Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
The Ecuadorian consulate listed for Texas
The Texas Secretary of State’s list of foreign consulates shows Ecuador’s Consul General at 2603 Augusta Drive, Suite 810, Houston, Texas 77057, telephone 713-572-8731. We could not open the Ecuadorian foreign ministry’s own consulate pages on September 21, 2026, so we cannot tell you from an official source whether an honorary consul nearer to Dallas handles any of this. Call Houston first and ask which office a family in North Texas should use, and whether the documents can be handled by mail or through the funeral director.
The health authorization Ecuador requires
Ecuador’s Ministry of Public Health publishes the sanitary authorization for bringing a body, ashes or remains into Ecuadorian territory. Its mandatory requirements are a death certificate, or the equivalent document of the country where the death occurred, apostilled or legalized, in the original language and translated into Spanish; an embalming or cremation certificate, apostilled or legalized; a transfer permit issued by the competent authority of that country showing the person’s name, age, place and cause of death; and the identity card, passport or refugee card of the relative or applicant.
After a violent death the page also asks for a certified copy of the medico-legal autopsy report, legalized and apostilled. It states that the procedure has no cost and that families deal with the health professionals assigned to the international points of entry, among them Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito and José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil. Processing by email is offered only for Quito.
How the Texas documents fit that list
The transfer permit on the ministry’s list corresponds to the Texas Burial-Transit Permit, which the funeral director obtains from the local registrar. The death certificate and the embalming or cremation certificate need an apostille or legalization and a Spanish translation. Ask the receiving funeral home in Ecuador whether the health office at the arrival airport wants anything beyond the published list, and get the answer in writing before the flight is booked.
An embalming or cremation certificate is mandatory on that list. If your family wishes to avoid embalming, ask before any preparation begins. The guide to faith and family preferences explains what Texas itself requires.
The apostille
The HCCH status table shows that Ecuador acceded to the Apostille Convention on July 2, 2004 and that it entered into force for Ecuador on April 2, 2005. Texas documents are apostilled by the Texas Secretary of State; its authentication FAQ explains how. Order enough certified copies of the death certificate for the apostille, the airline, the consular registration and the family.
Customs does not tax a casket or an urn
Ecuador’s customs service, SENAE, states that the import of caskets or urns containing a body or human remains is exempt from all foreign-trade taxes, except fees for customs services. To obtain the exemption it asks for a simplified customs declaration, the transport document, the death certificate and the ministry’s sanitary authorization. The same page describes the filing: the consignee writes a petition to withdraw the casket or urn and delivers it, with the transport document and the death certificate, to the primary zone office of the customs district, and it says customs procedures themselves have no cost. The receiving funeral home normally files these; ask who will do it and whether any service fee applies.
A state programme for families without means
Ecuador runs a formal programme, and the rules are published. The foreign ministry’s procedure for the repatriation of bodies or transfer of remains is addressed to relatives of Ecuadorians who died abroad who are in a situation of economic and social vulnerability, after a declaration of vulnerability that establishes the lack of sufficient resources. The family presents a written request to the Ecuadorian consulate, or to the ministry’s zonal office in Ecuador, by email or in person, and consular staff review the documents and accompany the process.
The page says the procedure has no cost and that what is issued is valid for 30 days, unless rules or proceedings in the country of death prevent that. It names the Dirección de Protección a Ecuatorianos en el Exterior as the contact. Acceptance depends on the ministry’s evaluation, so keep other plans moving while you wait. The insurance and assistance guide lists other places to ask.
Registering the death at the consulate
The ministry also publishes the registration of a death that occurred abroad, made before diplomatic or consular agents. It asks for the applicant’s identity document and the death certificate, or its equivalent issued by the health professional who attended the death, apostilled or legalized and translated where needed, plus a special power of attorney if a third party files. Registration within 48 hours of the death is free; after 48 hours the page lists a charge of $5.00. Forty-eight hours is rarely possible from Texas, because the certificate itself takes longer, so expect the small fee.
From DFW to Quito or Guayaquil
American Airlines publishes route pages from Dallas/Fort Worth to Quito (UIO) and to Guayaquil (GYE), each described as nonstop or connecting service, so ask which applies on the proposed date. American Airlines Cargo’s TLC page says its specialists work directly with funeral homes and mortuaries on the advance arrangements. A passenger route does not by itself mean a casket will be accepted on a given flight. Choose the arrival airport with the receiving funeral home, because the health authorization is handled at the point of entry.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Which consular office serves North Texas | Consulate General of Ecuador in Houston |
| Apostille on Texas documents | Texas Secretary of State, through the funeral director |
| Sanitary authorization for entry | Ministry of Public Health staff at the arrival airport |
| Customs exemption for the casket or urn | SENAE, usually through the receiving funeral home |
| State help for a family without means | The consulate, which refers the case to the foreign ministry |
| Acceptance of the casket and the flight | The airline’s cargo desk |
Questions families ask about a return to Ecuador
- Does Ecuador charge for the health authorization?
- No. The Ministry of Public Health’s published procedure says it has no cost. It requires an apostilled or legalized death certificate translated into Spanish, an embalming or cremation certificate and a transfer permit.
- Does Ecuador help pay for a repatriation?
- It has a published programme for relatives in economic and social vulnerability. The family applies in writing through the consulate, and the ministry evaluates the case.
- Is a casket taxed on arrival?
- SENAE states that caskets and urns containing human remains are exempt from foreign-trade taxes, except fees for customs services.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. Government pages change without notice, and the ministry’s consulate directory could not be opened on that date. Confirm documents, 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.
