How to Get and Use Form DS-2060: Consular Report of Death Abroad

Form DS-2060, the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad, is prepared by a consular officer at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate after a citizen or non-citizen national dies in a foreign country. It is the official U.S. federal record of that death and carries the same legal weight as a domestic death certificate for banks, insurers, probate courts, and federal agencies. The next of kin or a legal representative starts the process by delivering a local death certificate and proof of citizenship to the consulate, and the first batch of certified copies is issued free of charge.

What to Bring to the Consulate

The consular officer cannot prepare the DS-2060 without a local death certificate or an equivalent finding of death from a competent local authority. That foreign-issued certificate is the single most important document in the process. If it is in a language other than English, you will need a translation, both for the consulate’s review and for later use by U.S. Customs and Border Protection if you ship remains home.¹

Gather the following before your appointment:

Proof of U.S. citizenship. The deceased’s U.S. passport is the most straightforward evidence. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship also works.
Full legal name as it appears on government-issued identification.
Date and place of birth.
Social Security number.
Plans for disposition of the remains: local burial, cremation, or shipment back to the United States.

Every entry on the DS-2060 is cross-referenced against these records, so flag any discrepancies — a misspelled name on the local certificate, for instance — to the consular officer immediately. The form itself has fields for the deceased’s name, SSN, date and place of birth, and evidence of citizenship.²

How the Consulate Prepares the Report

When a consular officer learns of the death of a U.S. citizen or non-citizen national in their district, the officer is required by regulation to report it to the Department of State and to notify or help notify the next of kin as soon as possible.³ In practice, a local hospital, police department, or funeral home often alerts the embassy first, and the consulate then contacts the family.

The consular officer, not the family, fills out and signs the DS-2060. Your job is to supply the documents and biographical details above and to confirm the information before the officer finalizes the report. The cause of death is entered exactly as it appears on the local death certificate.⁴ You cannot request a different cause of death or override the local medical findings.

One boundary worth knowing: the consulate does not prepare a DS-2060 for active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Those deaths are documented through Department of Defense channels.⁴

When No Body Is Recovered

If a U.S. citizen disappears abroad under circumstances that suggest death but no local authority will issue a death certificate, such as a boating accident with no recovered body, the Department of State can authorize a consular report of presumptive death. The consular officer cannot issue this alone. Authorization has to come from the Department in Washington.⁵

Getting Your Certified Copies

Once the DS-2060 is finalized, the original goes to the Vital Records Section of Passport Services at the Department of State. The consular officer must give a certified copy to the next of kin or legal representative within six months of the death.⁴ If there are several surviving next of kin, each one can receive a copy. The consulate can issue up to 20 copies at the time the original is prepared, and all copies issued then are free.⁶

Ask for as many of those 20 free copies as you think you will possibly need. Banks, insurers, and probate courts each tend to want their own certified copy, and ordering replacements later costs money and takes time.

The Electronic Version

Many consulates now issue an electronic version called the e-CRODA, a PDF carrying the consular officer’s digital signature and the embassy’s digital seal. The consulate can email it directly to you and to other legal entities such as insurance companies, which is much faster than mailing paper copies internationally.⁷ You can print as many copies of the e-CRODA as you need. Keep the original PDF stored safely so you can print more later.

Ordering More Copies After the Fact

If you need more certified copies after the initial batch, request them from the Department of State’s Passport Vital Records Section. The process runs by mail and costs $50 per copy.⁸ Only reports filed in 1975 or later are available this way.

You will need to:

Complete Form DS-5542, fill it out by computer or in black ink, and sign it in front of a notary public.
Include a photocopy of the front and back of a valid driver’s license, passport, military ID, or other government-issued photo ID.
Pay $50 per copy by check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State,” in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank.

Mail everything to the Passport Vital Records Section at PO Box 1213, Sterling, VA 20166-1213. Standard First Class delivery runs one to two weeks at no extra charge. Expedited domestic delivery costs an additional $22.05. Requesters living abroad have their copies routed to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for pickup.⁸

Bringing the Remains Home

The Department of State cannot pay to return a citizen’s remains or ashes. Consular officers can help you coordinate with local funeral directors and send private funds to cover shipment costs.⁹ Total cost varies widely by country, distance, and whether the remains are embalmed or cremated, and it is generally a significant expense.

Four documents are usually required to ship remains into the United States:

A consular mortuary certificate, prepared by the consular officer, that covers customs and transit.
The local death certificate, authenticated under local law, with an English translation if it is not already in English.
An affidavit from a local funeral director confirming that only the remains, clothing, and packing materials are in the casket, and that the remains have been embalmed or otherwise prepared.
A transit permit issued by local health authorities at the port of departure, listing identifying details and cause of death.

Under CDC regulations, human remains imported for burial, entombment, or cremation must be consigned directly to a licensed mortuary, cemetery, or crematory. Unembalmed remains must be accompanied by a death certificate confirming the cause of death is not a quarantinable communicable disease, and must be shipped in a leak-proof container.¹⁰ CBP officers at the port of entry examine the paperwork and may hold the casket and contact a CDC quarantine station if anything is missing or inconsistent.¹

Cremated remains are simpler. CBP does not require documentation for ashes that were cremated before entering the United States. If you plan to carry an urn on a flight, use a container made of wood, plastic, or another material that will pass through an X-ray machine. Metal urns get flagged at airport security and may not be allowed through the checkpoint.

Using the DS-2060 Back Home

The Consular Report of Death Abroad is generally accepted anywhere a U.S. death certificate would be. Banks, life insurance companies, retirement plan administrators, and probate courts all recognize it as proof of death for closing accounts, paying claims, and settling estates.⁷ Probate filing fees vary by jurisdiction, so check with the court in the county where the deceased was domiciled.

Notifying Social Security

If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, report the death as soon as possible to stop payments and avoid overpayment recovery issues later. For deaths abroad, contact the nearest Federal Benefits Unit, typically located at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.¹¹ Surviving spouses and dependents may be eligible for survivor benefits, and the SSA can walk you through that at the same time.

The Final Tax Return

A final federal income tax return is due for the year the person died, covering income earned from January 1 through the date of death. The deadline is the same as any other return, typically April 15 of the following year. The surviving spouse, executor, or personal representative prepares and signs it. On a paper return, write “deceased,” the person’s name, and the date of death across the top.¹²

If a refund is owed and no surviving spouse or court-appointed representative is filing, attach Form 1310, Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer, to claim it. The IRS does not require a copy of the death certificate with the return, though a court-appointed representative should include a copy of the court appointment document.¹²

One Warning About Accuracy

Every piece of information on the DS-2060 feeds into a federal record. Providing false or misleading information to the consulate, whether about the deceased’s identity, citizenship, or the circumstances of the death, can result in fines or up to five years in federal prison under the general false-statements statute.¹³

1
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. What Is the Process for Bringing Bodies in Coffins/Ashes in Urns Into the United States?
2
U.S. Department of State. Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad
3
eCFR. 22 CFR 72.2 – Consular Responsibility
4
eCFR. 22 CFR 72.5 – Final Report of Death
5
eCFR. 22 CFR 72.6 – Report of Presumptive Death
6
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 7 FAM 270 Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad
7
U.S. Department of State. Death
8
U.S. Department of State. How to Request a Copy of a Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA)
9
U.S. Department of State. Death Abroad
10
eCFR. 42 CFR 71.55
11
Social Security Administration. What to Do When Someone Dies
12
Internal Revenue Service. Filing a Final Federal Tax Return for Someone Who Has Died
13
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally