Transport of remains and death procedures

When you lose a loved one in the United States, there are procedures to complete both in the United States and on the Turkish side. If the funeral will be buried in Türkiye, a certificate for transporting the remains is obtained from the consulate. Regardless of where the burial takes place, the death must be registered in the Turkish civil registry. This page explains the first steps, required documents, places to apply, inheritance (estate), and customs procedures. Consulates do not charge fees for these procedures; only postage costs may be requested.

1. U.S. death certificate is obtained from the local authorities. The Consulate General in Los Angeles states that obtaining documents and handling procedures are generally carried out by funeral homes.
2. Contact the mission immediately. Washington requests that applicants call in advance by email or the duty phone so that procedures can be completed quickly. Los Angeles recommends writing by email before applying and requesting the English information note to be given to the funeral home. Call the duty phones outside working hours (below).
3. Decide where the burial will take place: a certificate for transporting the remains is required for burial in Türkiye. If the burial will take place in the United States, the death must still be registered.
4. Register the death in the Turkish civil registry. According to konsolosluk.gov.tr, the legislation requires the death to be reported to the civil registry office within 30 days; abroad, the notification is made through the mission.
5. Put the procedures in Türkiye and the United States in order: inheritance, bank, pension, and insurance matters; see below.

• It is free of charge. The application may be made in person or by mail. Documents may also be submitted and collected through the funeral home (Los Angeles).
• There is no jurisdiction requirement: applications may be made to any mission providing consular services in the United States (for example, the mission closest to the funeral or the airport from which the flight will depart).
• Required documents (common list from the 2026 notes of Washington, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston):
  • the original and a photocopy of the death certificate. Los Angeles requests 2 originals; Washington accepts a certified copy for applications by mail.
  • the petition of the relative applying to transport the remains to Türkiye (a sample is included in the missions' notes) and their identification
  • embalming certificate (Embalmer's Affidavit)
  • the original letter from the state or local health department confirming that there is no contagious disease (Letter of Non-Contagious Disease)
  • the casket certificate / transport and burial permit showing that the remains have been sealed and will be transported in accordance with international rules (Human Remains Disposition Permit)
  • flight reservation or document showing the cargo number of the remains
  • a letter identifying the person or institution that will receive the remains in Türkiye (consignee); Boston requests this person's civil registry and contact information
  • if available, the deceased's Turkish passport and civil identity card or identity card
  • for applications by mail, a prepaid return envelope with a tracking number (Los Angeles prefers “overnight” shipping)
• When local authorities have performed an autopsy, the original burial permit or autopsy report and a certified Turkish translation may also be requested.
• The information in the deceased's civil registry record and on the death certificate must be identical. Names and information changed when obtaining U.S. citizenship or by court order must be proven with documentation.
• A certificate for transporting remains may also be issued for foreign nationals who wish to be buried in Türkiye.

• Who can apply? No family relationship is required to make the notification (New York).
• Where?
  • As a rule, applications are made to the mission responsible for the area where the death occurred.
  • According to konsolosluk.gov.tr, applications may be made to any mission in the country where the death occurred, especially because of the urgency of transporting the remains.
  • New York and Miami state in their own notes that the death must have occurred within their jurisdictions for registration. Contact the mission first.
• How? In person or by mail. For a postal application, the petition must request registration of the death in the family register; the original death certificate and the notifier's identity information are attached. New York and Miami accept copies certified by a Notary Public instead of originals for postal applications.
• Required documents:
  • application form or petition
  • original and copy of the death certificate obtained from the local authorities
  • if available, the deceased's Turkish passport and civil identity card
  • original and copy of the notifier's identification
  • if the deceased was a foreign-national spouse, family record book or birth certificate, if available (no Turkish translation is required)
  • return envelope for postal applications
• Fee: registration is free of charge. New York and Miami charge $31 for postage to send the documents to Türkiye. New York accepts cash or a money order payable to “Turkish Consulate General”; checks are not accepted.
• After registration, a multilingual death registration record (Formül C) may be obtained from the consulate or e-Devlet. Formül C is not valid before U.S. authorities; the death certificate itself is used in the United States.

• Even if the burial takes place in the United States, the death must be registered in the Turkish civil registry.
• According to konsolosluk.gov.tr, burial in Türkiye after cremation is not possible under the legislation.
• It is possible to transport to Türkiye the ashes of people cremated abroad.
• Coffins, vases, and similar containers holding ashes or bones, as well as flowers and wreaths brought with them, are exempt from customs duties (Council of Ministers Decision No. 2009/15418, Art. 102).

