Repatriation from Singapore to Hong Kong

Hong Kong has its own rules, separate from China. For a body, the Hong Kong Department of Health requires a written import permit, applied for with form DH 2437. The permit is free of charge, and for an arrival by air the application must be in at least two working days before the body arrives. Importing cremated ashes does not require an application to the Hong Kong Government.

• The family, a friend or an agent such as a funeral undertaker or airline agent can apply, stating their relationship to the deceased and who authorised them. • For an arrival by air the application goes to the Airport Section of the Port Health Office, which is open 24 hours. Emailing it in advance is the recommended method. • Documents must be in Chinese or English. Otherwise they must be translated and certified by the relevant embassy or a notary public. • If the documents are inadequate or inaccurate, the Port Health Officer may refuse the permit, or transfer the body to a public mortuary for the Coroner. Deaths are reported to the Coroner, and a decision on an autopsy can take one to two working days. • Scattering ashes in a Garden of Remembrance run by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is applied for separately with the FEHD. Ask the receiving side.

We have no confirmation of extra steps for a deceased who is not a Hong Kong resident. Ask the receiving side or the Port Health Office before you book.

Sending remains: • Death certificate, with the name matching the passport • Embalming certificate • Coffin sealing certificate • NEA coffin export permit (your funeral director applies for it) • Passport or travel document of the deceased • Form DH 2437, completed (the Hong Kong import permit application) • Applicant's identity document: original and photocopy • Photocopies of the deceased's passport and the death certificate • Autopsy report, if there is one

Sending ashes: • Death certificate • Cremation certificate • Urn sealing certificate • Passport or travel document of the deceased • The airline's own requirements for carrying ashes (ask before you book)

Kenneth coordinates the Singapore side: the funeral director, embalming and sealing (for remains), the NEA coffin export permit (for remains), the booking with the airline cargo, and the paperwork above. Delivery is to Hong Kong (HKG) airport cargo.

Not included: the journey from the airport to the home town, and any prayers or wake held in Singapore before departure. Those are separate and are paid for by the family. For a Work Permit holder or a domestic helper, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower puts the cost of returning the body on the employer, so the employer arranges it. See Sending a Body or Ashes Overseas for the Singapore side in detail.