How Long Does It Take to Ship a Body from the US to China?

The Timeline Depends on the Cause of Death — and Can Extend Beyond Six Weeks

Families expecting to ship a body from the United States to China within a few days of the death are consistently surprised by the actual timeline. The process involves sequential steps — each dependent on the one before it — and any single delay cascades through the entire chain. The document and logistics phases may fit within roughly two to six weeks under favorable conditions, while a coroner or toxicology investigation can add four to twelve weeks to the release timeline.

Here is the timeline broken into its five stages.

Stage 1: Death to Body Release (Varies by Cause of Death)

This is the most unpredictable stage because it depends entirely on how the person died.

Natural death in a hospital: The attending physician signs the death certificate, and the hospital releases the body to a funeral home after the funeral director is retained. Timing varies by facility.

Sudden, accidental, or suspicious death: The county medical examiner or coroner takes legal custody. An autopsy and toxicology investigation can delay release by four to twelve weeks. The medical examiner or coroner controls release while the investigation remains unresolved.

During a coroner hold, the family cannot begin embalming, casket preparation, or cargo booking. They are waiting.

Stage 2: Funeral Home Preparation (24 to 48 Hours, Plus Availability)

Once the body is released, the funeral home performs embalming, places the body in a hermetically sealed metal casket, and encloses the casket in an outer air tray. Professional embalming and sanitation are estimated at 24 to 48 hours; casket and air-tray availability can add time.

The funeral home also prepares the Embalming and Casket Sealing Certificate and obtains the Burial Transit Permit from the local health department. These documents must be complete before the airline will accept the shipment.

Stage 3: Death Certificate and Apostille (1 to 4 Weeks)

The certified death certificate must be obtained from the state or county vital records office. Processing times vary dramatically by jurisdiction:

• Certified state or county death certificate: about 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the jurisdiction
• County clerk verification where required: same day to 5 days
• State Apostille: same day to 4 weeks, depending on the office and filing method

After the certified copy is in hand, it must be submitted to the Secretary of State for the Hague Apostille. Processing times range from same-day (walk-in service in California) to four weeks (mail-in during busy periods in New York).

This stage can run in parallel with Stage 2 — the funeral home preparation does not need to wait for the apostilled death certificate. But both must be complete before the body can ship.

Stage 4: Air Cargo Transit (3 to 7 Days)

Once the funeral home has the complete document set and the body is prepared, the cargo booking is placed through a Known Shipper account. Available cargo space on the US-to-China corridor varies by season and route; the air-cargo stage is estimated at three to seven days.

Flight time and cargo handling depend on the route and connections. Allow for them within the estimated three-to-seven-day air-cargo stage.

Stage 5: China Customs and Domestic Transfer (Timing Varies)

At the Chinese port of entry, China Customs conducts a quarantine inspection. Clearance time depends on document completeness and customs review. The designated domestic funeral home then picks up the remains from the customs bonded area and transports them to the final destination.

If customs flags a documentation issue — a missing certificate, a cause-of-death query, or a formatting concern with the Apostille — the hold can extend by days or weeks. Pre-submitting the electronic sanitary declaration before the body departs the US significantly reduces the risk of an arrival hold.

Planning Ranges

The Chinese Dies in the US — Family Emergency Guide includes a repatriation timeline planner that maps each stage against the family's specific circumstances — state of death, cause of death, and chosen airline — so families can set realistic expectations with relatives in China.