Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
Start with the consulate in Houston
Panama has no consulate in Dallas. The Embassy of Panama’s consular directory sends residents of Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma to the Consulate General in Houston, at 24 Greenway Plaza, Suite 710, Houston, Texas 77046. The consulate’s own contact page gives the same address, the telephone (713) 622-4451 and the email info@conpahouston.com, and says its lobby is open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The embassy directory also lists a WhatsApp and emergency number, (832) 829-0855.
The consulate’s site lists services such as authentications, passports and safe-conducts, but it does not publish a procedure for the transfer of a person who has died. Your first call should ask one thing: which office will process the documents for this case, Houston or Washington?
The checklist the embassy publishes
The only published list we found is on the embassy’s site, Transportation of Human Remains, also in Spanish. For an embalmed body it asks for original documents: the death certificate, a health certificate, a notarized transit permit and a notarized embalming certificate. For cremated remains it asks for the original death certificate, a notarized cremation certificate and a notarized burial-transit permit.
The page states a consular fee of $30.00 per document, payable by money order made out to the Consulate of Panama, and asks for a self-addressed, prepaid envelope for the return of the documents. That fee is for consular processing; it has nothing to do with the cost of transport. Confirm the amount with the office that will handle your case before buying the money order.
Where the documents go
The embassy checklist gives a mailing address in Washington: Consulado de Panamá, 2862 McGill Terrace, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008. It does not mention Houston. Because original documents and a money order are involved, ask the Houston consulate in writing whether it will process them or whether they must go to Washington, and how long the return usually takes. Do not book a flight around an assumed turnaround.
What the checklist does not say
Three things are missing from the published checklist, and only the consulate can settle them. It does not say who must issue the health certificate. Dallas County does have a letter of this kind: its forensic institute tells funeral homes they can request a non-communicable disease letter by email for medical examiner cases, and sends other cases to the county health department at (214) 819-2000. Ask the consulate whether it accepts that letter as the health certificate. It does not say whether the documents need an apostille or a Spanish translation. It does not say whether any authorization from Panama’s Ministry of Health must be obtained for arrival at Tocumen International Airport. We looked for an official ministry or airport page on this and did not find one.
Notice also that an embalming certificate is on the list. If your family wishes to avoid embalming, ask the consulate before any preparation begins. The guide to faith and family preferences explains what Texas itself requires.
If an apostille is requested
Panama is a party to the Apostille Convention. The HCCH status table shows accession on October 30, 1990 and entry into force for Panama on August 4, 1991. So if the consulate or a Panamanian office asks for an apostille on the Texas death certificate, it is issued by the state; the Texas Secretary of State authentication FAQ explains how. Order enough certified copies, because an original goes to the consulate and others are needed here and for the registration below.
Registering the death in Panama
Panama’s government portal publishes the Electoral Tribunal’s requirements for registering a death that occurred abroad. The death certificate must state the cause of death; if it does not, the applicant makes a sworn statement before the Civil Registry. Simple photocopies of the identity card or passport of the person who died and of the applicant are required. A surviving spouse, a parent, a child or a sibling may file, or a lawyer with a notarized power of attorney.
The page adds that a required Spanish translation must be made by a public translator authorized in Panama, and that when the certificate carries an apostille, the apostille must be translated too. It says the registration can also be made in the country where the death occurred, if there is a Panamanian consulate and the person was a Panamanian national. It gives a duration of about ten business days from a complete filing and lists the procedure as free of charge.
Carriers and airports
Copa Cargo lists a Human Remains (HUM) service with the highest boarding priority. That is a product description, not confirmation of a route from Dallas. The only Texas nonstop we could confirm on an official page is from Austin: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announced Copa’s nonstop to Panama City in August 2023, operating four times a week at launch. Ask the funeral director which carrier and which departure airport are proposed, and who will meet the flight at Tocumen.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Which office processes the documents | Consulate General of Panama in Houston |
| Health certificate, translations and apostille | The processing consulate, in writing |
| Apostille on the Texas death certificate, if requested | Texas Secretary of State, through the funeral director |
| Acceptance of the casket, route and departure airport | The airline’s cargo department |
| Registration of the death | Civil Registry of the Electoral Tribunal, or the consulate for a Panamanian national |
Questions families ask about a return to Panama
- Is there a Panamanian consulate in Dallas?
- No. The embassy’s directory sends Texas residents to the Consulate General in Houston, at 24 Greenway Plaza, Suite 710.
- What documents does Panama ask for?
- The embassy’s checklist asks for an original death certificate, an original health certificate, a notarized transit permit and a notarized embalming certificate. Cremated remains need fewer documents.
- How much is the consular fee?
- The embassy’s page states $30.00 per document, by money order to the Consulate of Panama. Confirm the amount with the office that will process your case.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. The airport announcement dates from 2023, and consular pages change without notice. 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.
