Repatriation to USA
Our complete body repatriation service from the UK to the USA starts from £2,400. No hidden costs, and we cover all 50 states.
Rowland Brothers International provides body repatriation services between the UK and the USA, in both directions. Whether you need to bring a loved one home to the US from the UK or repatriate a UK national who has died in America, our team manages the process from start to finish.
Repatriation to or from the USA has its own specific requirements, both federally and at state level. The rules around embalming, documentation, and transport can differ depending on the state, which is why it’s important to work with someone who knows the process.
What to Do When Someone Dies in the USA
What Should You Do First?
If someone has died in the United States, the first steps depend on where exactly they died. The American funeral system is regulated at state level, which means the rules in California are different from those in Florida or New York. The local medical examiner or coroner will typically need to certify the death, and a US death certificate will need to be obtained before anything else can happen.
If the deceased was a UK national, the British Embassy or relevant Consulate should also be notified. They don’t manage the repatriation itself, but they can assist with passport and documentation queries.
Once you’ve made those initial contacts, give us a call. We’ll take over the coordination from there — liaising with the local funeral home, the relevant state authorities, and the airline. It can be too overwhelming to manage multiple organisations at once at a time like this.
Read more: How to transport a loved one from the USA to the UK
Documentation for repatriation from the USA is governed by a combination of federal rules, state-level regulations, and the requirements of the destination country. It’s one of the more paperwork-heavy routes, but it’s a process we’re very familiar with.
Standard documentation typically includes:
- Passport of the deceased
- US death certificate (state-issued; multiple certified copies are usually required)
- Embalming certificate — required by most airlines for international transport of human remains
- Burial transit permit, issued by the state in which the death occurred
- Airway bill from the airline
- UK import documentation, if repatriating back to the UK
Some states have additional requirements. If the death is subject to a medical examiner’s investigation, this can also affect what documentation is available and when. We’ll be upfront about what to expect in your specific case.
Once all the paperwork is in order, we can typically arrange the repatriation flight within a matter of hours.
Our USA repatriation service is fully managed. From collection at the US funeral home to handover at the UK destination, we manage every step. Here’s what’s included:
- Full collection and transfer from the US funeral home
- Professional preparation of the deceased
- A coffin or casket that meets international airline regulations
- Complete documentation service, including US and UK paperwork
- Translations where required
- Transfer to the US departure airport
- Arrangement of the repatriation flight
- Assistance with return of personal luggage
If you need a funeral service in the UK before or after repatriation, or if there are additional arrangements required at the US end, let us know. We work with a trusted network of funeral homes across the States and can coordinate accordingly.
In straightforward cases, repatriation from the USA typically takes 5 to 10 working days from when the local authorities release the body. Direct flights between the US and UK are frequent, which helps on the logistics side. The documentation stage is usually the determining factor in how long the overall process takes.
State-level timelines vary; some states process burial transit permits quickly, while others take longer, particularly if the medical examiner is involved. If the death is being investigated by local law enforcement or the coroner’s office, this can extend things further, and we’ll tell you straight away if that’s the situation you’re in.
We keep families updated throughout. You won’t be left chasing us for information.
Read more here.
Repatriation from the UK to the USA starts from £2,400. That covers the core service: collection, preparation, documentation, coffin and the repatriation flight. The actual cost for your specific case will depend on factors like where in the UK the deceased is located, which US city or state you’re repatriating to, flight availability at the time and whether any additional services are needed.
Repatriating in the opposite direction — from the USA back to the UK — is also something we arrange regularly. Costs on that route vary depending on the US departure point and UK destination.
We don’t believe in vague estimates. Call us, tell us your situation and we’ll give you a clear quote based on the actual details rather than a number pulled from thin air.
Read more here.
It’s not only UK-to-USA repatriations we manage. We also arrange body repatriation to the USA from countries around the world, whether the deceased was a US citizen living abroad or a family in the US who needs to bring someone home from elsewhere.
The USA has specific import requirements for human remains, including embalming standards and documentation that must accompany the body. We coordinate directly with the receiving funeral home in the US state of destination, making sure everything is in order before the flight departs.
We can arrange repatriation flights into any major US airport. Just let us know the circumstances and we’ll work out the most practical route.
We can arrange flights to any state in the United States of America
We help with Customs and Documentation and Flight Booking for Repatriation to the USA and Repatriation from the USA.
Rowland Brothers International provides body repatriation services between the UK and the USA, in both directions. Whether you need to bring a loved one home to the US from the UK or repatriate a UK national who has died in America, our team manages the process from start to finish.
Repatriation to or from the USA has its own specific requirements, both federally and at state level. The rules around embalming, documentation, and transport can differ depending on the state, which is why it’s important to work with someone who knows the process.
What to Do When Someone Dies in the USA
What Should You Do First?
If someone has died in the United States, the first steps depend on where exactly they died. The American funeral system is regulated at state level, which means the rules in California are different from those in Florida or New York. The local medical examiner or coroner will typically need to certify the death, and a US death certificate will need to be obtained before anything else can happen.
