Note on this page: This guide covers a sensitive, time-critical procedure. Where MINEX has published exact text we quote it verbatim. Where only press reporting is available, we say who reported it and when. MINEX publishes no cost schedule, so every cost figure here is a reported figure with its date. If you are reading this in an emergency, call the nearest Guatemalan consulate first (directory at our consulate finder). This page is informational and does not replace direct contact with MINEX.
Re-sourced 8 October 2026: every claim was re-checked against its source. Corrections: the phone number this page gave for CONAMIGUA was the tramites.gob.gt portal’s own footer contact, not CONAMIGUA’s, so it was removed. The regional cost figures are MINEX’s, as reported by Prensa Libre in June 2016, not a funeral director’s. The Q180,000 figure was a family’s quote, not money already spent. The rule that you must call the consulate covering the state where the death occurred had no source; MINEX says to contact the nearest consulate. An unsourced day-by-day timeline and an unsourced list of “highest-volume” consulates were removed.
When a Guatemalan dies in the United States, MINEX’s Repatriaciones page tells the family to contact the nearest Guatemalan consulate, which reviews the documents and decides whether the request qualifies for the repatriation fund. That fund is for relatives who died abroad in an irregular migration status. MINEX told Con Criterio in March 2025 that the aid starts at US$1,000 and is paid directly to the contracted funeral homes. The body arrives at Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora (Guatemala City). From there, CONAMIGUA offers transport to the family’s community of origin at Q0 (tramites.gob.gt service 688, 12 business days).
In short: Contact the nearest Guatemalan consulate (MINEX). The repatriation fund covers relatives who died abroad in an irregular migration status; MINEX told Con Criterio (28 March 2025) that the aid starts at US$1,000, paid to the funeral home. CONAMIGUA moves the body from La Aurora to the community of origin at Q0 (tramites.gob.gt service 688, 12 business days, with a socioeconomic study). Total costs per region that MINEX gave Prensa Libre in June 2016: about US$2,500 (California) to US$4,000-5,500 (northern Mexico border). A private site gave US$6,000-8,000 in 2026.
What MINEX covers
Per the official MINEX FAQ on services in the exterior (minex.gob.gt/din/30-preguntas-frecuentes, re-read 2026-09-23), one of the listed services is:
“Asistencia para repatriación de guatemaltecos fallecidos o en situación de alta vulnerabilidad” — Assistance with repatriation of Guatemalans who have died or are in a situation of high vulnerability.
Correction, 23 September 2026. An earlier version of this page quoted this FAQ item with different wording, from a May 2026 capture. The quote above is the live wording as of September 23, 2026.
MINEX’s Repatriaciones service page (minex.gob.gt/din/21-repatriaciones, read 23 September 2026) sets the condition for economic help: “Si un familiar suyo ha fallecido en el extranjero y se encuentra en situación migratoria irregular, puede solicitar asistencia económica para la repatriación de los restos mortales”, and the nearest consulate “revisará la documentación y evaluará si la solicitud aplica para el fondo de repatriación”. It publishes no amount.
The same FAQ says MINEX’s Dirección de Asuntos Consulares is the unit that oversees and coordinates the work of the consular missions abroad.
Costs
| Item | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| MINEX repatriation fund | From US$1,000, paid directly to the contracted funeral homes; each case is different | MINEX, as reported by Con Criterio, 28 March 2025 |
| Total, Texas | US$2,700 to US$3,500 | MINEX, as reported by Prensa Libre, 20 June 2016 |
| Total, California | About US$2,500 | MINEX via Prensa Libre, 2016 |
| Total, New York, Maryland and Atlanta | US$4,000 | MINEX via Prensa Libre, 2016 |
| Total, northern Mexico border | US$4,000 to US$5,500 | MINEX via Prensa Libre, 2016 |
| One Chicago funeral home’s repatriation service | About US$5,500, plus US$2,000 for the airline transport | Mariella Treviño, Treviño Funeral Services, quoted by Prensa Libre, 2016 |
| Total, private third-party site | US$6,000 to US$8,000; it says consulates had a US$1,000 aid fund as of 2020 | citasconsuladodeguatemala.us (private site, not a MINEX publication), read 3 October 2026 |
| CONAMIGUA domestic transport (La Aurora to community of origin) | Q0 | tramites.gob.gt service 688, read 8 October 2026 |
Important framing: MINEX publishes no schedule of repatriation costs. The regional totals above are ten years old. Prensa Libre listed what drives the cost: whether the body travels in a coffin (which must be hermetically sealed), transport to the nearest airport, administrative, medical and funeral costs, embalming or special treatment of the body, and the cause, circumstances and place of death. Treat the numbers as orientation, not as a quote.
