What to Do When a Citizen of United States Dies in Dominican Republic: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Certification of Death and Forensic Examination in the Dominican Republic

   • Death from natural causes in a clinic or hospital: If the death occurs under medical care at a healthcare facility (for example in Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Punta Cana, or Puerto Plata), the attending physician issues the Medical Certificate of Death (Certificado Médico de Defunción / declaración médica de defunción) certifying the cause of death [1][3].
   • Death in a hotel, residence, or public place, or international repatriation of the body: If the deceased dies outside a hospital or in a tourist area, immediately call the National Emergency and Security System 911, the National Police (Policía Nacional), or the Central Directorate of Tourism Police (POLITUR) [1]. Under Dominican law, the body may not be moved or removed without authorization from the Medical Examiner (Médico Legista) and the Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Público) [1]. Furthermore, Dominican law requires a medico-legal autopsy performed by a forensic pathologist of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses (National Institute of Forensic Sciences - INACIF) both for unnatural or sudden deaths and in every case where a body is to be repatriated outside the Dominican Republic [1][2].
2. 2

   Travel Insurance, Appointing Licensed Funeral Directors, and Consular Notification

   • Checking travel or repatriation insurance: Before taking on independent financial commitments, verify whether your family member had travel insurance, international medical assistance, or credit card coverage. If an active policy exists, contact the insurer's assistance center immediately so it can coordinate and cover the funeral and repatriation expenses.
   • Appointing a funeral home in the Dominican Republic and in the United States: The family must appoint a licensed funeral home (funeraria autorizada) in the Dominican Republic experienced in international repatriations and embalming to claim the body from the hospital or the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses, obtain local certificates and sanitary permits, and coordinate air transport [1][2]. If the body will be repatriated to the United States, the Dominican funeral home must coordinate with a licensed receiving funeral home in the destination U.S. state; you can consult the directory of the National Funeral Directors Association to locate accredited providers [7]. In the United States, the federal FTC Funeral Rule enforced by the Federal Trade Commission guarantees families the right to receive an itemized General Price List over the phone or in person and to purchase only the specific goods and services desired [6]. Clarvia provides references to official directories for guidance only and does not endorse, recommend, or rank commercial providers.
   • Notifying the U.S. consular mission: Report the death as soon as possible to the American Citizens Services unit of the Embajada de los Estados Unidos en la República Dominicana (U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic) in Santo Domingo by calling (809) 567-7775 (dial 0 for the emergency duty officer) or emailing [email protected] (consular agencies also operate in Punta Cana and Puerto Plata) [1]. The embassy verifies U.S. citizenship, provides guidance on local funeral homes, issues the consular mortuary certificate for shipment, and prepares the consular report of death; however, the U.S. government does not pay for funeral or repatriation expenses [1][5].
3. 3

   Dominican Civil Registration, Hague Apostille, and U.S. Consular Report

   • Registration with the Junta Central Electoral (JCE): With the Medical Certificate of Death (or forensic certification) and the deceased's passport or identity document, the death declaration must be filed at the Civil Registry Office (Oficialía del Estado Civil) of the Junta Central Electoral (Central Electoral Board) for the district where the death occurred (or at JCE offices located inside healthcare centers) within the 60-day period established by Law 4-23 [3]. Under Resolution 9-2025 of the Junta Central Electoral, civil status certificates are now issued in a single unified standard Death Certificate format (Acta de Defunción, replacing the former distinction between extracto and in extensa) valid for both domestic and international procedures [3].
   • Apostille from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX): For the Dominican Acta de Defunción to have direct legal effect in the United States (and for the consular file), it must first be validated at the central headquarters of the Junta Central Electoral and then apostilled online through the digital services portal of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic - MIREX) [4].
   • Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA): Once the Dominican Acta de Defunción is obtained, the Embajada de los Estados Unidos en la República Dominicana issues the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (CRODA, Form DS-2060) in English [1][5]. This official document is required by banks, insurance companies, pension agencies, and Probate Courts in the United States; additional copies can subsequently be ordered from the U.S. Department of State [5].
4. 4

