Repatriation guide · Philippines

How to Send a Loved One Home to the Philippines from the United States

When someone passes away here in The United States and must be laid to rest in the Philippines, the order of the first calls matters. This page walks through the first four calls, the documents to gather and the consulate to contact. Use the free finder for the steps that match your family's faith and where the death happened.

The first four calls (Roman Catholic)

These steps follow Roman Catholic practice, the largest faith in the Philippines. The free finder also has steps for other faiths in the Philippines: Protestant/Evangelical and Sunni Muslim.

1. First Phone Call: The Spiritual Custodian (Securing Sanctity)Who to call: Parish priest for the Last Rites (Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, and the Commendation of the Dying) if death is near, or prayers for the deceased if death has already occurred, and to reserve local wake and funeral Mass dates.The very first phone call is never bureaucratic; it is spiritual. Before any mortuary service moves or embalms the remains, the religious or cultural custodian must be mobilized to establish ritual custody and safeguard your faith’s requirements.
2. Second Phone Call: The Medical and Vital Records Authority (Establishing Legal Clearance)Who to call: Attending Physician or Medical Examiner for the long form death certificate stating the cause of death.No international border can be crossed without legal certification of the death and assurance that public health is safeguarded. Ask for the long form death certificate, several certified copies, and a letter confirming the death was not caused by a contagious disease.
3. Third Phone Call: The International Repatriation Specialist (Logistics and Custody)Who to call: Full-service International Repatriation Director to authorize professional restorative arterial embalming for extended viewing.Local neighborhood funeral homes rarely hold the certifications required to export human remains. The specialist books the HUM air cargo, prepares the sealed, airline-approved container, and assembles the consular dossier.
4. Other Phone Calls: Mobilizing the Village (Community, Consulates, and Lineage)Who to call: Family elders council, hometown association leadership, and the receiving parish, diocese, and cemetery authority in the Philippines.Once the spiritual, medical, and freight channels are secured, the family expands outward: one calm family spokesperson, your diaspora or hometown association, the consulate (for the passport and the mortuary transit permit), and the receiving family and cemetery at home.

Documents you'll need

• Certified long form death certificates (10 to 15 copies)
  Ordered through your funeral director from the county or state vital records office. Required by the airline, the consulate, customs at home, and later by banks and land registries.
• Non-contagious disease letter
  Attending physician or medical examiner. Confirms the death was not caused by a quarantinable or contagious disease. Airlines and destination countries require it.
• Burial-transit permit
  Local registrar, usually obtained by your funeral director. Allows the body to be moved out of the county or state and out of the country.
• Embalming certificate or preservation affidavit
  Funeral home. Most destination countries and airlines require proof that the remains were preserved.
• Sealed container certificate
  Funeral director. Confirms the remains are in an airtight, hermetically sealed container, as most airlines and destination countries require.
• Original homeland passport, for cancellation
  Family, surrendered to the embassy or consulate.
• Proof of citizenship (if the passport is expired or lost)
  Family. An original birth certificate, national ID card, or other proof of citizenship.
• Consular mortuary permit (Laissez-Passer Mortuaire)
  Embassy or consulate of the Philippines. Authorizes the remains to enter the Philippines. Requirements, fees, and processing times vary, so call the consulate early.
• Apostille or authentication of documents
  Secretary of State of the U.S. state that issued each document; some countries also require legalization by their embassy. Proves your U.S. documents are genuine. Ask the consulate whether an apostille or full authentication is required.
• Air Waybill (HUM cargo booking)
  Airline cargo department, booked by your funeral director. The shipping document for human remains. The other documents travel with it in the flight pouch.
• Escort passports and visas
  Each family member traveling with the body. Escorts need valid passports and any visas the Philippines requires.
• Burial or cremation permit at the destination
  Receiving funeral home or local authority in the Philippines. Arranged by family or the receiving funeral home before the body arrives.

Where to reach the consulate

Closest to New Jersey and New York

Embassy in Washington, D.C.

New York details checked October 2026; embassy details from the Their Journey Home guide, compiled September 2026. Requirements, fees and processing times change, so call ahead to confirm.

Get help with the rest

General information only, not legal advice. Requirements change and vary by airline and destination; confirm every step with the consulate and a licensed funeral director.