美国公民死亡后，通常是由死者亲属、旅伴、旅行社、公安局或中方邀请单位的外事办公室（外办）通知美国大使馆或领事馆。大使馆或领事馆负责正式通知直系亲属并协助其处理死者的遗体及遗产事宜。
即使死者亲友不需要美国政府的任何协助、也无论死者是定居中国还是前来旅游，美国公民的死亡都应向大使馆或领事馆报告。大使馆或领事馆将签发数份《美国公民海外死亡报告》(简称CRODA) 原件。该文件是美国政府为在海外死亡的美国公民出具的正式报告，可用于处理死者在美国的法律和财产问题。
直系亲属应当出示有效文件证明与死者的亲属关系。否则，需要填写并公证《配偶及直系亲属宣誓书》(PDF – 61.7 KB）以获得安排处理遗体的决定权。
24小时紧急值班电话为010-8531 3000。


有时，旅行团的领队会安排参团人员申请团体签证进入中国。如果死者及其直系亲属（NOK）随团旅行，直系亲属必须将他们的旅游团体签证转换为个人签证。领队应协助直系亲属在旅行团离开之前取得他们的个人签证。请确保，领队将死者的护照交给直系亲属或交予其他有关机构。

如果死者并非病故于医院，死者的直系亲属或其法定代表需要从当地医院或警方获取一份当地正式的死亡证明。之后，死者的直系亲属应持该死亡证明以及死者的护照前往当地的出入境管理局注销死者的中国签证。
另外，警方法医机构需要强制性进行基本的尸检，以排除因犯罪行为致死的可能性。尸检的完成通常需要至少15个工作日，根据不同的情况受理时长不同。检查报告的结果是综合性和非细节性的。如果死者家属需要在报告中列出更详细的死因，他们可以向公安机关提出付费尸体解剖的申请。尸体解剖根据检查项目的不同，耗时可从几周至几月不等。遗体解剖的价格和更多细节按照不同地区如下：

A.当死亡发生在医院外：有两个选择：
B． 当死亡发生在医院里：直系亲属/家庭成员应向主治医生获得关于尸检步骤和费用的指导和信息。
需要注意的是，根据中国的法律和法规，直系亲属决定是否对尸体进行尸检。尸检报告可以作为《死亡证明》使用。

中国法律规定，除非因特殊或宗教原因，所有死者的遗体，无论是中国人还是外国人，都必须火化。需要特别指出的是，中国法律不允许埋葬外国人骨灰。如果直系亲属不打算将遗体运回美国或第三国，遗体无须作防腐。中国政府对从死亡到火化和埋葬骨灰无时间限制，但殡仪馆的遗体存放费为按日收取。不同的殡仪馆骨灰盒价格和档次不同，由死者亲属自行选择。各地殡仪馆名录以及各地火化费用请见下拉菜单。
若直系亲属在中国，他们可以自行安排死者后事；若不在中国，他们则可签署授权书，将料理后事的权利交给死者亲属、雇员、同事、朋友或殡仪馆。大使馆/总领事馆不能作为亲属的代理安排处理死者后事。
特别指出的是，家属或者家属的代理需要联系殡仪馆商讨后事安排，大使馆或总领事馆只能帮助提供关于遗体处理或相关费用的指导信息。

直系亲属或家属代理人可以直接与殡仪馆联系遗体/骨灰转运事宜。大使馆/领事馆可在家属不在中国，并经家属书面授权的情况下帮助联系转运事宜。通常情况下，家属会授权在美国的殡仪馆与中国的殡仪馆对接遗体转运信息。
骨灰空运回美国的费用在中国根据不同地方收费不同，具体费用按地区请见下拉菜单。由于航空运输和遗体防腐准备/处理费用，运输遗体比较昂贵。需要注意的是遗体运输前的处理、准备是按照中国的法律和实际条件，在多数情况下，此类服务可能无法达到在美国的家属的期望。建议亲属所在地的殡仪馆负责人作为接收并验视遗体的第一人。
美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）关于入境美国逝者遗体的要求取决于其是否经过防腐、火化或逝者是否死于检疫传染病。
现阶段，新冠肺炎( COVID-19) 在美国是一种检疫传染病，逝者遗体必须符合《联邦法规》71.55章 42款，且符合以下条件，才能清关、放行并允许入境美国：
更多信息请查询CDC’s guidance

