Reviewed by Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) ·
Texas falls under the consulate in Miami
Uruguay’s embassy lists the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Uruguay in Miami as Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Puerto Rico, among others. It gives the address as 2103 Coral Way #600, Miami, FL 33145, the telephones (305) 443-7453 and (305) 443-7253, and the email cgmiami@mrree.gub.uy. The Texas Secretary of State’s list shows the honorary consul’s post in Dallas as vacant and an honorary consul in Houston. The documents below go to the consulate, so write to Miami first.
Documents the embassy lists for a body
Uruguay is unusually clear. The embassy’s page on how to transfer the remains of a deceased person lists what is presented to the consulate: a letter from the relatives or friends requesting the transfer, for which the page offers a model; the death certificate, apostilled; the certificate of embalming and closing of the casket, apostilled, with a notarized letter from the funeral home stating that the certificate is an original from the health department; the authorization of the transfer, which it calls the transit burial permit, issued by the health department; and a certificate that the person did not die of an infectious disease, issued by the health department and accepted with a notarized note from the funeral home saying it is an original.
The family also presents a note saying when and how the transfer will take place, with the day and the flight number, so that the consulate can issue what the page calls an additional boarding certificate. That means the flight has to be chosen before the consular step is finished, and changed flights need to be reported to Miami.
Ashes
For ashes or reduced remains the embassy’s page says the same procedure applies, with the cremation certificate, notarized by the funeral home and apostilled, in place of the embalming certificate. Uruguay’s Ministry of Public Health states on its procedure for the entry of bodies and human remains that the entry of ashes does not require a sanitary authorization. The consular documents are still needed.
Health authorization in Uruguay, twelve hours ahead
The health ministry’s procedure requires a sanitary authorization for a body. The funeral company responsible for moving the remains from the point of entry files the documents and the application form, and the request must be lodged at the health post at least twelve hours before arrival. For an arrival by air that is the air health unit at Carrasco airport, which the page lists with the email sanidadaerea@msp.gub.uy. The page says the procedure has no cost. When the remains arrive, the embassy’s page adds, the national customs office must stamp the documentation.
Choose the receiving funeral company before the flight is booked, because it is the one that files this request, and ask it to confirm by email that the authorization has been requested.
If the death was from an infectious disease
The two official pages are not worded the same way, and the difference matters. The embassy’s page says that where the cause of death was an infectious illness, the transfer of the body or remains will not be accepted until ten years have passed. The health ministry’s procedure says that in such a case the shipment may not begin until the entry authorization has already been issued by the health authorities. If this applies to your relative, raise it with the consulate in Miami and with the receiving funeral company before any preparation, and ask for the answer in writing.
Apostille
The HCCH status table shows that Uruguay acceded to the Apostille Convention on February 9, 2012 and that it entered into force on October 14, 2012. The embassy’s apostille page says that since then documents issued by United States authorities have to be apostilled to be valid in Uruguay, and that legalization at the consulate is no longer necessary. For a death in Dallas the apostilles on the death certificate and on the notarized funeral home documents are issued by the state; see the Texas Secretary of State authentication FAQ. The pages read do not say whether a Spanish translation is required; ask Miami.
Recording the death, and what help to expect
The embassy explains that the death of a Uruguayan citizen abroad can be registered in the Uruguayan civil register. Two people appear at a consular appointment with their identity documents and present the death certificate, apostilled where it was issued, with the person’s details. The page shows two different fees for the same procedure, so confirm the amount when you book.
The foreign ministry says of Uruguayan citizens who die abroad that, depending on the circumstances of the case, the consulate may assist the relatives with the paperwork for the repatriation. It does not say that the state pays. The insurance and assistance guide lists other places to ask.
From DFW to Montevideo
American Airlines publishes a route page from Dallas/Fort Worth to Montevideo (MVD), Carrasco International Airport, that describes 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, and LATAM Cargo publishes a human remains service page without naming routes. The embassy itself recommends asking the airline whether it performs this kind of transfer and what it requires.
| Step | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Death certificate, casket certificate, health letter | The funeral director here |
| Apostilles on Texas documents | Texas Secretary of State |
| Request letter, flight note and boarding certificate | Consulate General of Uruguay in Miami |
| Sanitary authorization, 12 hours before arrival | The receiving funeral company, at Carrasco |
| Customs stamp on arrival | National customs office, through the funeral company |
| Acceptance of the casket and the flight | The airline’s cargo desk |
Questions families ask about a return to Uruguay
- Which Uruguayan consulate covers Dallas?
- The Consulate General in Miami. The embassy’s page lists Texas in Miami’s jurisdiction.
- Do the documents need an apostille?
- Yes. The embassy’s list asks for the death certificate and the embalming or cremation certificate to be apostilled, and says consular legalization is no longer necessary.
- Do ashes need a health permit to enter Uruguay?
- No. The Ministry of Public Health states that the entry of ashes does not require a sanitary authorization. The consular documents are still needed.
Sources checked and case confirmation
Sources checked September 21, 2026. The embassy’s page is dated 2021 and the health ministry’s procedure was last updated in November 2020, so confirm both. 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.
