Death of U.S. Citizens in Guatemala

When a U.S. citizen dies abroad, a consular officer notifies the deceased's family and informs them about options and costs for disposition of the remains (PDF, 32.16KB). Costs for preparing and returning the body to the U.S. must be paid by the family.

If a relative of the deceased U.S. citizen is in Guatemala, the following documents should be brought to the U.S. Embassy:

• The original death certificate from the Guatemalan Civil Registry,
• The deceased's social security card number,
• And his/her passport to the America Citizen Services Unit of the Embassy.

A Consul prepares a Report of Death based on the Guatemalan death certificate, which is then forwarded to the next-of-kin for use in estate and insurance matters. Six copies of the Report of Death of an American citizen abroad will be given to the family. The original Report will be sent to Washington, where additional copies will be available for a $10 fee.