Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
The embassy in Washington issues the authorization
Cameroon has no consulate in Texas. Its embassy in Washington publishes a mortuary travel document for the repatriation of human remains, and the form states that the embassy issues authorizations for decedents who died in its area of jurisdiction, which covers the United States. The embassy’s consular services page lists repatriation of human remains among its services, describes it as assistance with the remains of deceased Cameroonian nationals for burial in Cameroon, and says the embassy facilitates the required documentation and coordination. That page gives the telephone +1 202-265-8790 and the email mail@cameroonembassyusa.org.
Note one difference between the two. The consular page says walk-in is required for most services, while the mortuary form says applications must be submitted by the funeral home by mail only, and that the documents are mailed back to the funeral home. Follow the form, and confirm by telephone before anything is sent.
Four sets of the same file
The form asks for an unusual amount of paper. The application is a filled-out cover page, one set of originals and three sets of copies, four sets in all. It warns that copies will not be made by the consular section and that incomplete applications may be returned and experience significant delays. The cover page asks for the name of the person who died, the name and telephone number of a family relative in Cameroon with their relationship to the deceased, and the funeral home’s contact. Processing is approximately three business days from receipt of an admissible file.
What goes in the file
The form lists: proof of Cameroonian citizenship, meaning a Cameroonian passport, birth certificate or national identity card, and for a deceased United States citizen of Cameroonian origin the original U.S. passport or a copy of the naturalization certificate together with any documents attesting to Cameroonian roots; the original death certificate; a transit and burial permit specifying the final resting place in Cameroon; and a letter or affidavit from the doctor certifying that the remains are free from any contagious disease.
For a body it asks for embalming certification from the funeral home, with the deceased placed in a sealed casket containing only the body and necessary clothing, and a photograph of the casket that does not contain the body. For cremated remains it asks for cremation certification, with the ashes placed in a polyurethane bag enclosed in an urn. The form also sets out extra steps where the death resulted from COVID-19, including a zinc casket with a filtration system and notarized certifications. The fee is a postal money order for $181.82 payable to the Embassy of Cameroon, with the funeral home’s name and the deceased’s name written in the memo area.
Two documents the family must obtain in Cameroon
This is the part families miss. The form requires a prefectural order from the senior divisional officer competent in the city where the remains will enter Cameroon, whether Douala or Yaoundé, authorizing the transfer of the remains to their final destination. It also requires an authorization to bury issued by the competent administrative or traditional authorities in the locality where the body will be interred.
The form states that both must be obtained in Cameroon by the family of the deceased and provided to the funeral home before the request is sent to the embassy. In practice that makes the relatives in Cameroon part of the critical path from the first day. Give them the names, dates and the intended point of entry as soon as they are known, and ask the funeral home here to wait for scans before mailing the file.
Cameroon is outside the apostille system
Cameroon does not appear in the HCCH status table of parties to the Apostille Convention, so a Texas apostille is not the route. The embassy’s form does not describe a legalization chain for the Texas death certificate, but a Cameroonian bank, court or registry may ask for one later. The Texas Secretary of State’s authentication page explains that a country outside the Convention needs the state’s certificate and then the Office of Authentications at the U.S. State Department. Ask the embassy what it requires, and order extra certified copies of the death certificate now.
Routes and what airlines publish
We found no airline page confirming a routing from Dallas/Fort Worth to Cameroon for human remains, so expect at least one connection and let a cargo agent propose it. Turkish Cargo’s funeral page sets out what one carrier on these routes asks of the shipper, including a death certificate approved by the consulate and translated, a consular letter and the air waybill, and says international funeral transport is arranged through IATA-authorized cargo agents. Royal Air Maroc Cargo and Ethiopian Airlines both publish pages covering human remains as special cargo. Settle the point of entry, Douala or Yaoundé, with the family first, because the prefectural order names it.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Death certificate, transit permit, embalming | The funeral director here |
| Doctor’s letter on contagious disease | The attending physician or health department |
| Prefectural order and burial authorization | The family in Cameroon, before the file is mailed |
| The mortuary travel document and the fee | Embassy of Cameroon in Washington |
| Acceptance of the casket and the flight | An IATA cargo agent or the airline’s cargo desk |
Who pays
The embassy describes its role as facilitating documentation and coordination. We found no Cameroonian statement that the government meets the cost of a return. Plan on the family, an insurer, an employer or a community association paying, and remember the embassy fee is separate from transport. The insurance and assistance guide lists places to ask.
Questions families ask about a return to Cameroon
- Where does the authorization come from?
- The Embassy of Cameroon in Washington. Its form says the embassy issues authorizations for deaths in its area of jurisdiction, which covers the United States.
- What must the family in Cameroon do?
- Obtain a prefectural order from the senior divisional officer for the city of entry and an authorization to bury from the authorities where the burial will take place, and send both to the funeral home before the file is mailed.
- How much does the embassy charge?
- The form states a postal money order of $181.82 payable to the Embassy of Cameroon. Confirm the amount before buying the money order.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. The form carries COVID-19 provisions, and the consular page and the form differ on whether the application is made in person or by mail. Confirm documents, fees, route and receiving arrangements for the individual case. Contact Vargas–London with the origin and destination to discuss the next step without sending medical or identity documents through the inquiry form.
