shipping human remains is becoming more of a necessity. It is common for the deceased to have made burial arrangements in another area, or even in another country. Sometimes, it is simply the family members that wish to have the burial closer to home. There are rules and regulations that govern the transport of human bodies and ashes. You should plan for this before it is likely to be needed, when possible. Here are the things you should know.
If you have yet to choose a mortuary or funeral home to help you ship the remains of your family member, then you should know that many are licensed to transport the remains. They are often very knowledgeable concerning the appropriate documentation that you will need. You may certainly rely upon the mortuary to deal with all these arrangements for you. But you should also know that there are shipping companies who do only this kind of transport, and they are experts at helping you to save money doing it.
Most people think that they must rely on the airlines to move any remains. It is true that several major airlines will indeed ship caskets and urns. But each airline has its own rules for doing so. One standard rule for all of them, is that you must provide a death certificate that indicates the cause of death for the human that must be shipped. Another standard requirement is that any container used must be totally sealed.
Quite honestly, funeral professionals usually ship cremated remains through the United States Postal Service. The remains are sent as registered mail and clearly labeled as human. It is totally prohibited, however, to ship any kind of remains using an express delivery carrier. One option that may be more inviting is to charter a private airplane. There are private services that specialize in this type of transport, and do focus on compassionate and solemn handling of the remains.
You can find online mortuary associations that provide information for anyone seeking to ship remains. The websites provide information searches for free that allow you to pair up airports with close funeral homes using zip codes as identifiers. They also give access to professionals that can help you to deal with the myriad rules and regulations that affect the shipping process at both ends. This is particularly useful when dealing with international transports.
Knowing in advance that you must pay for any shipping services at the time you enter a contract will help you to prepare. You must know that the funeral home or mortuary will not release any remains until your bill has been cleared. This is the last thing you want to have on your mind at such a difficult time, but it is a fact of life that must be dealt with properly.
One useful tool that you should consider is a website search to find the closest airport to the funeral home that will receive the remains. Combining this search with a search for the zip code where you need service is a good idea. You can also search to find the closest funeral home to the airport where the loved one will be recovered. The best sites offer several searches to help you find the best combination possible. Shipping human remains is a heartfelt duty, but it does not need to be difficult.
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