Death of an American Citizen Abroad
Report of Deaths Abroad
When an American citizen dies abroad, a consular officer notifies the American's next of kin and works with family members to resolve practical problems arising from the death. Consular officers can assist family members in returning the deceafsed's remains to the United States but costs may be high and must be paid by the family. Consular officers also can act to protect the property and personal estate of a deceased American, until such property can be turned over to the next of kin (NOK).
The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb stands ready to assist in the event of death of an American citizen in Croatia. Our assistance includes notifying the next-of-kin of the deceased, helping with burial or transportation arrangements, providing of addresses of local funeral homes and local offices, explaining a procedure for obtaining a Croatian death certificate from local authorities and producing an official record of the death which can be used in the United States.
Official Record of Death
One of the first steps in obtaining a Consular Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad is to obtain a Croatian death certificate. The Consular section prepares and issues a Report of Death of American Citizen Abroad in such cases. This form is often required for estate and insurance purposes.
Obtaining a Croatian Death Certificate (Izvadak iz matice umrlih, Smrtni list)
If death occurs in a hospital, the hospital automatically forwards the doctor's report on cause of death (Potvrda o smrti-Izvjesce o uzroku smrti) to the Croatian Registry Office of Vital Statistics (Maticni Ured). If death does not occur in a hospital, a coroner's certificate (Dozvola za sahranu umrle osobe) is delivered to the Maticni Ured in the district in which the death occurred. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb can contact a local funeral home or undertaker, or "Maticni ured" to obtain the Croatian death certificate and process the necessary paperwork on behalf of the next of kin.
If cause of death cannot be readily determined or appears to be accidental, the coroner has the authority to order an autopsy. Under Croatian law, an autopsy may be performed without the consent of the next-of-kin of the deceased. Autopsies may take four (or more) working days. Depending on the results of the autopsy, the case may then be forwarded to legal authorities who might decide to investigate further before a coroner's certificate is issued.
Note: NOK or an authorized person should contact the hospital and a doctor immediately if there are specific reasons for autopsy not to be performed.
Disposition of Remains
The next-of-kin has three options:
- local internment,
- cremation, or
- shipment of the remains or urn with ashes to the United States.
Costs for preparation, burial in Croatia, cremation and shipment to the U.S. are approximately as follows:
- Local internment/burial - $3,500.00 (or more, depending upon cemetery location)
- Local cremation and shipment - $2,000.00 (or more, depending upon services and location)
- Shipment to the U.S. - $3,500 to $8,500 (or more, depending on destination)
- Embalming - $4,500 (paid at a hospital)
Responsibility for decisions regarding disposition of remains and the costs, rests with the next-of-kin or legal representative of the deceased. The embassy is not able to provide any financial assistance but can facilitate the transfer of funds from the United States.
Most Croatian undertakers or funeral homes require payment in advance. Money can be transferred from the U.S. using private companies, such as Western Union, or via the Department of State's OCS/TRUST system or directly transferred to a local funeral home bank account in Croatia.
Information on money transfers is available on:
If next-of-kin or legal representative of a deceased decides to transport the remains for burial in the U.S., a Croatian funeral home or undertaker must prepare the remains as required for air transportation. Please note, however, that preparation of the remains for air transport does not necessarily mean that the remains will be suitable for viewing by relatives upon arrival in the United States. Again, the Consular section cannot pay for these services but can assist the next-of-kin in coordinating transportation of remains.
After preparing the remains, the funeral home or undertaker presents the required documentation, including the Croatian death certificate, transit permit for the remains (Ministarstvo zdravlja - Sprovodnica za prijenos umrle osobe), and the police permit (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova-Suglasnost za prijenos posmrtnih ostataka) to the Consular Section, which then prepares the Consular Mortuary Certificate and the Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad. These documents, plus the cancelled passport of the deceased, are returned to the funeral home representative who then delivers the remains and paperwork to the airport for transportation to the United States.
List of funeral homes in Croatia (PDF 417 KB)
Croatia Disposition of Remains Report (PDF 391 KB)
Consular officers cannot act as lawyers, tax advisors, investigators, banks, law enforcement officers, or travel agents. Please do not expect them to find you employment, get you residence or driving permits, act as interpreters, search for missing luggage, or help you settle disputes with hotel managers. They can, however, tell you how to get help with these and other matters.