[Funeral Knowledge] Procedures for Transportation of Remains to Mainland China for Burial
- sky5118
- Mar 25
- 7 min read
Hong Kong is an international metropolis and every year, people from different regions come to Hong Kong to seek development opportunities, and the employment of foreign domestic helpers by many families is the best example. Apart from FDHs, in view of the relationship between Hong Kong and Mainland China, many people who come to Hong Kong for development are mostly from Mainland China. In the unfortunate event that a person who comes to work in Hong Kong passes away in Hong Kong, most of them tend to send their bodies back to their hometowns; in addition, even for those who have emigrated to Hong Kong for many years and have settled down in Hong Kong, they also have the tendency to send their bodies back to their hometowns and deal with the after-death matters in their hometowns, so the demand for the transportation of bodies from Hong Kong to the Mainland of China has become increasingly large in recent years. However, there are a number of documents and issues involved in the transportation of dead bodies from Hong Kong to other countries, which may be confusing to the inexperienced. In this article, we have organized the process, documents and related matters that need to be paid attention to, so that those who intend to ship the body of their deceased relatives to Mainland China can prepare for the relevant procedures.
Why is there a need to transport remains to the Mainland?
Before we look at the process of transporting the remains to Mainland China, let's first explore why so many people who passed away in Hong Kong prefer to have their bodies transported all the way back to Mainland China instead of being cremated or buried in Hong Kong. One of the reasons why many people from the Mainland would like to send their bodies back to the Mainland is that the concept of “returning leaves to the roots” is deeply rooted in the minds of some Chinese, who believe that it is best to rest in peace in their hometowns after their deaths. Therefore, no matter where the deceased had settled during their lifetime, many of them would like to send their bodies back to their hometowns in the Mainland of China for cremation in the Mainland of China or for interment in the Mainland of China's columbarium niches after death, In addition, the concept of “returning the leaves to the roots” is particularly common in the minds of the elderly. Therefore, many elderly people who passed away in Hong Kong have the wish to have their bodies returned to the Mainland for burial, so that they can rest in peace in their hometowns. As a result, there is an increasing demand for services to transport bodies from Hong Kong to the Mainland of China.
What documents do I need to prepare for the transportation of remains to the Mainland?
In order to transport the body to Mainland China, the family members of the deceased should first prepare the following necessary documents for the departure of the body from Hong Kong and the entry into Mainland China:
Death Certificate:
A death certificate is an official document issued by the Immigration Department to certify that the deceased has officially passed away. Therefore, it is very important to provide the death certificate to the mainland authorities when transporting the body to the Mainland.
Proof of identity document:
In order to transport the body of the deceased from Hong Kong to Mainland China, it is necessary to prepare identification documents such as the Hong Kong Identity Card and Home Visit Permit of the deceased to prove the identity of the body during the transportation procedure.
Permit for Removal of Dead Body from Hong Kong:
This permit is issued by the Immigration Department and allows the legal removal of the body from Hong Kong.
Permission for burial and entry documents from the Mainland:
When applying for the transportation of the body to the Mainland, the applicant should present to the relevant authorities the documents permitting the burial of the body to be moved to the local cemetery or crematorium upon arrival in the Mainland, as well as the original and duplicate copies of the documents permitting the entry of the body into Hong Kong.
Regardless of whether the destination is China or the rest of the world, there are a number of documents and formalities that need to be handled for the transportation of the body out of the country. It is recommended that a professional funeral service company be appointed to assist the relatives in need in handling the relevant matters, so as to ensure that the body arrives at the destination smoothly. Envoy Social Enterprise can provide professional funeral transportation services to help the relatives to sort out the details of the documentation process. Contact us now to find out more.
