oladulce
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US Citizen Death Abroad- Procedures? Tips?
My Pop has sailed away from his fight with cancer at his home in Guatemala. My brother was with him and is trying to handle things from the remote
area where they live on the Rio Dulce which is only accessible by boat. My brother speaks little Spanish and is handling things like a champ,
considering the challenges.
I'm trying to help from here in Baja Sur. He emailed me a form which appears to be the certificate of death completed by the doctor who pronounced
him. It's in Spanish of course, and another challenge will be for me to obtain an "original" copy of this document. There won't be any any beneficiary
or financial benefits to claim in the US but I'm sure I need to notify PERs and social security so they can stop his monthly deposits.
Will I need an original copy of the death certificate for this type of notification and where would I go to get an official English translation if
they require it?
My brother has heard horror stories/rumors about people reporting a death to the US embassy in Guatemala and being charged $$$, so he's hesitant to go
there. I don't know why they would charge anything to report a death so imagine there were other details involved.
Any experiences or online resources would be appreciated.
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wetto
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My Mother passed away in Amsterdam in the mid 80s.
The US Embassy was great. They did all the work, called me with options of what to do with the body and mailed me all the information I needed.
Copy's of death certificates work fine for all agency's and creditors. There was no charge from the Embassy / Consulate (other than our tax dollars)
I would suggest looking into that option.
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Mula
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The US Embassy/Consulate is the only legal way to proceed.
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durrelllrobert
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mula
The US Embassy/Consulate is the only legal way to proceed. |
Don't bother notifying Social Security. My wife notified them and sent copy of death certificate for her last significant other before we were married
5+ years ago and they are still sending monthly payments to his direct deposit bank account. Unfortunately she has no withdrawal access for that
account.
Bob Durrell
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Rumple
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Yes, you'll need to notify the consulate. I live in Baja Norte and I emailed the TJ consulate to ask for driving directions and to make an
appointment to see them. They advised that all I needed to do was send the death certificate via an email attachment. I did that and about 10 days
later I received 10 copies of a form titled something like "American Citizen Dying Abroad." That's what is used as a death certificate in the USA.
There was no charge. Also, there is no need for you to notify Social Security or banks in the US. The generation of this form took care of all that
automatically.
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bajaguy
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Veteran Status
The Embassy/Consulate will also coordinate with the VA for any benefits/paperwork
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oladulce
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The expat's horror stories about "thousands of dollars charged by the US embassy in Guatemala" must have had to do with paying for transport of the
body back to the US. That won't be an issue since my Pop's ashes are going back to the Rio he loved. We'll contact the embassy to obtain the documents
and guidance. Thanks
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Ateo
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I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I wish you luck with the paperwork.
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BajaBlanca
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So sorry for your loss Oladulce. May your dad RIP and may all go smoothly for your brother.
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J.P.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oladulce
The expat's horror stories about "thousands of dollars charged by the US embassy in Guatemala" must have had to do with paying for transport of the
body back to the US. That won't be an issue since my Pop's ashes are going back to the Rio he loved. We'll contact the embassy to obtain the documents
and guidance. Thanks |
Several years ago my Wife died in Ensenada we had her cremated and when I notified our bank in the us where she had a account the bank notified
Social Security
All and all it was a very easy process.
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Islandbuilder
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I'm sorry for your loss. I hope that the legal stuff can be dealt with easily and without complications.
Hopefully you and your brother will have a chance to spend some time together when the administrative stuff is done and be family for a while.
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bajajudy
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When my father in law passed away last year, the consul issued notarized death certificates from the local one. All of the agencies wanted one of
these for proof.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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so sorry for your loss as well and hope all goes smoothly for you.
When surfdoc died here, we asked for and received 3 original copies of the death certificate just to have them on hand. Another tip was that one
should never move the body until the federal police show up to "investigate". Make sure you get lots of copies of everything.
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gorv
Newbie
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I helped a good friend thru the process in La Paz 2 years ago when her husband suddenly passed away. The best call we made was to the US Consulate.
The folks at the offices in Tijuana and San Jose were so helpful talking us thru every step of the process, from the police investigation and autopsy
to the cremation and death certificate. And were available to help translate when our spanish wasn't up to the task. Every time we contacted the
office someone immediately answered the phone and was aware of our situation. They always inquired about how my friend was coping and about needs of
family travelling to La Paz. I don't know how we would have managed without them. For anyone who finds themselves in this unfortunate situation, my
advice is contact the Consulate asap and there were absolutely no costs related to their assistance.
I am sorry for your loss. Good luck with the process.
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
... Another tip was that one should never move the body until the federal police show up to "investigate"... |
Really important info Shari, thanks.
All my Dad's doctors and medical care had been in Guatemala City and there were no local records of his medical condition. Luckily my brother was
advised to have a local doctor collect a record of his history and condition so when when he passed there wouldn't be any suggestion of "suspicious
circumstances". The doctor came to the house and performed an exam 2 days before he died. When the time came, they called him and he did the
pronouncement and notified the other authorities.
Can't imagine dealing with the grief and the language barrier AND being considered a suspect in an unfamiliar country.
Thank to all for your thoughts and helpful info.
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