Disposition of Remains 2010 report

The following information is submitted in accordance with U.S government requirements to provide current data on Peru regarding the disposition of remains. This report incorporates changes not previously submitted. 

A. Maximum Period before Interment

Under Peruvian law, embalmed remains may remain unburies for as long as necessary. Unembalmed remains, however, must be interred within 48 hours after the death.

B. Embalming

Peruvian law specifies that remains are to be embalmed within 48 hours of death. In practice, however, a much longer period of time may pass before the embalming takes place. There are several qualifies morticians in Lima; fewer in the outlying provinces. Whether in the capital or outlying areas, embalming falls far below U.S. standards. Complete arterial replacement of bodily fluids is not practiced; and ‘partial’ or ‘segmented’ embalming is the norm. It is common for the embalmer to remove the internal organs of the body during the procedure; internal organs must be removed if the body is to be exported from the country. 

C. Cremation

Local law permits cremation. Remains can be cremated at any of the five locations: the Rimac Hospital, the Navy Hospital, the British Cemetery, Jardines de la Paz Cemetery or the Campo Fe Cemetery. All locations are in Lima, which is the only place in Peru where a cremation may be preformed. 

D. Caskets and Containers

When human remains are to be transported out of the country, they are placed in a hermetically sealed metal coffin which is in turn place in a wooden coffin. The wooden coffin is place in a wooden shipping case for shipment by air. The coffins are of good quality, and are suitable for direct burial upon return of remains. 

E. Exportation of Remains

Local requirements for exportation of  human remains are as follows:

1. Embalming the remains.
2. Placement of the remains in appropriate caskets and containers, as described in paragraph ‘D’.
3. Authorization from local civil authorities (the Fiscal).
4. Authorization of the Doctor who preformed the autopsy.
5. A transit permit from the Peruvian Ministry of Health.
6. Authorization of the International Health Office in Callao
7. Authorization of Customs and the Peruvian Airport Corporation.
8. Authorization of the Airline 

F. Costs

Cost for mortuary services and funerals in Peru are comparatively expensive, and in many cases substantially higher than the equivalent services in the United States. Despite the high costs, services and available facilities generally fall far below U.S. standards.

Approximate Prices in dollars:

Airfreight to Lima

Additional transportation expenses will be incurred for deaths outside Lima for transportation of remains to the capital. Air freight charges to Lima from Arequipa, Cuzco and Iquitos are approximately $325.

International Airfreight

Average weight of caskets and containers required for export is 220kg (including body and packing materials).

Below are the approximate prices for air shipment from Lima to various points in the U.S.:

Human Remains Surcharge (Handling): $ 71.40

Ashes sent to the United States: Airfreight

Total Cost

Below are preparation and freight charges for shipment of remains from Lima to several U.S. cities (Handling): $ 71.40

G. Exhumation and Shipment

Exhumation is permitted no sooner than 2 years after the burial if the body has not been embalmed.  If the body has been embalmed, exhumation is permitted at any time.  Authorization from the Lima Welfare Office is required for exhumation of remains.