Returning a loved one to China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan

Ashes, or burial at home

There are two ways to bring a loved one home. Most families hold the funeral here, choose cremation, and carry the ashes themselves. Others send their loved one home for burial, which involves more documents, more time, and coordination with a funeral home at the destination. We explain both before you decide.

Bringing ashes home

A family member usually carries the urn on the flight. The Transportation Security Administration requires the container to pass through the X-ray machine, and its officers do not open an urn, so a container made of wood or plastic is safer than metal or stone. Airlines have their own rules, so check with the airline before you travel.

Carry certified copies of the death certificate and the cremation certificate. What else is needed depends on the destination:

• Mainland China. Chinese consulates in the United States stopped authenticating documents in November 2023. American documents for use in mainland China now need an apostille from the state that issued them, usually with a Chinese translation.
• Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government does not require an application to bring cremated ashes into Hong Kong. The cemetery or columbarium there will have its own paperwork.
• Taiwan. Taiwan’s customs authority asks for the death certificate and the cremation certificate, among other documents, and has its own approval process.

Sending a loved one home for burial

Sending a body abroad usually requires embalming, a sealed casket and shipping container that meet the airline’s rules, and a set of documents: certified and authenticated copies of the death certificate, translations, a letter from the health department, and the permits for transport. A funeral home at the destination must be ready to receive your loved one. We coordinate with the airline and the receiving funeral home or family.

Timing

Documents and flight arrangements take time, and the rules differ by destination and change from year to year. We confirm the current requirements before any date is promised to relatives abroad, and we give you a realistic schedule.

A service here first

Many families hold a wake and funeral in New Jersey so that relatives and friends here can pay their respects, and a second service in the hometown. We arrange the service here in the usual way.

What we arrange

• Consular paperwork and permits for sending remains or ashes abroad
• Coordination with the airline and the receiving funeral home or family
• Guidance on timing, sealing requirements, and what to bring