Transport a body out of Kenya for burial
Directorate of Civil Registration Services with Ministry of Health · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Get the burial (disposal) permit from the Registrar of Deaths, have the body embalmed and sealed in an airtight casket, then tell Port Health at least 24 hours before the body leaves. Port Health checks the embalming certificate, the deceased's ID and the permit.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- Where
- Registrar of Deaths (Civil Registration) for the burial permit; Port Health officers at the airport or port of departure for health clearance
What you need
- Embalming certificate showing the body was embalmed and the chemical used
- The deceased's identification documents
- Burial transit permit or cremation certificate
- Doctor's medical certificate of cause of death, in two copies, to get the burial permit
Steps
- Take the doctor's certificate of cause of death (two copies) to the Registrar of Deaths to get the burial (disposal) permit.
- Have the body embalmed and get an embalming certificate that names the chemical used.
- Place the body in a hermetically sealed casket (airtight and waterproof).
- Tell the Port Health officers at the airport or port at least 24 hours before departure, and show them the documents for health clearance.
Watch out
- Port Health needs at least 24 hours' notice before the body leaves. Don't leave it to the day of the flight.
- If the death was caused by a notifiable disease, you also need an approval letter from the Director General of Health.
- An ordinary coffin won't do: the casket must be hermetically sealed, airtight and waterproof.
Official sources (2)
- Cargo Clearance (Human Remains) nphi.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Form A2: Medical Certificate of Cause of Death usajili.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026