Shipping a Body from Israel to the USA: Steps, Documents, and Costs

What Full-Body Repatriation from Israel Costs

Shipping human remains from Israel to the United States typically costs between $10,000 and $20,000 total. The wide range reflects variables like the departing airline's cargo rates, the level of mortuary preparation required, and whether the body needs to clear a forensic hold before processing can begin.

Here's where that money goes:

These costs fall entirely on the family unless travel insurance includes a repatriation-of-remains benefit. The U.S. Embassy can coordinate logistics and provide referrals, but it cannot fund any part of the transport.

The Documentation Chain (in Order)

The chain contains dependencies, and missing a step can delay the process until the gap is filled.

1. Notification of Death (Hoda'at Pshira) — issued by the treating physician or Magen David Adom paramedic at the scene
2. Burial/Transit Permit (Rishayon Kvura) — issued by the Ministry of Health after receiving the Notification of Death, the deceased's passport, and (if police were involved) a waiver of autopsy
3. Death Certificate (Teudat Pshira) — issued by the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA); request the bilingual Hebrew-English version to avoid later translation costs
4. Apostille — either a digital e-Apostille from the Ministry of Justice (instant, for digitally-signed certificates) or a physical stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem (41 NIS per document)
5. Consular Mortuary Certificate — issued by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv; certifies the remains were prepared to international health standards
6. e-CRODA (Consular Report of Death Abroad, Form DS-2060) — the U.S. Embassy issues this electronically; it serves as the legal equivalent of a domestic death certificate for probate and insurance

The Zinc-Lined Casket Requirement

IATA regulations and the Strasbourg Agreement require that bodies shipped by air be placed in a hermetically sealed, zinc-plated steel inner coffin (maximum 0.4mm thickness). After the body is prepared, a certified technician solders the zinc lid shut to create an absolute airtight seal, then issues a formal Coffin Sealing Certificate (Certificat de Mise en Bière).

This inner coffin goes inside an outer wooden protective crate. Combined weight is generally restricted to 130–150 kg; exceeding this limit requires specialized heavy-cargo routing that adds both cost and time.

The sealing must be done by a certified mortuary technician or licensed shipping agent handling the shipment. The agent must be registered as a "known shipper" with TSA and the departing airline, or the cargo may be refused at Ben Gurion Airport.

The Embalming Dilemma for Jewish Families

Most international airlines require embalming for human remains cargo. Traditional Jewish law (halacha) strictly prohibits embalming as a desecration of the natural decomposition process.

This creates a real conflict that families must navigate as part of the disposition decision in the first 48 to 72 hours. The practical resolution depends on the airline:

• El Al frequently accommodates observant Jewish families by permitting unembalmed remains shipped under specialized double-sealed bio-bag protocols with rabbinic supervision
• Other carriers generally enforce their standard embalming requirements; confirm each carrier's current policy

If halachic compliance is important, the family's shipping agent needs to negotiate directly with El Al Cargo's human remains division as early as possible, before other carriers are booked.

Timeline: How Long the Process Takes

Under normal circumstances — no forensic hold, no Shabbat delays, all documents obtained promptly — full-body repatriation from Israel takes 5 to 10 business days from the date of death to arrival at the US funeral home.

The timeline stretches when:

• Abu Kabir forensic hold: If the police refer the death for autopsy, the preliminary exam takes 24–48 hours, but toxicology reports can take 15 working days
• Shabbat and Jewish holidays: Government ministries close Friday afternoon through Saturday night; El Al does not operate cargo flights during Shabbat
• Documentation errors: A death certificate issued only in Hebrew (not bilingual) forces a notarized translation step that adds 24–48 hours and $120–$250

Alternatives to Full-Body Repatriation

Given the cost, families should know that two less expensive options exist:

Local burial in Israel can cost nothing. Israel's National Insurance Institute covers standard burial expenses for every person who dies in the country, regardless of citizenship. The family pays only for optional upgrades like a premium cemetery plot.

Cremation and ash repatriation costs roughly $3,200–$5,000 total. Aley Shalechet in Ra'anana handles the cremation; ashes can be carried home on a flight or shipped via USPS Priority Mail Express International.

The American Dies in Israel — Family Emergency Guide includes a repatriation cost worksheet and a decision-scoring matrix that walks families through all three paths side by side, with current fee ranges and the complete document dependency chain for each option.