Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Shipping Human Remains
Interesting fact: Around 50,000 dead bodies are transported by plane yearly. We’ve done the math for you, any given flight has a 0.125% probability of having a body on board.
Body transport is one of those topics we are thinking about so you don’t have to.
To be clear, we are only talking about this in a legal (non-murdery way). Our google search history probably already has us on a watch list so just wanted to be clear… This is the official legal way to transport a body.
This is your guide to the logistics of getting a body from Point A to Point B. Because unfortunately, you can’t just slap on a label and overnight grandma. (Well technically if she’s cremated remains you can, through official USPS channels, but that’s another post).
Why or when would you need to do this?
Body transport is actually a pretty common scenario. Someone dies in one place… and needs to end up in another. Whether it’s for burial in a family plot, a cultural homecoming, or just because someone lived far from “home,” human remains travel more often than you’d think.
Can you ship a body? And who can help?
Yes. There’s actually an entire sub-industry dedicated to “mortuary transport” or “repatriation of remains.” This can mean within the U.S., across state lines, or internationally.
However, this is not a process you can manage yourself due to various laws. Human remains must be shipped by licensed funeral homes or mortuary transport services. Airlines will only accept grandma as “cargo,” and only when the proper paperwork and packaging is involved.
Let’s talk Packaging
You can’t just put Grandma in a casket, or prop her up in a plane seat and call it a day. Here’s what’s typically required:
An approved shipping container (usually a combination of inner metal liner + outer wood box). No grandma allowed in your snowboard carrying bag, she deserves better!
Embalming or refrigeration, depending on destination and timeline. Bodies decay quickly so this helps stave off or stop further decomposition during the journey.
Permits and documentation (death certificate, burial transit permit, customs paperwork if international) - woah grandma goes through customs as a corpse!?!?!? METAL!
Shipping a body comes with a surprising number of required services, and every one of them lands on the family’s tab. Unless someone had specific travel-death insurance, the legal next-of-kin or designated authorizing agent pays the full cost. Here’s what that actually looks like when you break the fees apart.
‘Cool grandma’ Photo by Ron Lach (probably flipping us all off)
The Body Shipping Balance Sheet
Assets (Services the Family Receives)
| Service | Description | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Body preparation & compliance |
Legal preparation, paperwork, permits, and chain-of-custody requirements.
Includes embalming when required. |
$450–$1,100 +$600–$1,200 if embalming is required |
| Required shipping container | Air tray or combination shipping unit. | $150–$500 |
| Air transport service | Airline cargo movement of human remains. |
$500–$3,000 (domestic) $3,000–$10,000+ (international) |
| Receiving funeral home intake | Airport pick-up, handling, and local compliance. | $300–$1,000+ |
Total Assets (Typical Range):
Domestic: $2,000–$7,000
International: $5,000–$15,000+
Liabilities (What the Family Owes)
| Payable To | Purpose | Typical Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sending funeral home | Preparation, documentation, and coordination services. | $1,000–$3,000+ |
| Airline cargo division | Transportation of remains. |
$500–$3,000 (domestic) $3,000–$10,000+ (international) |
| Receiving funeral home | Intake, handling, and compliance at destination. | $300–$1,000+ |
Total Liabilities (Typical Range):
Domestic: $2,000–$7,000
International: $5,000–$15,000+
Alternatives to Body Transport
If the logistics or cost of body transport feel overwhelming, the other common route is cremation at the place of death, then hand-carrying the ashes home or having them shipped. It’s not glamorous, and it’s not always an option depending on cultural, religious, or legal requirements, but when it is, it avoids a mountain of paperwork and a jaw-dropping bill.
So… What Do You Actually Do With All This Info?
Most people never think about body transport until it crashes into their life at the worst possible moment. And then suddenly you’re juggling funeral homes, cargo terminals, paperwork, and wondering why your loved one needs an air-tray instead of just… strapping grandma into a middle seat Weekend at Bernie’s Style. Shipping human remains is doable, but it’s not DIY. It requires licensed professionals and specific paperwork
The truth is: this process is complicated, expensive, and weirdly bureaucratic. You’re not supposed to be an expert in any of it—you’re supposed to be grieving. This is exactly why we obsess over this stuff at Good Grief. We dig into the logistics so you don’t have to.
Want to learn more?
We’ve published a full guide that walks through exactly what’s required to fly with cremated remains — from TSA rules to containers and documentation.
And if this kind of plain-English guidance is helpful, subscribe to the Good Grief blog. We share new posts regularly so you don’t have to figure this stuff out alone, or in a moment of crisis.