基于中国有关机关签发的《死亡证明》，美国大使馆/总领事馆出具的英文《海外领事死亡报告》（CRODA），该文件可用于美国法庭和其他机构以处理房产事宜。个人需根据死亡发生的地区，向负责该地区的大使馆/领事馆申请此文件。多数情况下，您会被要求提供如下文件：
大使馆/总领事馆最多免费向其直系亲属提供20份美国公民《海外领事死亡报告》。
如需获得额外的《海外领事死亡报告》的副本须提供书面说明，并将包含文件返还的地址和申请人的电话邮寄到Department of State, Passport services, Correspondence Branch, 1111 19th Street, N.W., Suite 510, Washington, D.C. 20522-1705, Tel: (202) 955-0307。该部门最新的联系信息，可通过访问http://travel.state.gov/.上的家庭事务板块获得。

运送骨灰时需要提供已注销的护照、火化证明（证明上写明遗体已按照当地法律火化且骨灰盒中只含有死者的骨灰），无需提供《领事入殓证明》。强烈建议家属提前与希望使用运回骨灰的航空公司联系，了解其要求和步骤。美国海关和边防保卫部门对于骨灰的入境无特殊要求。但是如果还有后续的连接航班或是国内航班，骨灰盒将被装入一个临时的箱子里以便进行TSA安全检查。

国家：中国美国驻华大使馆地址：北京市朝阳区安家楼路55号电话：010-8531 4000 ，或从美国拨打011-86-10-8531 4000邮箱：BeijingACS@state.gov
殡仪馆名录：详见此处尸检价格：~2,000美元火化价格：1,000-1,200美元遗体/骨灰运回：
骨灰盒/棺椁价格：由殡仪馆决定，价格不等。

国家：中国美国驻广州总领事馆地址：广州市天河区珠江新城华就路43号电话：020-3814 5775 或从美国拨打011-86-20-3814 5775邮箱：GuangzhouACS@state.gov
殡仪馆名录：详见此处尸检价格：约1,500-2,200美元火化价格：200-740美元，按地区收费不同。收费金额包括一周的尸体存放费、入殓交通费、遗体准备、简单棺椁和一些杂费。遗体/骨灰运回：
骨灰盒/棺椁价格：价格按不同的殡仪馆及其使用的棺椁质量浮动

国家：中国美国驻上海总领事馆地址：南京西路1038号梅龙镇广场9楼电话：021-8011 2400 ，或从美国拨打011-86-21-8011 2400邮箱：ShanghaiACS@state.gov
殡仪馆名录：详见此处尸检价格：~4,500美元火化价格：2,500美元遗体运回：10,000-15,000美元骨灰盒/棺椁价格：由殡仪馆决定，价格不等。

国家：中国美国驻沈阳总领事馆地址：沈阳市和平区十四纬路52号电话：024-2335 5188 ，024-2322 1198转5188或从美国拨打011-86-24-2322 1198邮箱：ShenyangACS@state.gov
殡仪馆名录：详见此处尸检价格：~2,029美元火化价格：435美元遗体/骨灰运回：
骨灰盒/棺椁价格：由殡仪馆决定，价格不等。

国家：中国美国驻武汉总领事馆地址：武汉市江汉区建设大道568号新世界国贸大厦I 座4701室（武汉领馆尚未开始领事业务，如需领事服务请洽北京美国驻华大使馆） 电话：027-8555 7791或从美国拨打011-86-27-8555 7791邮箱：USConsulateWuhan@state.gov
殡仪馆名录：详见此处尸检价格：~2,000美元火化价格：700-800美元遗体/骨灰运回：
骨灰盒/棺椁价格：由殡仪馆决定，价格不等。

