For many Vietnamese families, a parent or grandparent’s last wish is simple: to be laid to rest at home, in the hometown, near the ancestors. When that person dies in the United States, the family has to arrange an international journey at the hardest possible moment.
It can be done, and it usually goes faster than families expect. In our experience at Heaven’s Gate, most transfers to Vietnam take 5 to 7 days from the first phone call. This guide explains each step, the documents involved, what affects the cost, and what your relatives in Vietnam should prepare.
Two ways to bring someone home
Families usually choose between two options, and the right one depends on your faith, your family’s wishes, and your budget.
- Full-body repatriation. Your loved one is embalmed, placed in a sealed casket, and flown to Vietnam as air cargo for a funeral and burial there. This is the traditional choice when the family wants a burial in the family plot.
- Cremation first, then the ashes travel. Your loved one is cremated here, and a family member carries the urn on a flight, or the funeral home ships it. This costs considerably less and has fewer steps. Our guide to traveling with or shipping ashes overseas covers this option in detail.
Many families hold a viewing and service in Orange County first, so relatives and friends here can say goodbye, and then send their loved one home for the burial rites.
The process, step by step
- Call a funeral home that ships to Vietnam regularly. We bring your loved one into our care from the hospital, home, nursing facility or coroner, at any hour. Nothing needs to be decided on that first call.
- Register the death. A doctor, or the coroner, certifies the cause of death, and the funeral director registers the death certificate electronically with the county. California requires this within 8 days, and before any permit to bury, cremate or transport your loved one is issued. We order the certified copies you will need.
- Get the California permit. The county issues a Permit for Disposition of Human Remains, which authorizes transit outside of California. We apply for it with the death certificate.
- Prepare your loved one for travel. Your loved one is embalmed and dressed, and placed in a hermetically sealed casket, which travels inside a protective outer container built for air cargo.
- Apply to the Vietnamese consulate. Vietnam requires a permit, issued by its consulate or embassy in the U.S., to bring remains into the country. We prepare and submit the application. See the documents list below.
- Book the flight. Your loved one travels as air cargo, booked through the airline’s cargo department. Family members can usually book passenger seats on the same flight, so someone accompanies them the whole way.
- Arrival in Vietnam. On arrival, international health quarantine officers at the airport check the documents and the casket before releasing your loved one to the family or a local funeral service, who carry them to the hometown.
The documents involved
We gather and prepare these for you, but it helps to know what they are. For a full-body transfer, the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco lists:
- The consulate’s application form for bringing remains to Vietnam
- A copy of the death certificate
- A copy of your loved one’s passport or green card
- The county’s burial and transit permit
- A statement from the county or state health department that the death was not caused by an infectious or contagious disease
The Embassy of Vietnam in Washington also asks for written permission from the provincial People’s Committee (Ủy ban nhân dân) where your loved one will be buried, and for certified copies. For ashes, the San Francisco consulate asks for permission from the local People’s Committee too. A relative in Vietnam requests this letter in person and sends it to us, so it is worth asking your family to start early.
You can read the consulate’s own requirements on the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco (opens in a new tab) website. The consulate says it processes a complete application by the next working day, and a consular fee applies.
The single most useful thing you can do
Every document must show your loved one’s name exactly the same way. Vietnamese names are often written in different orders, or with and without accents, on a passport, a green card and a U.S. death certificate. A mismatch is one of the most common causes of delay, so we check the spelling against the passport before anything is filed.
How long it takes
Most transfers we arrange take 5 to 7 days, and we have brought loved ones home faster. The things that most often add time are:
- A coroner’s examination. If the death was sudden or unexpected, the coroner may need to examine your loved one before releasing them.
- Weekends and holidays. Government offices and consulates close on U.S. holidays, and flights and offices in Vietnam are especially busy around Tết.
- Missing paperwork from Vietnam. Waiting for a People’s Committee letter can hold up the consulate application.
- Flight space. Not every flight accepts human remains, and space on those that do can be limited.
What it costs
Our service to ship a loved one to or from Vietnam includes bringing your loved one into our care, the services of our licensed staff, all the necessary authorizations and documentation, embalming and preparation, and transportation to the airport within 50 miles.
Some costs are paid to others on your behalf, and we bill them at cost, with receipts: the airline’s cargo charges, the shipping container, consular fees, and certified death certificates, which cost $26 each in California. The airline charge depends mostly on the route and the weight of the casket, so we quote it once we know the destination.
Every family receives a written quote before anything is booked. See our General Price List (opens in a new tab) for current prices, and ask us about our price match promise.
What your family in Vietnam should prepare
The receiving side matters as much as the sending side. Ask your relatives in Vietnam to:
- Request the People’s Committee permission letter, if needed, as early as possible.
- Decide who will receive your loved one at the airport, whether that is Tân Sơn Nhất in Ho Chi Minh City, Nội Bài in Hanoi, or Đà Nẵng. Bring identification and copies of the documents we send.
- Arrange a hearse or funeral vehicle to carry your loved one from the airport to the hometown.
- Prepare the burial plot, and contact the temple or parish for the funeral rites.
- Budget for the airport health inspection fee, which each province sets.
We stay in touch with your family on both sides until your loved one has arrived, in Vietnamese or English.
Using the death certificate in Vietnam later
Families often need a U.S. death certificate recognized in Vietnam, for example to settle property or an inheritance. Vietnam joined the Hague Apostille Convention on September 11, 2026, so a California death certificate can now be authenticated with an apostille from the California Secretary of State instead of going through consular legalization. Ask the office in Vietnam that is handling the matter exactly what it requires.
Questions families ask us
Can we have a funeral here first?
Yes. Many families hold a viewing and service in Orange County, often with monks or a priest, and then send their loved one home for the burial.
What if my loved one died in another state?
We can receive your loved one from anywhere in the United States, prepare them, and send them on to Vietnam. Our testimonials include a family from San Francisco whose mother arrived home in Vietnam six days after they first called us.
Can you help bring someone from Vietnam to the U.S.?
Yes. If a relative dies while visiting Vietnam, read our guide on what to do when a loved one dies abroad, then call us.
Requirements change
Consulates, airlines and Vietnam’s health authorities update their rules from time to time. This guide reflects the requirements as of September 2026, and we confirm the current requirements for every family before we begin.