Two cases reported by Con Criterio (28 March 2025):
- Mario Juárez, 32, died on 14 March 2025 in a tornado-related traffic accident in Kansas. His employer contributed US$5,000; two weeks later the family was still short of the rest and waiting for a permit.
- Edwin Bacajol Pérez, 50, died on 5 March 2025. His family got a quote of about Q180,000 for the repatriation and raised money through food sales and help from Guatemalans in the US.
Con Criterio also reported that MINEX’s repatriation fund supported the return of 1,701 migrants who died in the United States over the previous five years, and that 200 to 400 deceased Guatemalans are repatriated each year on average.
Documents required
On the deceased and the requester
A private site (citasconsuladodeguatemala.us, not a MINEX publication, read 3 October 2026) says the consulate asks the family to have these on hand:
- The deceased: death certificate; birth certificate issued by RENAP and valid for at least 6 months; passport or DPI.
- The person requesting: passport or DPI; a form filled in at any Guatemalan consulate.
Prensa Libre (2016) adds that the death must be registered under the rules of the place where it happened, to obtain the death certificate that records the cause of death.
Prepared with the funeral home
The same private site lists these, managed with the help of the funeral home the consulate assigns:
- Certificate of non-communicable diseases of the deceased.
- Transit permit for the body.
- Embalmers’ affidavit.
- Letter on the funeral home’s letterhead stating that the coffin holds only human remains.
- Flight itinerary.
- Name, address and telephone number of the person who will receive the body.
For the CONAMIGUA domestic leg (La Aurora to community of origin)
Per tramites.gob.gt service 688 (read 8 October 2026):
- A request from the family member (solicitud del familiar).
- Copy of the requester’s DPI.
- Copy of the deceased’s birth certificate.
The listed steps: fill in the form on CONAMIGUA’s site (www.conamigua.gob.gt, menu CONAMIGUA, then FORMULARIOS), print and sign it or add your fingerprint, scan it with the DPI copy and the birth certificate, and email the PDFs to the address on the form. CONAMIGUA staff then call to arrange a home visit and a socioeconomic study, where you hand over the originals. Cost: Q0. Response time: 12 business days.
CONAMIGUA announced an online application system for the domestic transfer of Guatemalan migrants who died abroad. Its announcement, dated 22 April 2024, links a tutorial explaining the application steps (read 28 October 2026).
Step-by-step
The steps below follow the procedure MINEX described to Prensa Libre in June 2016, plus MINEX’s current Repatriaciones page. Ask the consulate whether anything has changed.
1. Contact the consulate
MINEX’s Repatriaciones page says to contact the nearest Guatemalan consulate. In 2016 MINEX listed three entry points for the family: the consular or diplomatic mission, the Dirección de Asuntos Consulares, or MINEX’s regional delegations in Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango and Jutiapa. If the deceased has no relatives, a friend or acquaintance can make the request. In one 2025 case reported by Con Criterio, the consulate told the family that someone had to come to the city to move the procedure forward.
Do this before signing anything with a US funeral home. A private site (not a MINEX publication) says the consulate puts the family in contact with a funeral home and lists among the requirements not having a contract with any funeral home; it does not say what happens to the economic support if you already signed, so ask the consulate.
For a state-by-state lookup, see the consulate finder.
