Embalming Certificate for International Shipping of Human Remains

International Shipping Requires Proof of Embalming — Not Just the Procedure

When shipping a body from the United States to China, the embalming itself is only half the requirement. Airlines, customs authorities, and receiving funeral homes all require a formal Embalming Certificate — a signed, stamped document issued by the licensed embalmer who performed the procedure. Without this certificate, the shipment will be refused at the cargo counter regardless of how well the body was actually prepared.

The certificate serves a specific legal function: it attests that the remains have been professionally preserved using approved chemical agents, that the body is in a sanitary condition suitable for air transport, and that the embalmer accepts professional responsibility for the preparation. It is one of the documents that must travel in the document pouch attached to the outside of the shipping container — it cannot be sent separately.

What the Certificate Must Include

There is no universal template for an embalming certificate. Common details to confirm with the funeral home and carrier include:

• Full legal name of the deceased as it appears on the death certificate
• Date and location where the embalming was performed
• A statement that the body was embalmed using standard arterial and cavity methods with approved chemical preservatives
• The full name, license number, and state of licensure of the embalmer
• The embalmer's original signature (not a photocopy or digital signature)
• The funeral home's name, address, and business license or registration number
• A statement that the casket has been hermetically sealed following embalming

Some airlines and destination countries also require a statement confirming the cause of death is not a quarantinable communicable disease. If the death certificate lists a restricted cause of death, the embalming certificate alone will not overcome the prohibition — China Customs will refuse entry of intact remains.

The Casket Sealing Statement Is Part of the Same Document

In practice, many funeral homes combine the embalming certificate with a casket sealing declaration on a single document. This declaration confirms that after embalming, the body was placed in a hermetically sealed metal casket that meets international air transport standards — airtight, leak-proof, and constructed of metal.

The combined document is sometimes called an Embalming and Casket Sealing Certificate, and this is the version that Chinese customs officials expect to see. If your funeral home issues these as two separate documents, make sure both are included in the shipping document pouch.

Common Problems

The embalmer's license is from a different state. If the death occurred in one state and the body was transferred to a funeral home in another state for preparation, identify the embalmer's license number and state of licensure on the certificate and confirm the requirements with the airline and receiving authorities.

The funeral home uses a generic form. Some funeral homes use boilerplate certificates that omit the hermetic sealing statement or the disease exclusion language. Before the funeral home completes the certificate, provide them with the specific elements required by the destination (China, in this case) and the airline being used. The funeral home should be accustomed to this if they handle international cases regularly — if they have never prepared an international embalming certificate, that is a signal to consider a different funeral home.

Missing from the document pouch. The embalming certificate must be in the sealed document pouch attached to the outside of the air tray. If the funeral home hands it to the family instead of placing it in the pouch, the cargo department at the airport will refuse to accept the shipment. Double-check before the casket leaves the funeral home.

Where This Fits in the Repatriation Process

The embalming certificate is one of several documents required for international body repatriation. The complete document set for shipping remains from the US to China includes the certified death certificate, the Burial Transit Permit from the local health department, the embalming certificate (or combined embalming and sealing certificate), and the Air Waybill. All must be present in the document pouch for the cargo department to accept the shipment.

The Chinese Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide includes a repatriation document checklist that lists every required certificate and identifies which agency issues each one, so families can track the complete paperwork chain from funeral home to China Customs clearance.