Important Facts You Must Know About Shipping Human Remains

shipping human remains is becoming more of a necessity. It is common for the deceased to have made burial arrangements in another area, or even in another country. Sometimes, it is simply the family members that wish to have the burial closer to home. There are rules and regulations that govern the transport of human bodies and ashes. You should plan for this before it is likely to be needed, when possible. Here are the things you should know.

If you have yet to choose a mortuary or funeral home to help you ship the remains of your family member, then you should know that many are licensed to transport the remains. They are often very knowledgeable concerning the appropriate documentation that you will need. You may certainly rely upon the mortuary to deal with all these arrangements for you. But you should also know that there are shipping companies who do only this kind of transport, and they are experts at helping you to save money doing it.

Most people think that caskets and urns must be shipped on commercial airlines. It is true that several do provide this service. They will allow unaccompanied remains with proper documentation. But, if you wish to accompany the remains you will need to purchase a ticket for yourself as well as making the financial arrangements for the body. Keep in mind that any container used must be totally sealed. You must also provide a death certificate stating the cause of death. It is also true that not all airports collect and transport remains, so plan your trip carefully.

In truth, funeral directors do ship cremated remains using registered mail with the United States Postal Service. They ship human remains using commercial airlines. Most people do not realize that it is absolutely prohibited to ship human remains of any kind using any commercial express delivery service. And, most people have not thought about using private chartered aircraft as an alternative. It is possible to charter services such as this for a few to many thousands of dollars. Depending upon the need, this may be one of the most dignified ways of handling boxes that must be labeled as human remains.

You can find mortuary associations online that provide information about funeral homes and mortuaries around the world that provide shipping services. Checking online will give you directories of those that are licensed and experienced to do so. There will be specific regulations for shipping and certain rules for recovering the remains. So you must be prepared to deal with different situations at both ends of this part of the final journey.

In terms of finances, you should be ready to pay for everything at the time you contract for services. The provider will not release remains until the bill is paid. This can be stressful, but if you plan ahead, you will not have it come as a total shock.

A good website search will give you funeral homes that are prepared to recover remains from the various airports that will accept them. You want to find the closest airport and funeral home to the final burial spot. This can be difficult, as many airports are now restricting their acceptance of any remains. The best websites allow you to input zip codes, airport codes, and funeral homes to come up with the optimal proximity needed. With persistence, you should be able to complete shipping human remains with love and dignity.


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