International Repatriation
Sending Your Loved One Home
When a loved one passes away in Kenya, returning them to their home country requires compassion, experience, and careful coordination.
Perozie Funeral Services manages every stage of international repatriation, from documentation and embalming to embassy approvals, airline cargo arrangements, customs clearance, and coordination with receiving funeral homes, ensuring a dignified journey home.
Global Reach
We Arrange Repatriation Worldwide
We coordinate the return of loved ones from Kenya to destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East.
No matter where home is, we help your loved one get there with dignity and respect.
Requirements
What Is Required Before International Repatriation?
Every destination country has its own legal requirements for accepting human remains. Perozie coordinates these requirements on behalf of families, but it helps to understand what's typically involved.
Death Certificate
The official Kenyan record confirming death, required before any other documentation can proceed.
Medical Certificate
A doctor's report stating the cause of death, required by both Kenyan authorities and most destination countries.
Passport
Confirms identity and nationality, and is needed to close out records and clear the deceased through customs abroad.
Embalming Certificate
Proof that the body has been prepared to the standard required for international air transport.
Coffin Sealing Certificate
Confirms the coffin has been sealed to airline and destination-country standards before departure.
Export Permit
Authorisation from Kenyan health authorities allowing the remains to leave the country.
Ministry of Health Approval
Kenyan Ministry of Health sign-off confirming the remains meet the standard required for export.
Embassy Documentation
Paperwork from the destination country's embassy or consulate in Kenya confirming the deceased's return is in order.
Consular Approval
Formal consular clearance, required by some countries before the remains can be accepted for import.
Airline Cargo Documentation
Human remains travel as cargo on a confirmed flight, with paperwork matched to the airline's requirements.
Customs Clearance
Kenyan customs must clear the remains for export before they can be loaded for departure.
Import Permit (where required)
Some destination countries require an import permit arranged in advance by the receiving funeral home.
Our Network
Countries We Frequently Coordinate With
We coordinate with airlines, embassies, and receiving funeral directors in the destinations families send loved ones home to most often.
United States+
We coordinate repatriations from Kenya into major US gateway airports, working directly with the airline and the receiving funeral director.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles.
This typically involves:
- Coordination with the airline handling cargo into the destination airport.
- Liaison with the receiving funeral home on arrival.
- Preparation of documentation for US customs and import requirements.
We stay in contact with the receiving funeral director from booking through to arrival.
United Kingdom+
We regularly coordinate repatriations from Kenya to UK cities with large Kenyan communities.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, Milton Keynes.
This typically involves:
- Documentation prepared to UK import standards.
- Coordination with the receiving funeral director on arrival.
- Support with UK customs and airport collection arrangements.
The receiving UK funeral director takes over local arrangements once your loved one arrives.
Australia+
Australia has strict import requirements, and we prepare documentation accordingly before departure from Kenya.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra.
This typically involves:
- Export documentation matched to Australian import requirements.
- Coordination with the receiving funeral home in the destination city.
- Support through Australian customs and quarantine procedures.
We confirm Australia's import requirements early, since they can affect timing more than other destinations.
India+
We coordinate repatriations from Kenya to cities across India, working with the receiving funeral home and Indian authorities on import requirements.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata.
This typically involves:
- Embassy documentation prepared for the Indian High Commission in Nairobi.
- Export permits from Kenyan authorities.
- Airline cargo booking to the destination city.
- Customs clearance on arrival in India.
- Coordination with the receiving funeral home.
- Family collection arranged on arrival.
Our team coordinates with the receiving funeral home and Indian authorities to ensure all import requirements are completed.
United Arab Emirates+
We coordinate repatriations from Kenya to all three emirates.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
This typically involves:
- Export documentation and embassy clearance.
- Airline cargo booking to the destination emirate.
- Coordination with the receiving funeral home on arrival.
We work directly with the receiving provider in the UAE until your loved one arrives.
Qatar+
Doha is one of the destinations we coordinate to most often, given the size of the Kenyan community in Qatar.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: Doha.
This typically involves:
- Export documentation and embassy clearance.
- Airline cargo booking to Doha.
- Coordination with the receiving funeral home on arrival.
We keep the receiving family updated throughout the process.
Saudi Arabia+
We coordinate repatriations from Kenya to Saudi Arabia's major cities, including documentation for the relevant receiving authorities.
Destinations we regularly coordinate to: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, Madinah.
This typically involves:
- Export documentation and embassy clearance.
- Coordination with the relevant receiving authority in Saudi Arabia.
- Airline cargo booking to the destination city.
We explain each documentation step clearly so the family knows what stage the process is at.
Cremated Remains
Sending Cremated Ashes Home
Some families choose cremation before returning their loved one home. Perozie Funeral Services also arranges the international transportation of cremated remains from Kenya to destinations around the world.