The Embassy or Consulate General is usually notified of the death of a U.S. citizen by a relative, traveling companion, travel agency, the Public Security Bureau (PSB), or the Foreign Affairs Office (Waiban). The Embassy or Consulate General is responsible for providing the official notification to the next of kin and working with the next of kin on the disposition of the deceased U.S. citizen’s remains and property.
Even if no U.S. government assistance is required, relatives or friends should report the death of a U.S. citizen to the Embassy or Consulate General, regardless of whether s/he was a resident or tourist in China. The Embassy or Consulate General will issue several copies of an original Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA), a document which serves as the official U.S. government report of death for U.S. citizens who pass away overseas. The document is needed to settle legal estate matters in the United States.
The next of kin should present valid document(s) to prove the kinship with the deceased. Otherwise s/he should fill out and have notarized an “Affidavit for the Surviving Spouse or Next of Kin” (62KB) to allow him/her to make decisions on arrangements and disposition of the remains.
The 24 hour emergency telephone number of the Embassy is 010-8531-3000
Sometimes tour leaders arrange for visitors to have a group visa to enter China. If the deceased and the next of kin are with a tour group, the next of kin must arrange to have their visa changed to an individual visitor visa. Tour leaders should assist the next of kin to change their visas before the group moves on. Please make sure that the tour leader also leaves the passport of the deceased with the next of kin or an approved agent.
If the death occurred outside of the hospital, the next of kin or their legal representative will need to obtain a local official death certificate from the hospital or local police. After the local death certificate is issued, the next of kin is required to bring the death certificate and the deceased’s passport to the local Entry and Exit Administration of Public Security Bureau (PSB) to cancel the Chinese visa.
Additionally, the police forensic authority should conduct a mandatory fundamental examination of the remains to rule out the possibility of criminal action. The examination normally takes at least 15 working days, but will vary depending on the circumstances of the case. The result of the examination report is general and vague. If the family needs a more detailed cause of death than that listed in this report, a written request should be submitted to the police authority for an autopsy for a fee. The autopsy processing time varies from several weeks to several months, depending on the number of items required. The cost of the autopsy also varies and more detailed information can be found by region below.
A. Death Occurs outside the Hospital:There are two options for this:
Mandatory simple examination: When a death occurs outside a hospital, the police forensic authority will conduct a mandatory examination to determine if any criminal activity is involved. This examination will take approximately 2 weeks and is free of charge in Beijing and Shanghai area.Investigative autopsy: If a death occurs outside the hospital and the next of kin decides to have an investigative autopsy which is not mandatory, a written request should be submitted to the police and the forensic authority. This type of autopsy will take several weeks to months and the cost associated with the investigative autopsy depends on the individual circumstances of the case and the item of investigation requested.B. If the death occurs in the hospital, the next of kin/family should discuss with the attending physician for the guidance and information on the procedure and the cost.
It should be noted that in accordance with Chinese law and regulations, the decision of whether an autopsy will be performed is left up to the next of kin. The report of the autopsy works as a form of the local death certificate.
Chinese law provides that all the remains of the deceased, local Chinese and aliens alike should be cremated unless there are eligible/religious reasons. Typically, Chinese law does not allow for foreigners to be buried in China. It is not necessary to have the remains embalmed if the next of kin does not plan to ship the remains to the United States or to any other third countries. The local government does not have any legal requirements on the maximum period before cremation/burial. However, the cost of the storage of the remains is calculated on a daily basis by the funeral homes. Caskets/containers of the cremated remains are available for different prices at each funeral home for the next of kin to select. A list of funeral homes and the cost of cremation can be found by region below .
If the next of kin is in China, they can take care of arrangements themselves. If not, they will need to give power of attorney to a relative, employer, co-worker, friend or a funeral home in China to take care of the funeral arrangements. The Embassy/Consulate General is unable to act as an agent for U.S. citizens in making funeral arrangements.
Typically, families or their representative will contact a funeral home to help them carry out their funeral arrangements. The Embassy or Consulate General can help provide a guide with more details on disposition of remains and associated costs.
The next of kin or the family representative may contact the local funeral home directly for the arrangements of returning the remains to the United States. The Embassy/ Consulate may help make such contact under the written power of attorney in case the next of kin is not in China. Normally, the next of kin will identify a funeral home in the United States as the consignee and provides the Chinese funeral home with the contact information of the consignee for the shipping arrangements.