2. Give the consulate the deceased’s details
In 2016 MINEX asked for: the deceased’s full name, place and date of birth, place and date of death, the phone numbers of the contact abroad and in Guatemala if there are any, and the name and phone number of the hospital, morgue or funeral home that handled the body.
3. The consulate assesses the case
MINEX told Prensa Libre in 2016 that the consulate or diplomatic mission contacts the family and the place where the remains are (morgue, hospital or funeral home) to learn the circumstances and cause of death and to set how much it can contribute. MINEX said it then asks funeral homes for quotes to find which one is most economical and can provide the basic repatriation service. A MINEX spokesperson said the cause of death has to be evaluated before the economic aid is granted.
4. A funeral home is hired
MINEX requires the deceased’s ID and the requester’s ID, then hires a funeral home that provides the basic funeral service for Guatemala. In 2016 MINEX said that service includes embalming, the air ticket or land transport, administrative procedures and document legalization, and transport from where the body is to the airport or border.
5. Documents
The funeral home helps gather the transit permit, embalmers’ affidavit, the letterhead letter and the other items in the list above. Ask the consulate whether the US death certificate needs an apostille; our apostille from the USA page covers how US apostilles work.
6. Arrival at La Aurora
In 2016, bodies arrived at the cargo area of La Aurora airport, handled by Combex-Im. Combex-Im told Prensa Libre it received about 40 bodies a month, gave them priority, and did not charge for custody or handling of human remains; the time depended on the paperwork being complete.
7. CONAMIGUA domestic transport
CONAMIGUA’s service moves the body from La Aurora to the community of origin at Q0, with a response time of 12 business days and a socioeconomic study (tramites.gob.gt service 688). Prensa Libre’s 2016 article also advised families in Guatemala to have a funeral service ready to receive the remains.
8. Burial in the community of origin
The family arranges the local funeral home, vigil (velorio) and burial.
Timeline
| Step | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Death paperwork, US administrative records, consular appointment and stamps | 7 to 12 business days | Mariella Treviño, Treviño Funeral Services (Chicago), quoted by Prensa Libre, 20 June 2016 |
| CONAMIGUA domestic leg | 12 business days (response time) | tramites.gob.gt service 688 |
No official total is published. In the Mario Juárez case (died 14 March 2025 in Kansas), the family was still waiting for a permit two weeks after the death, per Con Criterio.
Where to call for help
| Resource | Contact |
|---|---|
| Nearest Guatemalan consulate | Directory at our consulate finder. MINEX’s directory lists a separate emergency number for some consulates; for Houston, for example, it gives 832-8087358 (read 23 September 2026). |
| MINEX, Dirección de Asuntos Consulares | 2410-0000, extension 1502 (MINEX FAQ, read 23 September 2026), or MINEX’s departmental delegations in Huehuetenango, Jutiapa and Quetzaltenango |
| CONAMIGUA, domestic transport (La Aurora to community) | Forms at www.conamigua.gob.gt (tramites.gob.gt service 688). The service entry does not show a CONAMIGUA phone number. |
Common pitfalls
Each pitfall below comes from a cited source.
- Do not sign with a funeral home before talking to the consulate. A private site (citasconsuladodeguatemala.us, not a MINEX publication) lists among the requirements: “Do not have any contract with any funeral home, as the consulate will take care of this.” (read 3 October 2026). It does not say what happens to the economic support if you have already signed; ask the consulate.
- Scammers posing as consulate officials. On October 21, 2026 the Consulate General of Guatemala in Chicago warned that people “haciéndose pasar por funcionarios de los consulados guatemaltecos, solicitan pagos por la repatriación de fallecidos hacia Guatemala” — posing as Guatemalan consular officials and asking for payments to repatriate the deceased. The same notice says “El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores NO realiza cobros por este tipo de trámites” (the Foreign Ministry does NOT charge for these procedures) and tells anyone who receives such a request not to pay and to contact the nearest Guatemalan consulate. Con Criterio reported the same pattern in March 2025: a family received calls from different numbers posing as the Foreign Ministry and asking for money.
