A Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad is the U.S. government’s record of a citizen’s death in another country. It is based on the local death certificate, and families use it to settle U.S. estates, claim insurance and benefits, and close accounts at home.
It is also needed in the other direction: when property or an inheritance sits in a third country, that country may want the U.S. report apostilled alongside the local death certificate.
The report is a State Department document, so it takes a federal apostille. Order certified copies from Passport Services, Vital Records Section, with Form DS-5542, and we take them to the Office of Authentications.
At a glance
Things worth knowing
- The local death certificate is a separate document, apostilled by the country where the death happened, not by the U.S.
- Order several certified copies at once. Banks, insurers and foreign courts each tend to keep one.
- Estate paperwork usually travels with it: a court appointment of the executor, or a power of attorney, each of which may need its own apostille. See power of attorney apostille.
- Deaths inside the U.S. are recorded by the state, not the State Department. See death certificate apostille.
How it works
Step 1
Order certified copies
From Passport Services, Vital Records Section, using Form DS-5542.
Step 2
Send them to us
We check each is certified with the seal and signature intact.
Step 3
Federal apostille
Submitted to the Office of Authentications, government fee included.
Step 4
Back to you
Tracked and insured, or on to an embassy if needed.
Consular Report of Death Abroad Apostille: common questions
Who apostilles a Consular Report of Death Abroad?
The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications. It is a federal document, so no state can.
Do I also need the foreign death certificate?
Often, yes. The foreign certificate is authenticated by the country that issued it, under its own rules.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
U.S. Dept. of State, Form DS-5542
Ready to get started?
Have the certified copies? Book the federal apostille online.
Related: Death certificate apostille · Consular Report of Birth Abroad · Federal apostille