How does repatriation from France to the US work after a death?
Local consulates should be informed of the death of a US citizen abroad
Whether the body is repatriated depends on the person’s will and next of kin
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Reader Question: Can I be repatriated to the US if I die in France, even if I live in France?
If a person dies in France, there are several formalities that must be carried out before their body can be repatriated back to the US.
US citizens can always legally be repatriated back to the US, regardless if they are resident or tourist in the place where they died.
However, whether the body is repatriated depends on the person’s will and next of kin and there are significant costs.
The death of a US citizen abroad should always be declared to the consulate or embassy so a consular death report can be filed. This document is used to resolve legal matters relating to the person’s estate back in the US.
They should be able to help with formalities and obtaining necessary documents, and may be able to advise on international funeral director firms familiar with repatriation.
Repatriation usually occurs within a week to ten days unless the death is being investigated in relation to a certain type of incident (crime, accident, etc).
Standard procedures following a death include obtaining a death notice (certificat de décès) from the authorities, which in turn is needed for an official death certificate (acte de décès).
This is obtained from the person’s local mairie (if they were a resident) or place of death (if a visitor), and acts much like a UK or US death certificate.
You should request several copies as you will need to provide this as proof of death to various services, including in relation to repatriation.
Note that rules may be slightly different if a person died in public (such as a road accident or due to a violent crime), and if they died in a care home or a hospital then some administrative tasks are carried out by the staff.
Read more in our in-depth article covering steps to follow after a death here or see our inheritance guide, which includes a section on this topic.
Rules change depending on ashes or full remains
Next steps depend on whether the person had insurance, and if so the type of contract they held.
Visitors may have expatriation costs partly or fully covered by their insurance, and residents with a death insurance plan may have had a policy geared towards repatriation.
You should carefully check policy documents and contact insurers to see what is covered.
If this is not the case, the best option is to contact a funeral company that specialises in international repatriation. This can be either a French, US, or international company.
It will often be best for a local French company to liaise with one based in the US.
Costs are estimated between €7,400 - €8,000 depending on location.
The documents required depend on the state the body is being transported in.
You will need:
The official death certificate
A doctor’s certificate stating that death occurred under noncontagious, nonepidemic circumstances
An embalming certificate (French laws only require embalming for transportation of remains if the death was due to a contagious disease, but bodies repatriated to the US will need to be embalmed to prevent decomposition before arrival)
Police certificate that remains are sealed in an airtight container (usually the inner coffin)
Transit permit for the remains
If the body is cremated and you are repatriating the ashes to the US, the following is required:
Official French death certificate
Certificate confirming the ashes were sealed in an airtight urn
Transit permit for the remains.
