Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
The embassy in Washington handles every case
Tanzania has no consulate in Texas; the Texas Secretary of State’s list of foreign consulates has no entry for it. The Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania in Washington is responsible for relations with the United States, and its site names no other Tanzanian office in the country. The embassy’s contact page gives the address as 1232 22nd St. NW, Washington D.C. 20037, the telephones (202) 884-1080 and (202) 939-6125, the email ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org, and office hours of Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A Dallas family deals with Washington by courier and email.
The seven documents the embassy lists
The embassy’s page on shipping human remains sets out the requirements for permission to ship a body to Tanzania: one certified copy of the death certificate; the burial transit permit; a letter of non-contagious disease from the local health department; a notarized embalmment letter or certificate of embalmment; the passport of the person who died; two passport-size photographs if that passport cannot be found; and a letter from the funeral director. The same list appears on the embassy’s page of consular information for Tanzanian nationals, which also asks the next of kin to inform the nearest Tanzanian mission of a death abroad.
All documents are sent to the embassy in Washington for authentication and for the issue of an embassy permit to ship the remains. The page says that if all documents are correct and accepted, the permission will be issued immediately. It does not state a fee, a payment method or how to send originals, so ask the embassy before using a courier, and include a prepaid return envelope if it asks for one.
What the list assumes
The embassy’s list assumes embalming and a casket. It says nothing about cremated remains, and we found no Tanzanian page that does. If the family plans to carry ashes, ask the embassy in writing what it requires, and ask the airline about the container. If embalming is a concern for religious reasons, raise it with the embassy before any preparation begins; the guide to faith and family preferences explains what Texas itself requires.
Tanzania is outside the apostille system
Tanzania does not appear in the HCCH status table of parties to the Apostille Convention, so a Texas apostille is not what makes a document valid there. For the shipment itself the embassy authenticates the documents it receives. If a court, bank or registry in Tanzania later needs the Texas death certificate, the Texas Secretary of State’s authentication page explains that a country outside the Convention requires the state’s certificate and then the Office of Authentications at the U.S. State Department. Ask the embassy whether it wants that chain completed before it authenticates.
Death records in Tanzania
Tanzania’s registration agency, RITA, publishes its death registration procedure in Swahili. It describes deaths inside the country: the burial permit is issued at the health facility where the death occurred, and registration should take place within 30 days, after which it is treated as late registration. We found no published procedure for recording a death that occurred abroad. Order extra certified copies of the Texas death certificate for the family in Tanzania, who may need them for land, pensions or inheritance.
Routes and what airlines publish
We found no airline page showing a direct flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Tanzania, or confirming a routing from Dallas for human remains, so expect the casket to connect at least once. Ethiopian Airlines Cargo’s FAQ shows the kind of documents a carrier on these routes asks for: a letter of embalming, a death certificate that clearly states the cause of death, the passport or other identification of the person who died, and the shipper’s valid identification. Kenya Airways Cargo lists a product called KQ Repatriation. Decide with the receiving family whether the arrival airport is Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar, and let the cargo agent propose the connection.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Death certificate, transit permit, embalming letter | The funeral director here |
| Letter of non-contagious disease | The local health department |
| Authentication and the embassy permit | Embassy of Tanzania in Washington |
| Collection and burial | The receiving family or funeral home in Tanzania |
| Carrier, connection and arrival airport | An air cargo agent or the airline’s cargo desk |
Who pays
We found no official Tanzanian statement about paying for a return, in either direction. The embassy’s consular page asks families to inform the mission of a death but does not describe financial help. Plan on the family, an insurer, an employer or a community association meeting the cost. The insurance and assistance guide lists places to ask.
Questions families ask about a return to Tanzania
- Is there a Tanzanian consulate in Texas?
- No. The embassy in Washington handles cases for the whole United States, and the Texas Secretary of State lists no Tanzanian consulate.
- What documents does Tanzania require?
- The embassy lists a certified death certificate, burial transit permit, letter of non-contagious disease, notarized embalmment letter, the passport or two photographs, and a letter from the funeral director. The embassy then issues a permit to ship.
- Does a Texas apostille work for Tanzania?
- Tanzania is not listed as a party to the Apostille Convention. The embassy authenticates the shipment documents itself.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. The embassy publishes no fee, no procedure for ashes and no list of what Tanzanian health or customs officers ask for on arrival. 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.
