Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
Texas falls under the consulate in Miami
Jamaica has no consulate general in Texas. The Embassy of Jamaica’s list of consular service areas places Texas under the Consulate General in Miami, together with Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and other southern states. The foreign ministry’s directory of consulates general gives its address as Suite 400, 44 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33130, telephone 1 305 374-8431, and the email jamconmia@jamaicacgmiami.org.
The ministry’s published list of documents does not include a consular certificate, so a family may never need to visit Miami. Call or write to ask whether the consulate wants to see anything for your case, and ask it for the names of the offices in Jamaica described below.
What Jamaica expects the family to arrange
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade’s notice on the transportation of human remains to Jamaica says plainly that all arrangements, including the payment of expenses, are the responsibility of the family. It tells the family to engage a funeral home where the death occurred to handle the transport and the airline, to obtain written permission from the local authority for the body to be released to that funeral home, and to engage a funeral home in Jamaica to receive the body and arrange the burial.
It lists the documents that must accompany the body: the official death certificate or post-mortem report; a certificate of release, or transit permit, giving the person’s name and age; an embalming certificate stating how the body was prepared and that the coffin contains only that body; and a statement of assurance that the remains are in a hermetically sealed casket, or a lead coffin where the person died of a communicable disease. For ashes it lists the cremation certificate, the death certificate or post-mortem report, and the transit permit. It also asks for a permit from the health department in Kingston and St. Andrew or its equivalent in Montego Bay.
The health permit, parish by parish
The Ministry of Health and Wellness publishes guidelines for the importation of human remains into Jamaica, dated August 2018. Remains are admitted only if they are cremated and in an urn or other impervious container, or properly embalmed and placed in a hermetically sealed casket when death was caused by a quarantinable communicable disease, or in a leak-proof container for any other cause.
Before the journey, the consignee, who for a body must be a licensed funeral director in Jamaica, obtains a permit from the Medical Officer (Health) for the parish of entry. The written application is accompanied by a copy of the death certificate stating the cause of death, the embalming certificate, the cremation certificate where it applies, and a prescribed fee the guideline states as $10,000.00 or as set by the Minister of Health. An older consular document quotes different amounts, so ask the receiving funeral home what is charged today. A death certificate in another language needs an English translation.
Embalming, and the religious exception
The health ministry’s guideline asks for an embalming certificate “except in specific situations where embalming is prohibited for religious reasons.” It does not describe how that exception is applied. If it matters to your family, ask the receiving funeral home to raise it with the Medical Officer (Health) for the parish before any preparation begins here, and ask for the answer in writing. The guide to faith and family preferences explains what Texas itself requires.
Notice before the flight lands
The same guideline says the airline or the importer should notify the Medical Officer (Health) or Chief Public Health Inspector and the Quarantine Officer at least 24 hours before imported remains arrive, giving the airline, the flight number and the point of entry. Ashes are excepted, provided they travel with their documents. Separately, the Jamaica Customs Agency lists human remains among the items that require a permit before importation. The receiving funeral home normally handles both; confirm that it has before the flight is booked.
Apostille
Jamaica is a recent party to the Apostille Convention. The HCCH status table shows accession on November 2, 2020 and entry into force for Jamaica on July 3, 2021. Neither Jamaican list above asks for an apostille on the documents that travel with the body. If a bank, court or registry in Jamaica later asks for one on the Texas death certificate, it is issued by the state; see the Texas Secretary of State authentication FAQ.
What the government says it cannot pay
The foreign ministry is direct about money. Its page on death, severe injury or critical illness abroad says consular staff cannot pay the expenses of repatriating the remains, cannot pay for relatives to travel, cannot pay for burial or cremation abroad and cannot make an insurance claim for the family. They can help the family coordinate. The insurance and assistance guide lists other places to ask.
From DFW to Montego Bay or Kingston
American Airlines publishes route pages from Dallas/Fort Worth to Montego Bay (MBJ) and to Kingston (KIN), 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. Choose the arrival airport with the receiving funeral home, because the health permit is issued for the parish of entry.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Release of the body and Texas transit permit | The funeral director here |
| Health permit for entry | Medical Officer (Health) for the parish of entry, through the Jamaican funeral home |
| Twenty-four hour arrival notice | The airline or the receiving funeral home |
| Customs permit | Jamaica Customs Agency, through the receiving funeral home |
| Any consular question | Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami |
| Acceptance of the casket and the flight | The airline’s cargo desk |
Questions families ask about a return to Jamaica
- Which Jamaican consulate covers Dallas?
- The Consulate General in Miami. The Embassy of Jamaica’s list of service areas places Texas under Miami.
- Will the Jamaican government pay for the transfer?
- No. The foreign ministry states that consular staff cannot pay the expenses of repatriating remains. They can help the family coordinate.
- Is embalming always required for Jamaica?
- The health ministry’s guideline asks for an embalming certificate except where embalming is prohibited for religious reasons. Ask the parish Medical Officer (Health), through the receiving funeral home, how that applies.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. The foreign ministry’s notice dates from 2016 and the health guideline from 2018, and fees change. 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.
