Death in Serbia

In case you are ever faced with the death of a fellow American connected with you (employee, relative, friend) while in Serbia, the Consular Section can provide information about the laws and procedures that apply in Serbia. The Consular Section will assist as much as possible with notification of the next-of-kin in the U.S., arrangements for preparation of the remains and their shipment to the U.S., transferring the funds for this purpose from the U.S. to Serbia, providing the necessary documents to accompany the remains, and issuing the consular official death certificate (Form OF-180: Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad).

Please try to notify the Embassy of a death immediately. Regardless of the time of day there is always an Embassy officer on emergency duty who can be reached at cell phone number 381-65-368-1380.

When an American dies abroad, a consular officer notifies the American's next-of-kin and works with family members to resolve legal and practical problems arising from the death. Consular officers can assist family members in returning the deceased's remains to the United States, but costs may be high and must be paid by the family. The Consular section prepares and issues a Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad in such cases.

Consular officers also can act to protect the property and personal estate of a deceased American, until such property can be turned over to the next-of-kin.

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade stands ready to assist in the event of the death of an American citizen in Serbia. Our assistance includes notifying the next-of-kin of the deceased (if not traveling with him/her), helping with arrangements for the disposition of the remains, and producing an official record of the death, which can be used in the United States.
Please try to notify the Embassy of an American Citizen death as soon as is feasible.  If you are not calling during business hours, the main switchboard will direct you to the officer on duty.

Documents

Consular Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad: The official record of death for Americans is the Consular Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad, which is issued by the Consular section. This form is often required for estate and insurance purposes. One of the first steps in obtaining a Consular Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad is to obtain
a Serbian death certificate.

Obtaining a Serbian death certificate (Izvod iz maticne knjige umrlih): If death occurs in a hospital, the hospital automatically forwards the doctor's report on cause of death (Potvrdu o uzroku smrti) to the Serbian Registry of Vital Statistics (Opstina). If death does not occur in a hospital, a coroner's certificate (Dozvola za sahranjivanje umrle osobe) is delivered to the Opstina in the district in which the death occurred if such assistance is desired.
If cause of death cannot be readily determined or appears to be accidental, the coroner has the authority to order an autopsy. Under Serbian law, an autopsy may be performed without the consent of the next-of-kin of the deceased. Autopsies may take up to four working days. Depending on the results of the autopsy, the case may then be forwarded to legal authorities who might decide to investigate further before a coroner's certificate is issued.

Disposition of Remains

Maximum period before burial
In Serbia, burial may not take place until 24 hours after death, but must take place within 72 hours.  In some cases, however, this period may be extended, particularly if the body is refrigerated.  Refrigeration facilities are often lacking, and embalming, not being a Serbian custom, is only performed in Belgrade and Novi Sad.  If a body, whether embalmed or not, is placed within a sealed metal container built to certain specifications, it may be stored above ground for an extended period if refrigerated.

Embalming
Embalming facilities are available in Belgrade and Novi Sad.  Embalming is performed by the Forensic Institutes in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and should be done within 72 hours after death.  Embalming costs about $2,300 and doctors who perform it often require payment in advance.  For those considering embalming, it is important to know that embalming is rarely performed in Serbia. Anyone selecting embalming may be disappointed or dissatisfied with the procedure time and the results, as the service does not meet U.S. standards. 

Cremation
Cremation facilities exist only in Belgrade and Novi Sad.  Legal provisions are the same as for burials, except that the written permission of the next-of-kin or other authorized persons (including consular officers) is necessary.  Compulsory autopsies will be performed in cases of suspicious deaths. Fees of about $1,400 include collection and transportation of cremated remains, inexpensive coffin, urn, crematorium fee, administrative fees, and shipment.

Caskets and Containers

When remains are to be transported out of the country, the body is appropriately prepared or cremated for shipment.  It is then placed in a sealed coffin with a metal container.  In the case of cremation, the remains are placed in an urn inside a sturdy wooden crate.  Caskets and urns are available locally on short notice.  Remains are prepared according to international regulations and meet the requirements for shipment out of the country.

Exportation of Remains

To export human remains the following documents are required by authorities:
(a)  Official Serbian Certificate of Death issued on the international form
(b)  Customs declaration from the local office of the Customs Administration.  In addition, the Customs declaration must be attached to the outside of the container in which the remains are to be shipped.
To export ashes / cremated remains, the following documents are required by authorities:
(a) Official Serbian Certificate of Death issued on the international form
(b)  Certificate of Cremation
(c)  Customs declaration from the local office of the Customs Administration.  In addition, the Customs declaration must be attached to the outside of the container in which the remains are to be shipped.

Preparation and Shipment of Cremated Remains

Sample Cost Estimates:  Fees include embalming, collection of remains, documentation costs, wood casket, and U.S. regulation shipping container, "Air Waybill" fee, airport warehouse fee, cargo agency service: $3,500.00
Add to this the airfreight charges as listed below:
Belgrade to New York                per kilo,  $15.39
Belgrade to Chicago                   per kilo,  $17.09
Belgrade to Los Angeles            per kilo,  $21.08
Note:  Average weight of casket and containers is usually between 175 and 200 kgs.

Exhumation and Shipment

Exhumation is permitted upon presentation of a permit from the Office of the Sanitary Inspectorate.  Exhumation often is not allowed during the summer months.  Costs vary depending upon charges for local labor.

Remarks

There will be additional costs if the remains need to be transported within country prior to their departure from the capital.  There may also be additional costs incurred at other airports when the remains transit through another country on route to the final destination in the United States.

Note on Costs: Charges shown are based on the exchange rate as of May 5, 2008,
$1.00 = 50.77.  Please note that all costs are approximations, and may change according to market conditions and the prevailing dollar/dinar exchange rate.

For more information on death of American citizens abroad, click here.

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