If the deceased was a UK national, the British Embassy or relevant Consulate should also be notified. They don't manage the repatriation itself, but they can assist with passport and documentation queries.
Once you've made those initial contacts, give us a call. We'll take over the coordination from there — liaising with the local funeral home, the relevant state authorities, and the airline. It can be too overwhelming to manage multiple organisations at once at a time like this.
Documentation for repatriation from the USA is governed by a combination of federal rules, state-level regulations, and the requirements of the destination country. It’s one of the more paperwork-heavy routes, but it’s a process we’re very familiar with.
Standard documentation typically includes:
- Passport of the deceased
- US death certificate (state-issued; multiple certified copies are usually required)
- Embalming certificate — required by most airlines for international transport of human remains
- Burial transit permit, issued by the state in which the death occurred
- Airway bill from the airline
- UK import documentation, if repatriating back to the UK
Some states have additional requirements. If the death is subject to a medical examiner’s investigation, this can also affect what documentation is available and when. We’ll be upfront about what to expect in your specific case.
Once all the paperwork is in order, we can typically arrange the repatriation flight within a matter of hours.
Our USA repatriation service is fully managed. From collection at the US funeral home to handover at the UK destination, we manage every step. Here’s what’s included:
- Full collection and transfer from the US funeral home
- Professional preparation of the deceased
- A coffin or casket that meets international airline regulations
- Complete documentation service, including US and UK paperwork
- Translations where required
- Transfer to the US departure airport
- Arrangement of the repatriation flight
- Assistance with return of personal luggage
If you need a funeral service in the UK before or after repatriation, or if there are additional arrangements required at the US end, let us know. We work with a trusted network of funeral homes across the States and can coordinate accordingly.
In straightforward cases, repatriation from the USA typically takes 5 to 10 working days from when the local authorities release the body. Direct flights between the US and UK are frequent, which helps on the logistics side. The documentation stage is usually the determining factor in how long the overall process takes.
State-level timelines vary; some states process burial transit permits quickly, while others take longer, particularly if the medical examiner is involved. If the death is being investigated by local law enforcement or the coroner’s office, this can extend things further, and we’ll tell you straight away if that’s the situation you’re in.
We keep families updated throughout. You won’t be left chasing us for information.
Repatriation from the UK to the USA starts from £2,400. That covers the core service: collection, preparation, documentation, coffin and the repatriation flight. The actual cost for your specific case will depend on factors like where in the UK the deceased is located, which US city or state you’re repatriating to, flight availability at the time and whether any additional services are needed.
Repatriating in the opposite direction — from the USA back to the UK — is also something we arrange regularly. Costs on that route vary depending on the US departure point and UK destination.
We don’t believe in vague estimates. Call us, tell us your situation and we’ll give you a clear quote based on the actual details rather than a number pulled from thin air.
It’s not only UK-to-USA repatriations we manage. We also arrange body repatriation to the USA from countries around the world, whether the deceased was a US citizen living abroad or a family in the US who needs to bring someone home from elsewhere.
The USA has specific import requirements for human remains, including embalming standards and documentation that must accompany the body. We coordinate directly with the receiving funeral home in the US state of destination, making sure everything is in order before the flight departs.
We can arrange repatriation flights into any major US airport. Just let us know the circumstances and we’ll work out the most practical route.
We can arrange flights to any state in the United States of America
We help with Customs and Documentation and Flight Booking for Repatriation to the USA and Repatriation from the USA.
US Embassy in London
33 Nine Elms Ln,
Nine Elms,
London
SW11 7US
We Can Arrange Flights to Any State in the USA
We arrange repatriation flights from the UK to any major US airport across all 50 states. Whether the destination is New York, Los Angeles, Texas or a less frequently served state, we’ll find the right routing. Flight options are confirmed at the time of booking based on availability and your specific circumstances.
Why Families Choose Us for USA Repatriations
The UK-USA repatriation route is one we know extremely well. We oversee cases across all 50 states, from straightforward repatriations to more complex situations involving medical examiner involvement or multi-country logistics.
We work with families directly, with UK funeral directors for international cases and with insurance and assistance companies. The level of service is the same regardless. You'll have a single point of contact, direct communication and no being passed around between departments.
If you're a UK funeral director managing a case where the death occurred in the US, we can act as your repatriation partner and manage everything from the American end. We've built strong working relationships with funeral homes across the country over many years of doing this work.
Countries we repatriate to and from in Americas
- Antigua
- Antilles
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Caribbean
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Dominican Republic
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Falkland Islands
- French Guiana
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadelope
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Sint Maarten
- St Kitts
- St Lucia
- St Vincent
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uruguay
- USA
- Venezuela
- Virgin Islands
- West Indies
Talk to Us about Coffins and Caskets
Our experienced, specialist team will provide practical advice and support at a difficult time with care and compassion. We keep you updates at each stage of the process to make is as easy as possible.
Find out more about working with Rowland Brothers International:
Contact Us:
Our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you need to talk through a situation, understand the process or get an estimate, please get in touch. You don’t need to have everything figured out before making contact, that’s what we’re here for.
UK Clients:
0800 917 3585 (freephone)
International Clients:
+44(0)20 8684 2324