AMERICAN CITIZENS SERVICES

Deaths of U.S. Citizens Overseas

When a U.S. citizen dies abroad, a consular officer can:

• locate and inform the next-of-kin;
• provide information to grieving family members on how to make arrangements for local burial or return of the remains to the United States;
• prepare an official Consular Report of Death, based upon the local death certificate, and send it to the next-of-kin or legal representative for use in U.S. courts to settle estate matters; and
• take temporary possession of the deceased’s personal effects, if the deceased has no legal representative or family in Nicaragua.

Costs for preparing and returning the body to the United States must be paid by next of kin or a legal representative.

Nicaraguan Laws & General Fees

Nicaraguan law requires disposition of remains (either cremation or burial) within 24 hours unless the remains are to be shipped outside the country or embalmed.  The following paragraphs explain the options you have for making your decisions.

The cost for preparation and burial in Managua, Nicaragua is approximately $3,800.00 dollars.

Should you decide to have the remains returned to the United States for burial, the costs would be substantially greater due to the high cost of air freight and embalming.

The cost for preparation of remains for shipment to the United States is approximately $5,000.00 dollars, which generally does not include tax.  The cost for air freight shipment is dependent on where the body will be shipped. 

The total cost for preparation, cremation and air shipment of ashes to the United States is approximately $3,500.00 dollars.

Preparation and air shipment are carried out in accordance with the laws of and facilities available in Nicaragua.  In some cases, the services fall short of those expected in the United States.  We recommend that you ask your hometown funeral director to determine the advisability of viewing the remains.

Funeral Homes
While there are many small funeral homes in Managua and other cities in Nicaragua, the three funeral homes listed below are able to handle emergency cases in most areas of the country.  

The Embassy assumes no responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the funeral homes whose names appear on this list. The names of the funeral homes are arranged alphabetically and the order in which they appear has no other significance.  
 
Don Bosco Funeral Home                             
Guillermo Castillo, Manager
Ph: (505) 278-6034
Fax: (505) 278-6035
E-Mail: gcm@donboscocorp.com

La Católica y La Auxiliadora Funeral Home (only local funerals)
Richard Rapoza, Manager
Ph: (505) 248-3282
Fax: (505) 249-3476
E-Mail: catolica_auxiliadora@hotmail.com

Monte de Los Olivos Funeral Home
Roberto Cardenal, Manager
Ph: (505) 278-0217
Fax: (505) 278-4205
E-Mail: montedelosolivos@cablenet.com.ni


The Nicaraguan Death Certificate and Consular Report of Death

The consular "Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad” is a report that provides the essential facts concerning the death of a U.S. citizen, disposition of remains, and custody of the personal effects of a deceased citizen. This form is generally used in legal proceedings in the United States in lieu of the foreign death certificate. The Report of Death is based on the foreign death certificate, and cannot be completed until the Nicaraguan death certificate has been registered and issued by the Civil Registry of the municipality where the death took place.

To register the death of a U.S. citizen in Nicaragua, you or your legal agent (the Nicaraguan funeral home, for example) will need to do the following:

Register the Death Certificate issued by the Ministry of Health with the Civil Registry (City Hall).

Submit the following documents to the Consular Section between 1:00 and 3:00 PM, any day the Embassy is open:

• Copy of Death Certificate issued by the Ministry of Health
• Original, Registered Death Certificate issued by the Civil Registry
• Deceased U.S. Citizen’s Passport and Social Security Card

This Consular Section will issue six original official reports of death for family members and will send copies to the Department of State, the Social Security Administration and Veterans Administration, if applicable.


Personal Estates of Deceased U.S. Citizens

If the deceased has no legal representative or relative in Nicaragua, a consular officer may take temporary possession of the deceased’s personal effects.  It is generally best for next of kin and/or a legal representative to travel to Nicaragua to dispose of the estate.  In some cases, next of kin may choose to consult with a Nicaraguan attorney. 

For general information on reporting the death of a U.S. Citizen overseas, click here.