceased's insurance.
DFAT will not organise the repatriation. They can explain the process, but the actual coordination — appointing funeral directors, booking airline cargo, compiling export documents — must be handled by the family, the funeral directors, or the travel insurer's case manager.
DFAT will not intervene in US investigations. If a coroner or Medical Examiner holds the body for autopsy or a police investigation delays the release of remains, consular officers cannot intervene, pressure the authorities, or expedite the process. US law enforcement operates under its own jurisdiction.
DFAT will not provide legal advice or translation services. Consular officers can refer you to solicitors and NAATI translators, but they cannot interpret legal documents, fill out forms on your behalf, or advise you on estate administration strategy.
DFAT does not issue death certificates. Unlike the US State Department, which issues Form DS-2060 (Consular Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad) as a primary civil record, Australian consular missions have no equivalent document. Families must rely entirely on the US state-issued death certificate, apostilled through the local Secretary of State, for all legal and financial matters in Australia.
Free Download
Get the Australian Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide — Emergency Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
How to Contact DFAT
The Consular Emergency Centre operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
- From within Australia: 1300 555 135
- From overseas: +61 2 6261 3305
Australian consulates in the United States are located in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and Honolulu. The embassy is in Washington, D.C. The CEC in Canberra can route your call to the nearest relevant mission.
What Actually Drives the Process Forward
DFAT is a coordination point, not an operational one. The three actors who move things forward are the US funeral director (who handles the body, paperwork, and export), the travel insurer's case manager (who authorises funding and coordinates logistics), and the Australian receiving funeral director (who manages biosecurity clearance and local arrangements).
The Australian Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide maps out the roles of each actor with a contact log template, a day-by-day task sequence, and the complete document checklist for both the US and Australian sides.
Get Your Free Australian Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide — Emergency Checklist
Download the Australian Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide — Emergency Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.