Repatriation Checklist: Colombia to the United States

Repatriating a loved one's remains from Colombia to the United States involves at least six Colombian agencies, two US government entities, two funeral homes, and an airline cargo department. Missing any step stalls the entire chain. This checklist puts every action in the order it needs to happen.

Phase 1: Immediate Actions (First 72 Hours)

Secure the remains. Confirm whether the body is at a hospital, with Medicina Legal (forensic cases — accidents, unattended deaths, suspicious circumstances), or at a local funeral home. If it's a forensic case, release waits for formal identification and the prosecutor's authorization; provide fingerprint, dental, or DNA materials promptly.

Contact the US Embassy in Bogota. Call +57 (601) 275-2000 (available 24/7). The American Citizens Services unit opens a case file, verifies citizenship, and begins preparing the Consular Mortuary Certificate. Have the deceased's passport number and your relationship documentation ready.

Hire a Colombian funeral home with international shipping experience. This is the most important decision. The funeraria coordinates with Medicina Legal, the notary, the health department, and the airline. Confirm they've handled US repatriations before. Get a written, itemized contract. See our guide to choosing a funeral home for what to verify.

Notify your travel insurance or the deceased's employer. Many policies require notification within 24–72 hours. The insurance company's emergency assistance division may approve direct billing with the funeral home.

Choose a receiving funeral home in the US. You need a licensed funeral director on the US side before the remains can ship. Their name goes on the airway bill as the consignee — US Customs won't release remains to a private individual.

Phase 2: Documentation (Days 2–7)

Register the death at a Colombian notary. For a natural death, the Registro Civil de Defunción should be filed within two business days of death. For an unnatural or violent death, there is no strict 48-hour deadline; the notary cannot issue the registry until the prosecutor's written authorization. The funeral home typically handles this, but verify it's done. Missing the natural-death deadline triggers an inscripción extemporánea (late registration), which requires the applicable judicial authorization or administrative decree and can add several weeks.

Collect the medical death certificate. The Certificado de Defunción Antecedente comes from the attending physician (natural death) or Medicina Legal (forensic case). This is different from the civil death registry — both are needed.

Request the embalming certificate. After the funeral home embalms the remains, they issue the Certificado de Embalsamamiento. Required for international shipping.

Obtain the funeral home certificate. The Certificado de la Funeraria is the funeral home's sworn statement that the container holds only the remains and standard clothing. No personal effects allowed inside the casket.

Request the transit permit. The Licencia de Traslado de Cadáveres is issued by the local municipal health department (Secretaría de Salud). The funeral home applies for this. Without it, the remains cannot leave the municipality.

Submit documents to the US Embassy for the Consular Mortuary Certificate. The embassy reviews the Colombian documentation and issues a certificate that authorizes export of the remains. This is required by the airline and by US Customs at the port of entry.

Phase 3: Preparation and Shipping (Days 7–14)

Casket and airtray preparation. The remains must be placed in a hermetically sealed zinc-lined casket (or a wooden casket with a zinc liner, known as a Ziegler unit). The casket goes inside a rigid outer shipping container (airtray) — wood or reinforced cardboard, single-use, with carrying handles.

Assemble the document pouch. All export documents must be in a pouch attached to the outside of the airtray:

• Registro Civil de Defunción
• Certificado de Defunción Antecedente
• Certificado de Embalsamamiento
• Certificado de la Funeraria
• Consular Mortuary Certificate (from the US Embassy)
• Licencia de Traslado de Cadáveres

Book airline cargo. The funeral home books the remains as specialized cargo through Avianca Cargo, Copa Airlines, or American Airlines. Avianca Cargo requires confirmation at least 48 hours in advance; other carriers may set different requirements. The funeral home provides the airway bill number to the receiving US funeral home.

Airport cargo handoff. The funeral home delivers the airtray to the airport cargo facility at El Dorado (Bogotá) or the relevant departure airport. Airline personnel inspect the documentation and packaging before accepting the shipment.

Phase 4: US Arrival

Customs clearance at the US port of entry. CBP reviews the Consular Mortuary Certificate and matching documents. Corpses and accompanying coffins are exempt from duty, but confirm any handling or brokerage charges with the receiving funeral home. The receiving funeral home is listed as consignee and handles the customs paperwork.

Receiving funeral home takes custody. The US funeral director meets the cargo at the airport, signs for the remains, and transports them to the funeral home. The transfer casket may be replaced for the funeral service.

Track the e-CRODA process. Submit the Consular Report of Death Abroad (Form DS-2060) package as soon as the required documents are available; issuance takes 4–6 weeks after the embassy receives a complete package. This is the legal equivalent of a US death certificate and is needed for probate, insurance claims, bank accounts, and Social Security.

The Parallel Track (While Repatriation Proceeds)

Some tasks should run alongside the repatriation, not after:

• Apostille the death certificate. Upload the Registro Civil de Defunción to the Colombian Cancillería portal for the electronic apostille. You'll need this for US probate and insurance.
• Get a certified English translation. After the apostille, translate the complete file (death certificate plus apostille). Use a Colombian traductor oficial or a US-based ATA-certified translator.
• Report the death to Social Security. Call 1-800-772-1213 to stop benefits and initiate survivor benefit claims. The e-CRODA is the key document, but report by phone first.
• Notify banks, insurers, and pension administrators. Freeze accounts to prevent unauthorized access while estate administration proceeds.

The Full Guide

The American Dies in Colombia — Family Emergency Guide expands this checklist into a complete workflow with worksheets for tracking every document, every agency contact, and every deadline. When you're managing this process remotely, across time zones, in a language you may not speak — having every step written down in one place is the difference between a 10-day repatriation and a 6-week ordeal.