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The Consular Section of the U.S.
Embassy can be of valuable service and assistance when a loved one
dies in the Dominican Republic. We hope that the following
information will aid the family members of deceased Americans in
understanding how the process works and what we can do to help at
this difficult and emotional time:
General: When the Consular
Section learns that an American citizen has died in the Dominican
Republic and no family members are present, the American Citizens
Services (ACS) Unit immediately attempts to notify the family. (If
family members are present and learn of the death before we do, they
should contact us as soon as possible at (809) 221-2171. Whether or
not family members are present, the Consular Section can assist in
making arrangements for the disposition of the remains, based on the
wishes of the next-of-kin. It is important to remember, however,
that no U.S. government funds are available to cover or defray any
of the expenses involved. We also issue a
Consular Report of Death Abroad, which is an official
document that can be used to settle all legal matters relating to
the deceased’s
estate and insurance. The completed Report of Death is official
and acceptable in any U.S. jurisdiction.
If the deceased was receiving Federal
Benefits from the U.S. Government such as Social Security or
Veterans’ benefits, the next-of-kin should also be in touch with the
Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at the number provided above. More
information about completing Social Security formalities is
available at:
http://www.ssa.gov.
What Happens First? One of the
most important and first decisions the family needs to make is
whether to bury their loved one locally or have the remains returned
to the United States. If the family opts for local burial, the
funeral home here will arrange the service and burial according to
the family’s wishes. If, on the other hand, the family prefers to
send the remains to the United States, they should be aware that
costs for preparing and returning a body to the U.S. may be high and
must be paid by the family. Dominican law requires that autopsies
be performed prior to shipment-of-remains in all cases of accidental
or sudden death.
Required Documents. In order to
prepare a Consular Report of Death Abroad, the Consular Section
needs the original local death certificate as well as documentation
of the person’s identity and U.S. citizenship (e.g., the U.S.
passport or the U.S. birth certificate when a passport is not
available). Also, the next-of-kin needs to fill out a
form
provided by our office.
How Long Does this Process Take?
Ideally, local burial can take place within 48 hours after the
death. Arranging shipment of remains to the U.S. generally takes
from 2 to 5 days. Many factors can contribute to delays in
shipment, however, including if the death took place on a weekend
when government offices were closed or if relatives cannot be
contacted. The need for an autopsy can delay issuance of the Report
of Death by a month or more; however, this will not usually delay
shipment of the remains. Next-of-kin can pick up the completed
Report of Death from our office or we can send it to them via
regular mail or courier.
Embalming: Elaborate embalming
in compliance with U.S. standards is available in the Dominican
Republic, but is performed by only a small number of certified
morticians in Santo Domingo.
Cremation: Cremation was not
preformed in the Dominican Republic until April 2003, when one Santo
Domingo funeral home started to practice this procedure.
Exportation of Remains:
Returning a body to the U.S. is a complex and expensive
process. The family should provide the local funeral home with the
name and telephone number of the funeral home in the U.S. where the
remains are to be received, whereupon the two funeral homes will
coordinate the rest of the process. All the documents and permits
required to ship bodies are usually obtained and prepared by the
local funeral home. The family of the deceased is responsible for
all costs associated with this process.
Exhumation and Shipment: Under
Dominican law, exhumation of interred remains is permitted after at
least five years have passed. However, the Attorney General may,
under certain circumstances, grant exemptions to this restriction.
Exhumed remains may be exported to the U.S. or other countries
following the same procedures outlined above.
(Last updated: November 2004) |
