How to Ship a Body From the USA to China

The Process Is Regulated at Every Step

Shipping human remains from the United States to mainland China is one of the most heavily regulated cross-border logistics operations a family can face. It involves a licensed US funeral home, the Transportation Security Administration, commercial airline cargo departments, and Chinese customs quarantine — each with non-negotiable documentation requirements.

The total cost runs between $15,000 and $25,000. The cargo segment is estimated at 3–7 days; the full timeline depends on medical-examiner release, document preparation, airline booking, and China Customs processing. Here is how the process actually works.

Step 1: Professional Embalming and Casket Preparation

Chinese civil affairs and customs law requires that any human body entering the country has been professionally embalmed at the point of origin. The US funeral home handles this — make sure they provide a signed Embalming Certificate that includes the embalmer's license number.

The body must then be placed in a hermetically sealed metal casket — no wood-only caskets qualify. This sealed casket goes inside a heavy-duty outer shipping container called an "air tray," which prevents shifting during transit. Airlines typically sell standard air trays for around $90.

Step 2: The Known Shipper Requirement

Private individuals cannot book human remains on commercial aircraft. This is a TSA rule, not an airline policy.

The shipment must be booked by a licensed funeral director who holds Known Shipper status with the transporting airline. This means the funeral home has been vetted and registered with TSA's cargo security program. When choosing a funeral home, ask specifically whether they have Known Shipper certification and experience with international remains transport — not all do.

Step 3: Documentation for US Export

The funeral home assembles a documentation packet that must travel with the casket (attached to the outside of the shipping container, not carried separately by an escort):

• Certified Death Certificate showing a non-infectious cause of death
• Embalming and Casket Sealing Certificate
• Burial-Transit Permit issued by the local health department
• Air Waybill (AWB) from the airline cargo department

If the cause of death was a quarantinable communicable disease (cholera, plague, etc.), full-body repatriation into China is prohibited. Cremation is the only option in those cases.

Step 4: Airline Cargo Booking

Major airlines that operate US-to-China cargo routes handle mortuary shipments through specialized programs. American Airlines runs its TLC (Tender Loving Care) program specifically for human remains — reachable at 1-800-227-4622 or TLC@aa.com.

The airline requires:

• All documentation in a secure pouch on the outside of the container
• The sealed casket inside the air tray
• Confirmation that the funeral home is a registered Known Shipper
• Booking as specialized cargo (not passenger baggage, not standard freight)

Flights typically route through major hubs. Expect the cargo segment to take 3–7 days including customs processing on both ends.

Step 5: Chinese Customs and Quarantine Clearance

Under GACC Order No. 24 (2022), a sanitary declaration must be submitted to China Customs at the port of entry before the shipment departs the US. The receiving agent in China — either a family-designated funeral home or a repatriation logistics firm — handles this filing.

The declaration requires:

• The death certificate showing a non-infectious cause of death
• The embalming and casket sealing certificate
• The export transit permit from US health authorities

China restricts international remains to designated state-run funeral homes. Not every funeral home in China can receive international remains — the receiving facility must be specifically authorized by the Chinese Funeral Association in that province. For example, Wuchang Funeral Home is the sole authorized hub in Hubei.

Step 6: From Customs to Final Disposition

Once cleared through customs and quarantine, the remains are transferred to the designated domestic funeral home. Families coordinate the final funeral and burial or cremation arrangements from there.

One fact that surprises many families: Chinese law mandates cremation for almost all deceased individuals (local and foreign alike), with very rare religious or diplomatic exemptions. Repatriating a body to China usually means the body is cremated upon arrival — so the cultural goal is typically to have the final rites and cremation happen on Chinese soil, not to maintain the body intact permanently.

The Alternative: Cremation in the US, Then Hand-Carry Ashes

If the $15,000–$25,000 price tag is prohibitive, local cremation in the US followed by personally carrying the ashes to China costs $2,500–$6,000 and is logistically far simpler. The ashes go through TSA as carry-on luggage in an X-ray-transparent urn, declared at China Customs on arrival.

The Chinese Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide covers both paths with cost breakdowns, airline-specific rules, and a document tracking worksheet so nothing falls through the cracks during this process.