When a loved one’s final wishes include burial in Haiti, families may need to coordinate arrangements in two countries while making important decisions during a difficult time.
Funeral shipping to Haiti involves more than booking transportation. It requires documentation, consular coordination, preparation for transport, and arrangements with a receiving funeral home in Haiti.
This guide explains the main steps for families beginning the process in North Miami and the information that can help the arrangements move forward.
Where to Begin
Start by contacting a funeral home that handles international transportation. Explain where your loved one is currently located and the intended destination in Haiti.
Useful information includes:
- Your loved one’s full legal name.
- Where the death occurred and where your loved one is currently being cared for.
- Contact information for the person responsible for making arrangements.
- Any available identification or passport.
- The destination city or community in Haiti.
- Contact details for a receiving funeral home, if one has already been selected.
- Any wishes for a local visitation or religious service.
You do not need to have every document ready before making the first call. The funeral director can explain what is needed and identify the next steps.
For a broader introduction, visit our international funeral shipping page.
How Funeral Shipping to Haiti Works
1. Confirm the Arrangements in Both Countries
The sending funeral home needs to understand the family’s wishes and coordinate with the receiving funeral home in Haiti.
Confirm who will receive your loved one, the final destination, and who will arrange transportation after arrival. The airport arrival and the journey to the funeral home or burial location should be planned together.
2. Prepare Documents and Complete Consular Steps
The funeral director coordinates the required paperwork and confirms the submission process with the Haitian consular office handling the case.
The family’s role generally includes providing personal information, available identification, and the necessary authorizations. Ask which documents the funeral home will obtain and which items the family needs to supply.
3. Coordinate Preparation and Airline Acceptance
Preparation for transport must meet the applicable consular and airline requirements. Haiti’s published guidance includes embalming documentation and a properly sealed casket for transporting a body. The funeral home should confirm the complete preparation and shipping-container requirements before booking. Embassy of Haiti transportation guidance.
Available routes, airline acceptance, and receiving arrangements must also be confirmed. A possible itinerary should be distinguished from a confirmed booking.
4. Confirm Arrival and the Receiving Handoff
Once transportation is confirmed, the receiving funeral home needs the final itinerary and the information required to collect your loved one.
The family should know who will provide arrival updates and who is responsible for the next stage of transportation and funeral arrangements in Haiti.
Documents Needed for Funeral Shipping to Haiti
The Embassy of Haiti’s published repatriation guidance describes a consular death certificate process supported by documents including:
- The deceased person’s passport.
- A burial permit.
- A certified death certificate.
- Funeral home registration documentation.
- A funeral invoice.
- A notarized non-contagion letter.
- A notarized funeral home letter confirming embalming and transport in a properly sealed coffin.
- The itinerary and receiving funeral home’s name and address.
The Haitian consular death certificate is separate from the U.S. death certificate supplied with the application.
Before submission, the funeral director should confirm the current checklist, authentication requirements, copies, fees, and procedures with the Consulate General of Haiti in Miami or the consular office handling the case.
What the Family and Each Funeral Home Handle
Clear responsibilities help prevent delays and misunderstandings.
The family provides available personal information, identification, authorizations, and preferences for services and burial.
The sending funeral home coordinates the arrangements agreed upon for preparation, documents, consular processing, and transportation.
The receiving funeral home in Haiti confirms its responsibilities for collection after arrival, local transportation, and the funeral or burial arrangements.
Ask for these responsibilities to be explained in writing, especially when separate businesses are providing services in each country.
How Long Does Shipping to Haiti Take?
The schedule depends on the documents, approvals, preparation, airline arrangements, and receiving coordination required for the particular case.
Timing can be affected by:
- Release from the facility caring for your loved one.
- Availability of certified documents.
- Consular review and any corrections requested.
- Flight schedules and acceptance of the shipment.
- Receiving funeral home availability and local transportation.
Ask the funeral director for an estimated schedule and a clear explanation of anything still pending.
Confirm the transportation arrangements before announcing a burial date or booking family travel around an expected arrival.
What Affects the Cost?
There is no single price that applies to every shipment to Haiti. The total depends on the services selected and the transportation required.
Ask for an itemized estimate explaining:
- Transfer into the sending funeral home’s care.
- Preparation for transportation.
- The casket and required shipping container.
- Documents, permits, consular processing, and related services.
- Airline transportation and handling.
- Any local visitation or funeral service.
- Receiving funeral home services and transportation in Haiti.
Confirm which charges are included in the sending funeral home’s estimate and which will be billed separately. Ask whether the estimate covers transportation beyond the arrival airport to the final destination.
Planning a Local Farewell Before Transportation
Some families would like relatives in South Florida to have an opportunity to say goodbye before their loved one travels to Haiti.
Discuss this preference at the beginning of the arrangements. A visitation, religious service, or private gathering may affect preparation and scheduling.
Share any language preferences, clergy contacts, and important family customs. Our cultural funeral services offer a starting point for discussing these details.
Frequently Asked Questions About Funeral Shipping to Haiti
Do we need a receiving funeral home in Haiti?
The receiving arrangements should be confirmed before transportation is finalized. The family needs to know who will collect their loved one and handle local transportation and funeral arrangements.
What if we cannot find the passport?
Tell the funeral director immediately. Because Haiti’s published guidance lists a passport, the consular office must confirm how to proceed if it is unavailable. Do not assume another document will automatically be accepted.
Can our loved one be transported to a community beyond the arrival airport?
Discuss the final destination with the receiving funeral home. Confirm who will provide the onward transportation, whether it can be arranged, and whether its cost is included.
Does this document checklist also apply to cremated remains?
This guide focuses on transporting a body for burial. Ask for separate instructions for cremated remains, including the applicable consular, airline, and destination requirements.
Help With Funeral Shipping to Haiti From North Miami
Beginning with a clear plan can help your family understand the documents, responsibilities, and decisions involved in bringing a loved one to Haiti.
To discuss your destination and available arrangements, contact Carib Funeral Home at (305) 956-5566, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit our contact page.