Ashes can be transported to:
And anywhere else served by international airlines.
We coordinate:
- Cremation arrangements
- Collection of ashes
- Cremation Certificate
- Death Certificate
- Export Permit
- Embassy Documentation
- Customs
- Airline approvals
- Secure urn preparation
- Delivery to receiving family
The Journey
The Repatriation Journey
From the moment we're contacted to the moment your loved one is reunited with family abroad, here's what the journey involves.
- 1
Passing Occurs
We're contacted and begin coordinating immediately, day or night.
- 2
Hospital Release
The deceased is released from the hospital or place of passing.
- 3
Transfer to Mortuary
Transport to our mortuary partner while documentation begins.
- 4
Professional Embalming
Embalming to the standard required for international air transport.
- 5
Documentation
Death certificate, medical certificate, and passport records are gathered.
- 6
Embassy Approval
The destination country's embassy or consulate in Kenya confirms the return is in order.
- 7
Export Permit
Kenyan health authorities authorise the remains to leave the country.
- 8
Airline Cargo Booking
A confirmed flight is booked, matched to the completed documentation.
- 9
Departure from JKIA
The remains depart Kenya from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
- 10
Arrival at Destination Airport
The flight lands and the remains are collected from cargo handling.
- 11
Receiving Funeral Home
The receiving funeral home takes over local arrangements on arrival.
- 12
Family Collection
The family is notified and reunited with their loved one.
Full Support
How Perozie Helps
- Collection from hospital
- Mortuary coordination
- Embalming
- International coffin preparation
- Embassy approvals
- Government documentation
- Export permits
- Airline cargo booking
- Customs clearance
- Receiving funeral home coordination
- Family updates
Get Started
Begin the Repatriation Process
Share what you know so far. You don't need every detail or document to get started, our team will guide you from here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does repatriation from Kenya cost?+
Cost depends on the destination country, airline cargo rates, embalming, and documentation fees. We give families a clear breakdown once we know the destination.
Can you send a loved one from Kenya to India?+
Yes, we regularly coordinate repatriations from Kenya to cities across India, including embassy documentation and import requirements.
Can ashes be transported internationally?+
Yes, we arrange the international transportation of cremated remains from Kenya to destinations worldwide.
Can you repatriate cremated remains?+
Yes, we handle cremation, secure urn preparation, and all documentation needed to send ashes home.
Can you arrange cremation before repatriation?+
Yes, if the family chooses cremation instead of repatriating the full remains, we coordinate the cremation and the export of the ashes.
Can you help with embassy paperwork?+
Yes, we liaise with the relevant embassy or consulate in Kenya to prepare the documentation required for the destination country.
Which airlines transport human remains?+
Most major international airlines operating from Nairobi accept human remains as cargo. We handle the booking once documentation is complete.
How long does repatriation take?+
Most repatriations take between five and fourteen days from first contact to departure, depending on how quickly documentation and embassy approvals are issued.
Can you coordinate with overseas funeral homes?+
Yes, we work directly with the receiving funeral home at the destination until your loved one arrives.
Can you arrange customs clearance?+
Yes, we handle Kenyan export customs clearance before departure, and coordinate with the receiving side on import clearance.
Can families track the process?+
Yes, our coordinator keeps the family updated at each stage, from documentation through to departure and arrival.
Which countries do you serve?+
We coordinate repatriations to destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, including India, the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, and the Gulf region.
What documents are required to send a loved one home?+
Typically a death certificate, medical certificate, passport, embalming certificate, and export permit, alongside embassy documentation specific to the destination country.
Do you handle the coffin sealing certificate?+
Yes, we coordinate coffin sealing to airline and destination-country standards as part of the preparation process.
Can you repatriate a foreign national who passed away in Kenya?+
Yes, we assist expatriates, diplomats, tourists, and foreign residents whose families need to send them home from Kenya.
Do you work with embassies and international organisations?+
Yes, we regularly coordinate with embassies, international organisations, NGOs, and international schools on repatriation cases.
What happens if the destination country requires an import permit?+
We coordinate with the receiving funeral home to arrange the import permit in advance, where the destination requires one.
Can ashes be sent by courier instead of accompanied?+
Ashes are typically sent as accompanied or airline cargo with full documentation, since most countries require formal customs clearance rather than courier shipment.
Do you provide a cremation certificate for cremated remains?+
Yes, a cremation certificate is issued and included with the documentation sent alongside the ashes.
Can you start the process before all documents are ready?+
Yes, you can begin the request with what you have. Our international repatriation specialists will guide you through the remaining requirements.
Related services
Need Immediate Assistance?
Our international repatriation specialists are available 24 hours a day to help families return their loved ones, or their cremated remains, to their home country with dignity, care, and compassion.