Major Processes for Transportation of Remains to the Mainland
The following procedures are required for transportation of the remains of a deceased person out of Hong Kong and then to the Mainland:
Registration of death: Before the transportation of the remains, relatives need to register the death of the deceased and obtain the necessary documents such as the death certificate;
Contacting the funeral service: Choose a funeral service provider such as Paradise Se which provides body transportation service, and the funeral service provider will assist in handling the relevant documents and procedures for body transportation;
Application for Permit for Removal of Remains: Funeral service providers will handle the application for Permit for Removal of Dead Body from Hong Kong and Permit for Removal of Dead Body into Hong Kong on behalf of the relatives;
Arrangement of transportation: Depending on the destination of the body to be transported and the budget, etc., the deceased's body will be transported to the Mainland of China by land or by air, etc., and the details of the transportation of the body to the Mainland will be arranged with the transportation personnel;
Departure from Hong Kong and entry into the Mainland: to complete the formalities for departure from Hong Kong and entry into the Mainland, and to transport the body to the designated destination;
After-death arrangements: after the smooth transfer of the deceased's body to the Mainland, cremation of the body or burial in a cemetery will be arranged according to the wishes of the deceased.
Channels for transportation of remains to the Mainland
Depending on factors such as the budget of the deceased's relatives or the distance between the destination and Hong Kong, the decision to transport the body from Hong Kong to the Mainland will be made by “land” or “air” transportation:
Land Transportation
Land transportation refers to the transportation of the body to the Mainland through the Liantang or Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Points for immigration clearance, and the body will be transported to the destination preferred by the deceased or his/her relatives to deal with his/her after-death arrangements. Transportation by land is a relatively flexible way of transporting the body, the cost is relatively low, but the time required for transportation from Hong Kong to the Mainland is longer, so most of the people who want to transport the body to the Mainland usually choose the land transportation method.
Air Transportation
Air transportation refers to the use of passenger planes to transport dead bodies to other places. Air transportation is currently the fastest way of transporting bodies, but due to the high cost, fewer people would choose this method. Generally, when the destination is farther away from Hong Kong, they would choose to transport the body from Hong Kong to Mainland China by air.
Handling of after-death matters after repatriation of the remains to the Mainland
As with the after-death arrangements in Hong Kong, after the body is transported from Hong Kong to the Mainland, the family can choose to have the body cremated and then buried in a columbarium or in a cemetery, taking into account the cost estimate, local funeral customs or personal preference:
Cremation
Similar to the situation in Hong Kong, cremation is one of the most common ways to dispose of the body. After transporting the body to the Mainland, cremation can be carried out at a funeral parlour after the funeral service. Depending on the wishes of the deceased and his/her family members, the ashes can be placed in a columbarium, or scattered at sea or in a garden, which are green funeral options.
Burial in Cemeteries
Some families may choose to bury their bodies in cemeteries due to traditional concepts, wishes of the deceased, or funeral customs in China, etc. Therefore, earth burials and burials in cemeteries in the Mainland are more common than in Hong Kong. There are more choices of cemeteries in the Mainland of China and the costs are relatively lower, so relatives can choose a cemetery that best meets their wishes and budgets before shipping the body to the Mainland, so that the body can be buried as soon as possible after transportation to the Mainland.
Points to note for repatriation of dead bodies to the Mainland
There are a few points to note in the process of transportation of dead bodies to the Mainland:
Funeral Culture Differences between Hong Kong and China
Although Hong Kong and the Mainland are culturally very close to each other, there are some differences in funeral customs. When transporting the body to the Mainland and arranging for the after-death arrangements, relatives should first understand the differences in funeral culture between the two places and choose to carry out the funeral ceremonies according to the local traditions.
Choosing a Professional Funeral Service Provider
Cross-border transportation of dead bodies involves complicated procedures and may take a longer time for those who do not have the relevant experience. Families are advised to choose a reputable funeral service provider with experience in body transportation, such as Envoy Social Enterprises, to ensure that the whole process of body transportation can be carried out smoothly when sending the body back to the Mainland from Hong Kong.
List of hospitals in Hong Kong that can transport dead bodies to the Mainland
Due to hygiene and body handling factors, bodies are usually stored in mortuaries of public and private hospitals before transportation to the Mainland. Below is the list of private hospitals that can transport dead bodies to the Mainland:
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hospital
Hong Kong Adventist Hospital - Tsuen Wan
Union Hospital
Evangel Hospital
Hong Kong Baptist Hospital
Precious Blood Hospital (Caritas)
St. Teresa's Hospital
Canossa Hospital (Caritas)
Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong
Hong Kong Adventist Hospital
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
Matilda International Hospital
St. Paul's Hospital
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