Bringing a loved one back home, country by country
What the consulates of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador require; which documents; how long it takes; and what the funeral home does versus what you do. Every claim links to the official page it comes from.
Talk to a licensed agent · (888) 619-4888By Mario Barrera, licensed insurance agent · TX TX #3008095 · NPN 17440153 · Updated: September 2026
What is the same in all four countries
Before the consulate there are three things that never change, and they are what set the calendar. The death certificate: Texas law requires it to be filed with the local registrar no later than the 10th day after the death. The apostille: all four countries are parties to the Apostille Convention, and in Texas the only office that can apostille a Texas public record is the Secretary of State, which issues a universal apostille. The transfer permit: the consulate requires one issued by the health authority, and in Texas the state health department prescribes the permit's form and contents.
And one clarification that saves hours of searching: the CDC rules that come up when you search “human remains” cover BRINGING remains INTO the United States, not taking them out. To send someone from here to their country, the destination country is in charge, through its consulate.
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code · Secretaría de Estado de Texas · HCCH · CDC, 2025
Mexico
What does Mexico require to transfer a body or ashes?
The Mexican consulate covering the deceased's or the funeral home's address must endorse and certify three documents: the apostilled death certificate, the international transfer permit from the Department of Health, and the embalming or cremation certificate. The consular procedure is free and the funeral home usually handles it.
The consulate does not move the body: it endorses and certifies the documents so that Mexican health authorities will accept them. That is why order matters — county and state paperwork first, consulate second — and why you must go to the consulate covering the deceased's address or the funeral home's, not whichever is closest to the family.
The deceased's name must appear, at least in the “aka” (also known as) field, exactly as it reads on their Mexican birth certificate: given name, paternal surname and maternal surname. Same for the parents' names. An incomplete name is the most common reason a file gets sent back.
If the final destination is Mexico City or the State of Mexico, you also need the Mexican death certificate, issued by the consular office itself. Outside that area it is not mandatory, but the SRE's official guide recommends always requesting it.
If the family needs financial support for the transfer, the SRE explains that the relatives' financial hardship must be documented. Where it applies, the funds cover only basic transfer services and embalming or cremation, and are paid to the service providers, not to the family.
Documents
- Death certificate stating the cause of death and the correct place of final destination, apostilled. If the cause is pending or deferred, add the coroner's letter certifying the death was not caused by a contagious disease.
- International transfer permit issued by the Department of Health, naming and locating the funeral home receiving the body or ashes, or the place of final disposition.
- Embalming or cremation certificate, signed by the embalmer or the crematory, with their license number.
- Birth certificate of the deceased and identity document of the person requesting the transfer.
- Everything in original plus one photocopy, with a simple Spanish translation on the funeral home's letterhead if the document is not in Spanish.
How long it takes
The SRE does not publish an overall timeframe. What is known is that the consular step takes hours, not weeks: the Consulate General in Los Angeles states it receives funeral home paperwork from 7:00 to 11:00 and returns it the same assigned day, between 12:30 and 13:00. Each consulate sets its own hours, so confirm with yours. What actually sets the calendar is everything before — the death certificate and the apostille — plus flight availability.
Who does what
The funeral home
- Handles embalming or cremation where the death occurred and the transfer paperwork, subject to available transport and routes.
- Files the paperwork with the consulate: the official guide says the procedure “is usually carried out by the funeral home”.
- Provides the simple Spanish translation on its own letterhead.
The family
- Goes to the nearest consulate for guidance, and provides the deceased's Mexican birth certificate and their own ID.
- Hires a second funeral home in Mexico to receive the body or the ashes.
- Decides between body and ashes. If financial support is needed, it is the family who must document the financial hardship.
Official sources: Consulado General de México en Los Ángeles, 2025 · SRE (México), 2025 · SRE (México), 2020
Guatemala
What does Guatemala require to repatriate someone who died abroad?
The Guatemalan state covers the in-country leg: CONAMIGUA moves the body from La Aurora airport to the home community, at no cost, with a stated response time of 12 business days. The consular step inside the United States is handled by the MINEX consular network; request its requirement list from the consulate.
It helps to separate two legs that people confuse and that depend on different institutions. The international leg — documents, permits and the flight from the United States — goes through your corresponding Guatemalan consulate, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINEX) network. The domestic leg — airport to community — is handled by CONAMIGUA, the National Council for Migrant Affairs, and is listed in the Guatemalan government's official procedures catalogue.
The CONAMIGUA procedure starts with a form downloaded from its site and emailed back, scanned, along with the documents. CONAMIGUA staff then phone the applicant to arrange a home visit and a socio-economic assessment, at which the originals of the emailed documents must be handed over.
There is a second, separate procedure for when the body is already at La Aurora airport and the family wants to collect it: same requirements, same zero cost, same stated response time.
Documents
- Relative's application (CONAMIGUA form).
- Copy of the applicant's DPI — the Guatemalan identity document.
- Copy of the deceased's birth certificate.
How long it takes
12 business days is the response time stated by the government's own procedures catalogue for the transfer inside Guatemala, at a stated cost of Q 0. That timeframe covers the domestic leg, not the international one: how long it takes from the United States depends on the consulate, the funeral home and the flight.
Who does what
The funeral home
- Prepares the body, obtains the U.S. exit permits and coordinates with the airline as far as La Aurora. Not every funeral home handles international transfers: ask before you hire.
- Files the paperwork with the corresponding Guatemalan consulate.