• Administration of the estate:
  • The deceased's estate in the United States (belongings and money) is administered by the mission responsible for the area where the estate is located.
  • The estate is identified, sealed, and inventoried.
  • The mission may pay from the estate the treatment and care expenses incurred before the death, rent, funeral expenses, and expenses required to preserve the estate.
  • The estate is sent to the estate court of the place where the deceased was registered; if the civil registration cannot be determined, it is sent to the Ankara Estate Court.
• Delivery to heirs:
  • Delivery to heirs abroad is made on the instructions of the estate court.
  • The entire estate is not delivered to one or more heirs who do not represent all the heirs.
  • The share of another heir is not delivered to a person who cannot present a valid power of attorney, even if that person is a close relative.
• Required for an estate application: Turkish identity card, Turkish passport, original and photocopy of the certificate of inheritance, and, if necessary, a notarized power of attorney showing authority to represent the heirs.
• Taxpayers who inherit property and are located in a foreign country submit an inheritance declaration to the consulate.
• Bringing personal belongings to Türkiye:
  • Belongings inherited by heirs in Türkiye due to the death of a person residing abroad may be brought duty-free within 24 months from the date of the certificate of inheritance.
  • They may be brought in one shipment or several batches.
  • Commercial vehicles, commercial stocks, professional tools (except the deceased's own portable tools), tobacco, and alcohol products are excluded from the exemption.
• Vehicle: customs duty, special consumption tax, and VAT are not collected when a vehicle inherited by succession is imported into Türkiye. Heirs in Türkiye must apply to customs within 24 months from the date of the certificate of inheritance. Details: 11.9.
• Procedures in Türkiye (land registry, bank, vehicle): handled with the certificate of inheritance and, if necessary, a power of attorney; a power of attorney and disclaimer of inheritance may be issued at the consulate. See 11.4.
• Social security: Turkish-citizen beneficiaries of an insured deceased person may borrow against their periods abroad (Mavi Kart holder beneficiaries may not). See 17.4. For U.S. Social Security benefits, see 17.1.

• Consular Call Center (24/7): +1 888 566 7656 from the United States and Canada, +90 312 292 29 29 from other countries
• After-hours duty (emergency) phones of the missions:
  • Embassy of Washington: +1 202 304 3889 · consulate.washingtondc@mfa.gov.tr
  • New York: +1 646 204 0011 · consulate.newyork@mfa.gov.tr
  • Chicago: +1 773 386 3213 · consulate.chicago@mfa.gov.tr
  • Houston: +1 832 774 1861 · consulate.houston@mfa.gov.tr
  • Los Angeles: +1 310 779 3288 · consulate.losangeles@mfa.gov.tr
  • Boston: +1 857 207 9284 · consulate.boston@mfa.gov.tr
  • Miami: +1 305 646 8208 · consulate.miami@mfa.gov.tr
• For addresses and working hours, see 11.1.

• Not calling the mission before making arrangements with the funeral home; missing documents may delay the flight.
• Not preparing documentation showing the former Turkish name when the new U.S. name is written on the death certificate.
• Forgetting the letter confirming the absence of contagious disease or the casket certificate.
• Failing to provide the information of the person who will receive the remains in Türkiye.
• Neglecting death registration because the burial took place in the United States.
• Assuming that burial after cremation is possible in Türkiye.
• Trying to bring inherited belongings after the 24-month period has expired.

• Is there a fee for the certificate for transporting remains? No. Consulates do not charge a fee for this certificate.
• Which consulate should I apply to? You may apply for a certificate for transporting remains at any mission in the United States; generally, the one closest to the funeral or airport is chosen.
• Who can register the death? According to New York, no family relationship is required for notification. The notifier submits their identification and the death certificate.
• Can I apply by mail? Yes. Applications for the certificate for transporting remains and death registration may also be made by mail. In emergencies, call or email the mission first.
• Can I take the ashes of my cremated relative to Türkiye? Yes. Transporting ashes is possible, and the urn is exempt from customs duty. Burial by cremation in Türkiye is not permitted under the legislation.
• Can the funeral home submit and collect the documents? The Consulate General in Los Angeles states that procedures are generally handled by funeral homes and that documents may be submitted and collected through the firm. Ask other missions in advance.
• What happens to my deceased relative's belongings and money left in the United States? The mission responsible for the area where the estate is located identifies the estate and sends it to the estate court in Türkiye. Expenses such as funeral and care costs may be paid from the estate.

• Consular procedures – Death procedures (registration, transport of remains, estate)
• New York – Application for certificate for transporting remains 2026 (PDF)
• Washington – Petitions for certificate for transporting remains and registration 2026 (PDF)
• Los Angeles – Application for transport of remains 2026 (PDF)
• Boston – Certificate for transporting remains 2026 (PDF)
• New York – Death registration application 2026 (PDF)
• Washington – Death registration application (PDF)
• Los Angeles – Death registration application (PDF)
• Boston – Death registration application (PDF)
• Miami – Registration of Death (PDF, English)
• Customs Guide – Household goods and inheritance