DS-2060 and DS-5511 Forms: The Two State Department Documents for a Death Abroad

Two Forms, Two Different Jobs

When a US citizen dies overseas, the State Department has two form numbers that families encounter. They serve different purposes, and confusing them causes delays.

Form DS-2060 is the Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA). This is the big one — the official US proof of death and primary document for US probate, financial, and benefits matters.

Form DS-5511 is the Department of State's Affidavit of Next of Kin. It supports the small-estate and overseas personal-estate process used to transfer or otherwise resolve personal-estate assets held abroad.

The DS-2060 is what probate courts, banks, and insurers need. The DS-5511 supports the separate process for transferring or otherwise resolving overseas personal-estate assets.

Form DS-2060: The CRODA

The embassy's ACS unit prepares the DS-2060 based on the local death certificate (after it's been through the translation and legalization chain) and the embassy's own verification.

What it records:

• Full legal name of the deceased
• Date and place of birth
• Date, place, and cause of death
• Citizenship basis
• The embassy or consulate that issued the report

What you use it for:

• Opening probate in the deceased's home state
• Unfreezing bank accounts and brokerage accounts
• Filing life insurance claims
• Reporting the death to the Social Security Administration
• Filing IRS Form 56 (fiduciary notification) and Form 1041 (estate income)
• Claiming survivor benefits (spousal, dependent, pension)

The e-CRODA is issued electronically with a secure digital seal. Most institutions accept the electronic version directly. If a physical certified copy is needed, you can order additional copies from the State Department's Office of Overseas Citizens Services in Washington.

Processing time: One to three weeks after the legalized death certificate reaches the embassy. Bangkok's ACS unit handles a high volume of cases given the large American population in Thailand.

Form DS-5511: Affidavit of Next of Kin

The DS-5511 is less visible but still important. It is the Department of State's Affidavit of Next of Kin for the small-estate and overseas personal-estate process. It helps the next of kin request transfer of personal-estate assets held abroad; it is not the CRODA and does not replace proof of death.

What it supports:

• Identifying the next of kin making the claim
• Requesting transfer of the deceased's overseas personal-estate assets
• Supporting a small-estate process where the relevant authority permits that route

When it matters:

• When the deceased left personal effects or other personal-estate assets abroad
• When the family needs a Department of State affidavit to support transfer of those assets
• When a small-estate route is available under the applicable rules

The next of kin completes the affidavit with the consular office's instructions. Confirm the required supporting documents and signatures with ACS.

How They Work Together

In a typical case where an American dies in Thailand:

1. The family notifies the embassy, which assigns an ACS case officer
2. The family identifies any overseas personal-estate assets and asks ACS whether a DS-5511 affidavit is appropriate
3. The family provides relationship documentation; the embassy issues a Letter of Instruction for body release
4. The funeral director registers the death, obtains the Thai death certificate, and runs it through the legalization chain
5. The legalized certificate comes back to the embassy, which prepares and issues the DS-2060 (CRODA)
6. The family uses the DS-2060 to settle all US-side legal and financial matters

The DS-5511 supports the separate overseas personal-estate process; it is not a substitute for the DS-2060 in probate, death reporting, or insurance matters. The DS-2060 is the active document for US-side settlement.

Ordering Additional Copies

You can request additional certified copies of the DS-2060 from:

Department of State, CA/OCS/ACS Vital Records Section SA-17, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20522-1707

Each copy carries a fee. Allow several weeks for processing. Order more copies than you think you'll need — every bank, insurer, and court wants its own copy, and running out mid-process means another wait.

The American Dies in Thailand — Family Emergency Guide provides a document tracker that maps where each form, certificate, and authenticated document needs to go — including the DS-2060 distribution list for a typical estate.