- A slow, costly process. Prensa Libre (2016) described the “engorroso proceso y el elevado costo para que los restos sean repatriados”.
- Aid depends on the cause of death. In 2016 a MINEX spokesperson said the cause of death has to be evaluated before the economic aid is granted.
- Quotes can far exceed the old regional figures. The Bacajol family’s quote was about Q180,000 in March 2025 (Con Criterio), well above MINEX’s 2016 regional totals.
What about a Guatemalan dying outside the USA?
The MINEX FAQ lists “Asistencia para repatriación de guatemaltecos fallecidos o en situación de alta vulnerabilidad” among services in the exterior, without limiting it to one country, and the Repatriaciones page speaks of a relative who died abroad. The only non-US cost figure we have is MINEX’s 2016 range for the northern Mexico border (US$4,000 to US$5,500). For deaths in Mexico, Canada, Europe or elsewhere, contact the Guatemalan consulate or embassy covering that country.
What about a US citizen dying in Guatemala (reverse case)?
The reverse procedure — a US citizen dying in Guatemala — works differently from the way this section used to describe it. The family hires a local funeral home and pays: the US Embassy’s own guidance says that funeral, burial and repatriation costs must be paid by family or friends and that the U.S. government cannot pay them. A consular officer notifies the next of kin, gives information on the disposition of remains, and explains how to request a Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA); the funeral home then collects a statement from the embassy that lets it take custody of the body. Full walk-through, with the embassy’s published funeral-home cost estimates: if a foreigner dies in Guatemala.
Correction (23 September 2026): this paragraph previously said the embassy coordinates with the funeral home and arranges air transport back to the USA. The embassy’s page says these costs must be paid by family or friends and that the U.S. government cannot pay them; the family hires the funeral home. See our corrections policy.
Sources & resources
- Consulate General of Guatemala in Chicago, Facebook notice “No te dejes engañar”:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1462421359409231(fraud attempts by people posing as consular officials asking for repatriation payments; posted October 21, 2026; read November 2, 2026) - MINEX, Preguntas frecuentes:
https://www.minex.gob.gt/din/30-preguntas-frecuentes(services abroad, Dirección de Asuntos Consulares, 2410-0000 ext. 1502; read 23 September 2026) - MINEX, Repatriaciones:
https://www.minex.gob.gt/din/21-repatriaciones(repatriation fund, irregular migration status; read 23 September 2026) - tramites.gob.gt, service 688 (CONAMIGUA):
https://tramites.gob.gt/servicio/688/(Traslado en territorio nacional de guatemaltecos fallecidos en el extranjero: Q0, 12 business days, requirements and steps; read 8 October 2026) - Prensa Libre, 20 June 2016:
https://www.prensalibre.com/economia/familiares-viven-calvario-para-repatriar-a-fallecidos-en-eeuu/(MINEX regional costs, Treviño Funeral Services quote, 7-12 business days, MINEX steps, Combex-Im; read 26 September 2026) - Con Criterio, 28 March 2025:
https://concriterio.gt/el-dolor-y-costo-de-repatriar-el-cadaver-de-un-familiar-migrante/(aid from US$1,000, 1,701 repatriations in five years, the Juárez and Bacajol cases; read 8 October 2026) - citasconsuladodeguatemala.us (private site, not MINEX):
https://citasconsuladodeguatemala.us/en/tramites/repatriacion-de-cuerpos-de-estados-unidos-a-guatemala/(US$6,000-8,000, document list; read 3 October 2026) - MINEX directory, Consulado General de Guatemala en Houston:
https://www.minex.gob.gt/din/3104-Consulado-General-de-Guatemala-en-Houston-Texas-Estados-Unidos(emergency number 832-8087358; read 23 September 2026) - US Embassy Guatemala, Death of a U.S. citizen (reverse case):
https://gt.usembassy.gov/death-of-a-u-s-citizen/(read 23 September 2026) - CONAMIGUA, online domestic-transfer application announcement, 22 April 2024 - read 28 October 2026.
