The death of an American citizen abroad should be reported as soon as possible to the nearest American consular office. The consular officer notifies the deceased's family and informs them about options and costs for disposition of remains. Costs for preparing and returning a body to the US may be high and must be paid by the family. Local laws and procedures make returning a body to the US for burial a lengthy process.

 

A consular officer can prepares a Report of Death based on the local death certificate, a medical certificate attesting to the cause of death, a US passport(s) for cancellation, and a social security number if the person received social security benefits. The Report of Death is an official record forwarded to the next of kin for use in estate and insurance matters.

A consular officer is also empowered to become the provisional executor of the estate of a deceased American citizen should this be necessary.