The cost of air shipment of the cremated remains to the United States varies from place to place in China, and this information can be found below by region. The costs for shipping remains to the United States are substantially greater due to the high cost of airfreight and preparation/embalmment. It should be noted that preparation and air shipment of remains is carried out in accordance with the laws of and facilities available in China, and in most cases, the services fall short of those expected in the United States. It is recommended that your hometown funeral director be requested to determine the advisability of viewing the remains.
CDC requirements for importing human remains depend upon if the body has been embalmed, cremated, or if the person died from a quarantinable communicable disease.
At this time, COVID-19 is a quarantinable communicable disease in the United States and the remains must meet the standards for importation found in 42 Code of Federal Regulations Part 71.55 and may be cleared, released, and authorized for entry into the United States only under the following conditions:
Please see CDC’s guidance for additional information.
A Consular Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad (CRODA) is a document prepared by the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General in English, based on a death certificate issued by a competent authority in China. It can be used in U.S. courts and other institutions to settle estate matters. Individuals should apply for the report at the Embassy/Consulate General that has jurisdiction over the area in which the death occurred. In most cases, the following items will be required in order to issue the report of death:
The Embassy/Consulate General will provide the next of kin with up to 20 copies of the Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad free of charge.
Additional copies of CRODA can be obtained subsequently by submitting signed, written request including all pertinent facts along with requester’s return address and telephone number from the Department of State, Passport services, Correspondence Branch, 1111 19th Street, N.W., Suite 510, Washington, D.C. 20522-1705, Tel: (202) 955-0307. For the most up to date contact information, please visit the Family issues Section of the State Department’s Travel Website: http://travel.state.gov/.
A Consular Mortuary Certificate is not required for the shipment of ashes. For the shipment of ashes, the canceled passport, the Consular Report of Death Abroad, a translated Chinese death certificate, and a cremation certificate, which states that the body has been cremated in accordance with local law and that the urn contains only the remains of the deceased, must accompany the remains. The family is strongly recommended to confirm with their intended airline with regard to its requirements and procedures of shipping/bringing cremated human ashes in advance. U. S. Customs and Border Protection does not have special requirements for importation of cremated remains into the United States; however, if traveling on a connecting or domestic flight within the United States, the remains must be transported in a temporary container able to pass through TSA x-ray machines.
Name of Country: ChinaU.S. Embassy BeijingAddress:  No. 55 An Jia Lou Road, Chaoyang, BeijingPhone: 010-8531 4000 or 011-86-10-8531 4000 if you are calling from the U.S.Email: BeijingACS@state.gov
Funeral Homes:  Find a current list here Cost of Autopsy: ~$2,000 USD Cost of Cremation: :   $1,000 USD-$1,200USD Cost of Exportation of Remains:
Cost of Casket/Container:  Costs may vary as they are decided by the funeral homes
Name of Country: ChinaU.S. Consulate GuangzhouAddress: No. 43 Huajiu Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, GuangdongPhone: 020-3814 5775 or 011-86-20-3814 5775 if you are calling from the U.S.Email: GuangzhouACS@state.gov
Funeral Homes: Find a current list here (47 KB) Cost of Autopsy: Approximately $ 1,500 USD to $2,200 USD Cost of Cremation: :   $200 USD-$740USD, depending on location.  This includes the costs of transportation of the remains to the mortuary, storage for one week, preparation of remains, a simple coffin, and miscellaneous services. Cost of Exportation of Remains: 
Cost of Casket/Container:  Costs may vary depending on the funeral home and the quality of the casket/container.
Name of Country: ChinaU.S. Consulate ShanghaiAddress: 9/F, Westgate Mall, No. 1038 West Nanjing Road, ShanghaiPhone: 021-8011-2400 or 011-86-21-8011-2400 if you are calling from the U.S.Email: ShanghaiACS@state.gov
Funeral Homes: Find a current list, please click here Cost of Autopsy: $4,500 USD Cost of Cremation: $2,500 USD Cost of Exportation of Remains:
Cost of Casket/Container:  Costs may vary as they are decided by the funeral homes
Name of Country: ChinaU.S. Consulate ShenyangAddress: No. 52, Shisi Wei Road, Heping District, Shenyang, LiaoningPhone: 024-2335 5188, 024-2322 1198 ext. 5188 or 011-86-24-2322 1198 if you are calling from the U.S.Email: ShenyangACS@state.gov
Funeral Homes: Find a current list here (241KB) Cost of Autopsy: $2,029 USD Cost of Cremation: $435 USD Cost of Exportation of Remains: 
Cost of Casket/Container:  Costs may vary as they are decided by the funeral homes
Name of Country: ChinaU.S. Consulate Wuhan (The U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan is not yet open for consular services. Those seeking consular services should contact the U.S. Embassy in Beijing)Address: No. 568, Jianshe Avenue, Jianghan District, WuhanPhone: 027-8555 7791 or 011-86-27-8555 7791 if you are calling from the U.S.Email:  USConsulateWuhan@state.gov
Funeral Homes: Find a current list here Cost of Autopsy: ~$2,000 USD Cost of Cremation: $700- $800 USD Cost of Exportation of Remains:
Cost of Casket/Container:  Costs may vary as they are decided by the funeral homes