- Last verified: 2026-10-08
Affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Related pages
- Find your consulate — state-by-state lookup of Guatemalan consulates
- Humanitarian repatriation of the living — when the person is alive and needs to return
- Apostille from USA — how US apostilles work
- Bringing a loved one’s ashes to Guatemala — when the body was cremated: the two documents MINEX lists and TSA’s urn rules
- Schedule a consulate appointment — general appointment guidance
- Movimientos migratorios certification — a migration-records certificate
- All Guatemalan consulates in USA — full directory
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first call when a Guatemalan dies in the USA?
MINEX’s Repatriaciones page says to contact the nearest Guatemalan consulate, which reviews the documents and decides whether the request qualifies for the repatriation fund. Family members in Guatemala can also go to MINEX’s Dirección de Asuntos Consulares (2410-0000, extension 1502, per MINEX’s FAQ) or its departmental delegations in Huehuetenango, Jutiapa and Quetzaltenango. A private site (not a MINEX publication) tells families not to have any contract with a funeral home, because the consulate takes care of that; ask the consulate before signing anything.
What does MINEX cover financially?
MINEX’s Repatriaciones page offers economic help when the relative who died abroad was in an irregular migration status, and says the consulate reviews the documents and decides whether the request qualifies for the repatriation fund. It publishes no amount. MINEX told Con Criterio (28 March 2025) that each case is different, that the aid starts at US$1,000 and that it is paid directly to the contracted funeral homes. In 2016 a MINEX spokesperson told Prensa Libre that the cause of death has to be evaluated before the aid is granted.
Is the domestic leg (from La Aurora airport to the family's community) included?
It is a separate CONAMIGUA service. tramites.gob.gt service 688 (read 8 October 2026) describes transport of the body from La Aurora international airport to the community of origin, at a cost of Q0 and a response time of 12 business days. Requirements: a request from the family member, a copy of the requester’s DPI and a copy of the deceased’s birth certificate. The steps include a socioeconomic study with a home visit by CONAMIGUA staff.
How long does the whole process take?
No official total is published. According to Mariella Treviño of Treviño Funeral Services in Chicago, quoted by Prensa Libre in June 2016, the death paperwork, US administrative records, the consular appointment and stamps require 7 to 12 business days. CONAMIGUA’s domestic-transport service lists a response time of 12 business days. In a case Con Criterio reported on 28 March 2025, a family was still waiting for a permit two weeks after the death.
What documents are needed from the family?
A private site (citasconsuladodeguatemala.us, not a MINEX publication) lists: for the deceased, the death certificate, a RENAP birth certificate valid for at least 6 months, and passport or DPI; for the requester, passport or DPI and a form filled in at the consulate. With the funeral home’s help: a certificate of non-communicable diseases, the transit permit for the body, the embalmers’ affidavit, a letter on funeral-home letterhead saying the coffin holds only human remains, the flight itinerary, and the name, address and phone of the person receiving the body.
Can MINEX cover deaths outside the USA?
MINEX lists assistance with repatriating Guatemalans who have died abroad among its consular services without limiting it to the United States, and its Repatriaciones page speaks of a relative who died ’en el extranjero’. The cost figures on this page are US-specific, apart from one 2016 figure for the northern Mexico border. For a death in Mexico, Canada, Europe or elsewhere, contact the Guatemalan consulate or embassy covering that country.
What if I cannot afford the full repatriation cost?
Ask the consulate whether the case qualifies for MINEX’s repatriation fund. In the two cases Con Criterio reported in March 2025, one family had received US$5,000 from the deceased’s employer and was still short, and another had a quote of about Q180,000 and raised money through food sales and help from Guatemalans in the US. The same report describes callers posing as MINEX and asking the family for money: confirm any request for payment with the consulate directly.
Can I apply online for the transfer within Guatemala of a migrant who died abroad?
CONAMIGUA announced an online application system and a tutorial for this domestic-transfer procedure in an announcement dated 22 April 2024 (read 28 October 2026).
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