Death of An American Citizen

WHEN AN AMERICAN DIES IN NEW CALEDONIA
(Procedures are similar for Wallis and Futuna)

WHAT HAPPENS FIRST : Within 24 hours of the death, someone, not necessarily a member of the family, must go to the morgue to have an  official death certificate issued.
 
INITIAL DEATH CERTIFICATE (Doctor’s Certificate) : The doctor issues a certificate confirming the death.   If the death is not natural, ie. as a result of accident, violence, suicide, etc. the gendarmes or police  have to be called and only the coroner can then issue the death certificate.

If the person died of an infectious disease, the body must be placed immediately in a zinc-lined coffin, which will then be hermetically sealed and a certificate certifying that the body does not pose a public health threat has to be issued.   In all cases, the body is then taken to the municipal morgue in Noumea or to the deceased’s home.

Documents required for the official death certificate:   The person requesting the certificate must present an official form of identification (passport, French national ID card) along with the deceased’s official ID and the doctor’s death certificate.  The person will also be asked to provide the details of the deceased’s life e.g. home address and profession, name of spouse if the deceased was married, widowed or divorced; the names, addresses and professions of the deceased’s mother and father.

Two copies of the official death certificate will be issued usually the next day.  They must be signed by the person who requested the certificate.   If the deceased is to be buried locally, a burial permit will also be issued.   It should be noted that burial plots have limited time spans, 5 years; 15 years or perpetuity, and the prices and terms are set by the local municipality.

Cremation : Transport of the body from the place of death has to be arranged with one of the mortuary transport (hearse) services and a fee is charged in line with the number of kilometers between the place of death and the morgue/home.  The body is kept in a cold storage unit at the morgue and then prepared and placed in a coffin according to the arrangements made with one of the local licensed funeral homes.   These services must be reimbursed.

If a member of the deceased’s family is present, he/she can decide to have the body cremated and take the ashes along with him/her when they leave the territory.

Cremation can usually be arranged fairly quickly, thereby reducing the charges at the morgue. Requirements for air transport of the ashes depend on the air company used but do not generally pose any specific problem.

Exportation of Remains : If the deceased’s body is to be repatriated to the US by air, it has to be placed in a hermetically sealed coffin, and proof of the arrangements for burial upon arrival at the destination must be provided before the High Commission will issue the order releasing the body for air transport.
Proof of burial arrangements can be provided by the funeral home handling the burial in the U.S.,  but in any event, a copy of the burial permit is required.

The U.S. Embassy will work with the funeral home in Noumea chosen by the family to prepare the required documents for transport of remains to the U.S.   Some of the requirements for the transport of coffins depend on the airlines, i.e. Qantas, Air France/Aircalin, Air New Zealand, and the authorities of any country the coffin will be transiting on its way to the U.S. 
Since there are no direct flights from New Caledonia to any point in the United States,  it can take as much as two weeks to work out all the formalities, particularly if no direct family member is in New Caledonia to take care of these matters.
                                          
The cost for shipment of remains to the United States will depend on the route chosen, but it can be very expensive from New Caledonia, often double or triple the price of a full fare for a living person.  Family members should carefully confirm with the funeral home the complete cost before authorizing payment of any kind.

Funeral Homes and/or Local Officials in New Caledonia who can assist with arrangements :

-     Pompes funebres Noumeennes, 22 rue Dame Lechanteur, Orphelinat, Noumea.
          Phone : 9687) 28 15 73 Fax : (687) 25 24 35. Website : www.neologis.nc/pfn

- Transcorps/Cineris Crematorium de Noumea/Transmortem,/pompes funebres caledoniennes,
          Centre commercial La Belle Vie, 224 rue Jacques IEKAWE, BP 30541, Noumea 98895,
           Phone : 44 50 21 Fax : 44 54 74 Email : transcorps@lagoon.nc

- Pompes funebres transfuneraires, 230 rue Jacques IEKAWE, BP 7766, 98801 Noumea
     Cedex, Phone : 41 11 11 Fax : 44 11 91

- Koumac Funeraire, 238 rue Charles Bailley, lotissement Siquieros, BP 308, Koumac 98850
             Phone : 44 43 59 (this is at the northern end of New Caledonia)

Municipal Morgue/Cemetery :

-    Centre funeraire municipal, 217 rue Jacques IEKAWE, Noumea
             Phone : 43 22 88 Fax : 41 21 82

Wallis and Futuna:   We have requested a list from Wallis and Futuna, but have not yet received this information.