Funeral Home Selection for a Foreign National Death in the US

The Hospital Will Suggest a Funeral Home — You Do Not Have to Use It

When a foreign national dies in a US hospital, the staff will often hand the family a short list of funeral homes or even call one directly. This is a referral, not a requirement. The family chooses the funeral home — the hospital cannot assign one, and neither can the medical examiner's office.

This matters because not every funeral home handles international cases, and the one the hospital suggests may not have the experience or pricing you need.

What to Look for in a Funeral Home

For a Chinese family dealing with a death in the US, three things matter more than proximity or brand:

International repatriation experience. If the family is considering sending the body or ashes back to China, the funeral home must have handled international remains transport before. Ask specifically: Have you shipped remains to China? Are you a TSA-registered Known Shipper? Do you coordinate with Chinese customs agents or receiving funeral homes? A funeral home that has only handled domestic cases will struggle with the documentation and logistics.

Bilingual staff or translator access. The funeral home will need to communicate with the next of kin about authorization, disposition options, and costs. If the primary decision-maker speaks Mandarin or Cantonese, a funeral home with bilingual staff — or one willing to work with an interpreter — reduces miscommunication at critical decision points.

Transparent pricing. Under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule, every funeral home must provide a General Price List (GPL) in writing before discussing any arrangements. Get this document from at least two funeral homes before signing anything. Prices for the same services can differ by thousands of dollars between providers in the same city.

The Upselling Problem

Funeral homes are businesses, and some push families toward expensive packages during the most vulnerable moment of their lives. Common upselling tactics:

Bundled packages with items you do not need. A "standard package" might include embalming, a viewing room rental, a hearse, and a premium casket — none of which you need if the family has chosen direct cremation or ashes repatriation. Ask for itemized pricing and buy only what you need.

Pressure to decide immediately. "We need to know today" is rarely true. The body is safely stored under refrigeration. Unless there is a medical examiner hold that limits storage time, you typically have 2–3 days to consult with family before committing to a disposition path. Daily storage fees apply (usually $50–$150/day), but that cost is far less than an impulsive $20,000 repatriation decision.

Premium casket for cremation. If the family chooses cremation, many funeral homes will still push an expensive casket for "the viewing." Federal law allows you to use any container for cremation, including a simple cardboard alternative casket. The funeral home must offer this option — if they do not mention it, ask.

Embalming as mandatory. Embalming is not legally required in most states for cremation or for short-term storage. It is required for full-body repatriation to China (Chinese customs demands an embalming certificate), but not for cremation. If the funeral home tells you embalming is mandatory and the family has chosen cremation, ask them to cite the specific state law.

The Authorization Bottleneck

The funeral home cannot take custody of the body, begin embalming, or arrange cremation without written authorization from the legally recognized next of kin. The standard hierarchy: surviving spouse → adult children → parents → siblings.

If the next of kin is in China, this creates a practical problem. The authorization must be in writing, and some states require it to be notarized. Options:

• Some funeral homes accept a scanned, signed authorization by email to begin preliminary work while the original is shipped
• The Chinese consulate can assist with next-of-kin verification, which may satisfy the funeral home's requirements
• A trusted local contact (friend, colleague, community leader) can be appointed via Power of Attorney to act on the family's behalf

Clarify the funeral home's specific authorization requirements before anything else — this is the step that stalls the entire process when it is not handled upfront.

The Chinese Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide includes a funeral home comparison checklist, a list of questions to ask about international repatriation capability, and scripts for communicating with funeral directors when the decision-maker is overseas.