Kenya - Import a Deceased/Dead Body

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Procedure

Apply In-Person:

1. The next of Kin or anyone authorized by the next of kin of the deceased person should visit the Kenyan Embassy in the country where the deceased passed on and request for the body of the deceased to be transported to Kenya. A list of Kenyan missions abroad can be found on the following link
2. Upon receiving the request , the embassy officials will request the following documents for the remains of the deceased to be transported.
   • Proof that the deceased person was a Kenyan e.g. Passport, Birth Certificate or Identity Card
   • Locally issued burial and/or transit permit.
   • Certified copy of the Death Certificate.
   • A letter from the local health authority certifying that the deceased did not die of contagious disease.
   • A letter from the Director of funeral home stating how the body was embalmed.
   • Copy of Passport/ID of Shipper
   • Contact Details of Consignee and ID/Passport number
3. The embassy/ mission abroad may also give the next of kin some forms to fill. This depends with the country where the deceased passed away. Each country has its own procedures for dealing with repatriation of the bodies of the deceased.
4. On receipt of the above documents, the High Commission will issue a letter of no objection for the remains to be transported to Kenya.
5. No fee is charged for the service
6. The applicant should provide the certificate of no objection to the transportation company which will ship the body to Kenya when making the transportation arrangements.

Note

• A metal hermetically sealable casket is recommended for shipment of the body.
• In addition , identify a funeral home to take and preserve the body once it arrives in Kenya.

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Required Documents

Requirements for transportation of a Dead body to Kenya

• Proof that the deceased person was a Kenyan e.g. Passport, Birth Certificate, ID card
• Copy of locally issued burial Permit
• Certified Letter from Hospital stating cause of death or Death Certificate
• Embalming Certificate from authorized Funeral Home
• Copy of Passport/ID of Shipper
• Contact Details of Consignee and ID/Passport number
• Letter of no Objection from Embassy
• A letter from the local health authority certifying that the deceased did not die of contagious disease

Required documents for Taking Ashes to Kenya

• Copy of death certificate
• Certificate from the crematorium
• Certificate issued by the funeral director confirming that the contents are nothing but the remains and is not mixed with anything else.
• Copy of Kenyan passport/ birth certificate or any acceptable form of identification of the deceased as proof that the deceased was Kenyan.
• Pre-paid self-addressed return courier envelope
• a letter of no objection from high commission for the remains to be transported to Kenya. (No fee is charged for the service)

Office Locations & Contacts

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade - Head Office
Old Treasury Building, Harambee Avenue
P.O Box 30551 - 00100 G.P.O
NAIROBI, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 318888
Email: [email protected]
Website: MFA link

Eligibility

• Only the next of kin of the deceased can state how the body will be handled.
• The deceased should be a citizen or resident of Kenya.

Fees

• No fee is charged for this service by the high commission .
• However, the family will pay the for transportation costs for the body, washing and embalming the body and buying the coffin. The fees incurred differ with the country the deceased was in at the time of death, and also different shipping companies have different transportation fees.

Validity

• The request is valid until the deceased is transported and buried in Kenya.

Documents to Use

• TRANSPORTATION OF DECEASED APPLICATION FORM

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• This process takes between 7 days to 14 days to complete documentation.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• Only on receipt of all the documents will the High Commission issue a letter of no objection for the remains to be transported to Kenya.

Required Information

• Name of deceased
• Name of next of Kin
• Cause of death
• Date and Place of death
• Embalmment information
• Burial permit information

Need for the Document

• This process helps surviving kin members of a deceased person abroad is transported back to Kenya for burial.

Information which might help

• It has to be confirmed that the coffin is hermetically sealed for carriage by air.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• Kenya Diplomatic Missions

Others

More information which might help people.