The family
- Files the CONAMIGUA application with the applicant's DPI and the deceased's birth certificate, and receives the home visit with the originals.
- Confirms with their consulate the exact document list for the international leg before paying for anything.
Official sources: Gobierno de Guatemala · Gobierno de Guatemala · MINEX (Guatemala)
Honduras
How much does it cost to repatriate a Honduran who died abroad?
Honduras's foreign ministry is explicit: repatriation of citizens who died abroad is entirely free, official, and handled only through government channels — the consulates, the ministry, or its call centre. No middlemen, no fixers and no extra payments are required.
Inside the foreign ministry, this is handled by the Migrant Protection Directorate, and repatriation of Hondurans who died abroad is literally the first of its published functions. It is the right door when the local consulate does not answer.
The service is grounded in the Law for the Protection of the Honduran Migrant and Their Families, and is handled directly through the consulates, the ministry, or the SIAMIH call centre. In 2025 the ministry published two channels: international calls to +1 (470) 751-9077 and WhatsApp messages to +504 8838-3635. Confirm them with your consulate before using them.
The ministry itself warns that some people charge for “express” repatriation paperwork, and cautions that this may amount to fraud. If someone asks you for money to handle repatriation with the Honduran state, that is the signal.
How long it takes
The ministry does not publish a timeframe. As in the other countries, the real calendar is set by the medical examiner — if an investigation is open, the body is not released — plus the death certificate and the flight. Ask case by case at the consulate; free does not mean immediate.
Who does what
The funeral home
- Prepares the body, obtains the exit permits and coordinates with the airline. That work is paid for: what is free is the Honduran state's service, not funeral services inside the United States.
The family
- Contacts the consulate, the ministry or the call centre through official channels, and pays no one to “speed up” the process.
- Proves the family relationship and provides whatever identification of the deceased is requested in their case.
Official sources: SRECI (Honduras) · Cancillería de Honduras, 2025
El Salvador
How do you request repatriation of a Salvadoran?
With a request from the family, by phone or in person, to the foreign ministry in El Salvador or to any Salvadoran embassy or consulate. An interview follows to verify the family relationship, at which a copy of the deceased's birth record and identity document is presented.
It is handled by the Diaspora and Human Mobility Directorate together with the diplomatic and consular missions. The ministry receives the documents and makes the arrangements with the relevant bodies, then contacts the appropriate embassy or consulate to claim the remains.
In some cases, depending on the circumstances, identification requires scientific testing: DNA, fingerprint comparison or forensic dentistry. It is the part of the process that stretches longest and the one nobody on this side controls.
Once the foreign authorities give clearance, the ministry shares the arrival itinerary with the family and notifies the Ministry of Health, which sets the rules for human remains entering the country.
In 2021 the ministry published its contact channels: (503) 2231-1373 and 2231-2950, the Virtual Consulate at 1-888-301-1130 from the United States and Canada, and (503) 7070-1071 for WhatsApp from anywhere. Confirm them before using them: they date from 2021.
Documents
- Copy of the deceased's birth record.
- Copy of the deceased's identity document.
- Personal details of the deceased and of the applicant, for the interview that verifies the family relationship.
How long it takes
The ministry says it plainly: every case is different and the duration depends on the legal provisions and the timelines set by the forensic and immigration authorities of the country where the death occurred. The ministry is bound by those. Anyone promising you a firm date is promising something they do not control.
Who does what
The funeral home
- Prepares the body, obtains the U.S. exit permits and coordinates the flight, along the agreed itinerary.
The family
- Starts the request — by phone or in person — and attends the interview with the deceased's birth record and identification.
- Stays in contact with the ministry, which reports the arrival itinerary once the transfer is authorized.
Official sources: Cancillería de El Salvador (RREE), 2021
Compare funeral homes with repatriation experience near you
Not all of them handle international transfers. Start with your ZIP code and ask two or three.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a repatriation cost?
There is no official rate: it depends on the country, on whether body or ashes travel, on the funeral home and on the flight. Governments do publish that Mexico's consular step is free and that Honduran repatriation is a free state service. The rest is quoted: get two or three written quotes.
Is transferring ashes cheaper than the body?
Mexico's own foreign ministry describes cremation and the transfer of ashes as the **less costly** option, and during the pandemic Mexico's health ministry noted that ashes carry lower sanitary risk and a lower financial cost. We do not publish how much less: that comes from your funeral home's quote.
What is an apostille and do I need one?
It is a seal that internationally certifies a public document. All four countries are parties to the Apostille Convention: Mexico since 1995, El Salvador since 1996, Honduras since 2004 and Guatemala since 2017. In Texas, the only office that can apostille a Texas public record is the Secretary of State, which issues a universal apostille.
When can I get the death certificate in Texas?
Texas law requires the death certificate to be filed with the local registrar **no later than the 10th day** after the death. That deadline governs everything else: without the certificate there is no apostille, and without the apostille there is no consular procedure. Request several certified copies at once.
Do the CDC regulate taking a body out of the United States?
Not for this case. The CDC rules that show up in searches cover bringing remains into the United States, not taking them out. To send someone from here to their country, the requirements are set by the destination country through its consulate, and by the state where the death occurred.
Can any funeral home handle an international transfer?
No. It takes experience with transit permits, consular requirements and airline coordination, and not every home has it. Ask on the first call, before signing: how many transfers they have done to that country and who files the paperwork with the consulate. And get more than one quote.
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