   International Repatriation of Remains or Ashes vs. Local Burial or Cremation

   • Repatriation of the body (coffin) to the United States: To transport the uncremated body to the United States, the Dominican funeral home obtains the sanitary corpse transit permit from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social - MISPAS), the autopsy report from the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses, the embalming certificate, the certificate of sealing inside a hermetic casket, and the consular mortuary documentation from the Embajada de los Estados Unidos en la República Dominicana [1][2]. For entry into U.S. territory, regulation 42 CFR 71.55 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires that human remains travel in a leak-proof container, accompanied by the official death certificate or a statement confirming the absence of quarantinable communicable diseases, and consigned directly to a licensed funeral home, cemetery, or crematory in the United States [8]. Following clearance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the arrival airport, the receiving funeral home secures the state burial-transit permit.
   • Repatriation of cremated ashes to the United States: If the family chooses cremation in the Dominican Republic (with family and forensic authorization), transporting the ashes to the United States is simpler and less costly. The ashes must be carried in a non-metallic urn suitable for X-ray security screening, accompanied by the Acta de Defunción, the cremation certificate (certificado de cremación), and the consular certificate or an English translation [1][8].
   • Local burial or cremation in the Dominican Republic: If the family decides on final burial or cremation in the Dominican Republic, the local funeral home obtains the municipal permits from the corresponding city hall (ayuntamiento) and sanitary authorization from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance [1].
5. 5

   Survivor Pensions, Taxes, and Estate Administration in the United States and the Dominican Republic

   • Benefits, taxes, and probate in the United States:
     • Social Security (SSA): Report the death to the Social Security Administration by calling 1-800-772-1213 (or through the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo) to stop improper monthly payments and apply for survivor benefits or the lump-sum death payment [9].
     • Veterans (VA): If your family member served in the U.S. Armed Forces, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding burial rights in national cemeteries, headstones, or funeral allowances [11].
     • Federal taxes (IRS) and state probate: The personal representative or family member handling the estate must file the final federal income tax return (Form 1040) with the Internal Revenue Service no later than April 15 of the year following death [10]. Bank accounts and property in the United States without a designated beneficiary are settled through probate before the competent Probate Court in the relevant U.S. state and county.
   • Inheritance tax and pensions in the Dominican Republic:
     • Sworn Inheritance Tax Return (DGII): If the deceased held bank accounts, real estate, or other assets in the Dominican Republic, the heirs or legatees must file the Sworn Inheritance Return (Declaración Jurada de Sucesiones, Form FSD-1) with the Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (Directorate General of Internal Taxes - DGII) within ninety (90) calendar days after the date of death, subject to a general tax rate of 3% on the net estate after deducting documented funeral expenses and debts [12].
     • Pensions (SIPEN / AFP): If your family member contributed to or was a pensioner under the Dominican Social Security System (Law 87-01), the legal beneficiaries must submit the Acta de Defunción to the corresponding Pension Fund Administrator (Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones - AFP), under the supervision of the Superintendencia de Pensiones (Superintendency of Pensions - SIPEN), to claim a survivor pension (pensión de sobrevivencia) or the return of accumulated account balances as applicable [13].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Consular Services and Death of a U.S. Citizen in the Dominican Republic — U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic
2. [2]
   National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) - Forensic Services — Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana
3. [3]
   Unification of Civil Status Certificates and Death Registration (Resolution 9-2025) — Junta Central Electoral (JCE)
4. [4]
   Online Apostille and Document Legalization — Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX)
5. [5]
   Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (CRODA) — U.S. Department of State
6. [6]
   Shopping for Funeral Services and the FTC Funeral Rule — Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
7. [7]
   Family Resources and Funeral Home Directory (Remembering A Life) — National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
8. [8]
   42 CFR 71.55 - Importation of Human Remains into the United States — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / eCFR
9. [9]
   What to Do When Someone Dies - Survivor Benefits — Social Security Administration (SSA)
10. [10]
    Filing the Final Federal Income Tax Returns of a Deceased Person — Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
11. [11]
    Burial Benefits and Memorial Items for Veterans — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
12. [12]
    Sworn Inheritance Return (Declaración Jurada de Sucesiones) and Inheritance Tax — Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII)
13. [13]
    Survivor Pension and Death Benefits — Superintendencia de Pensiones (SIPEN)