Until not too many years ago, cremation was illegal in the DR. However, now it is allowed and is done by Funeraria Blandino in its Santo Domingo funeral home. Funeraria Blandino. Republica Dominicana.
Its main branch funeral home is in Santiago. Bodies that it picks up from a home or hospital are sent to Santo Domingo for cremation. A person making use of the Santiago office has the choice of going to Santo Domingo to pick up the ashes when they are ready, or can have Blandino bring them to the Santiago funeral home on one of the frequent trips made by the company between its two branches.
The price price of cremation is approximately US$1,700, substantially more than what is charged in the US. However, there is no competition in the DR, and there are necessary services provided by or arrnged for by the funeral home that are not necessary in the US.
One of these services is to arrange for an autopsy by the government doctors. This is required by the Dominican Republic. No matter what is reported by the doctor who attended the deceased, the designted Dominican doctors make the official autopsy and issue the death certificate. This is all handled by Blandino and the documents will be delilvered to you by them.
The American Consulate issues a "Death of an American Overseas"; I was given 10 copies, all with the important raised seal to prove their authenticity. If you are taking the ashes out of the Dominican Republic, you will also need authorization from the Consulate to transport the ashes into the US. This is also obtained by Blandino.
You should know that before the cremation is done Blandino makes its own investigation. If, for example, you are crematilng your spouse, Blandino will contact your children to see if they approve. I believe this is also something they are required to do.
My thought on these procedures is that the DR doesn't want to become a place where husbands bump off their wife or wives bump off their husbands and get away with the murder. For these reasons I think the government makes its own autopsy and other family members are contacted to see if they are in agreement with the deceased being cremated.
If possible it is advisable to register with Blandino before death occurs, but this is not required. You don't pay until death occurs, but pre registration speeds up the process after death has occured, at time when you don't much feel like answering a lot of questions.
The process I have described is specific for Americans, but I think there is similar procedure for all foreigners who are cremated, except that the embassy or consulate of some other country would be issuing the documents.
The adddresses and phone numbers are on the website that I linked you to above. In terms of directions, I don't know where the Santo Dominigo office is but the Santiago office is accross the street from the big public cemetery. You can't miss the building, it is huge and is well marked with signs.
Taking the ashes into the US is not difficult, except you can be sure that yiou will get some extra attention from the TSA screeners. The ashes appear on the xray screen to be a big black blob with no way of knowing what is inside. However, they are understanding when you explain, and you have the papers issued the the Consulate to show if required. But they will take the box the ashes are in and run it through the xray a second time.
Its main branch funeral home is in Santiago. Bodies that it picks up from a home or hospital are sent to Santo Domingo for cremation. A person making use of the Santiago office has the choice of going to Santo Domingo to pick up the ashes when they are ready, or can have Blandino bring them to the Santiago funeral home on one of the frequent trips made by the company between its two branches.
The price price of cremation is approximately US$1,700, substantially more than what is charged in the US. However, there is no competition in the DR, and there are necessary services provided by or arrnged for by the funeral home that are not necessary in the US.
One of these services is to arrange for an autopsy by the government doctors. This is required by the Dominican Republic. No matter what is reported by the doctor who attended the deceased, the designted Dominican doctors make the official autopsy and issue the death certificate. This is all handled by Blandino and the documents will be delilvered to you by them.
The American Consulate issues a "Death of an American Overseas"; I was given 10 copies, all with the important raised seal to prove their authenticity. If you are taking the ashes out of the Dominican Republic, you will also need authorization from the Consulate to transport the ashes into the US. This is also obtained by Blandino.
You should know that before the cremation is done Blandino makes its own investigation. If, for example, you are crematilng your spouse, Blandino will contact your children to see if they approve. I believe this is also something they are required to do.
My thought on these procedures is that the DR doesn't want to become a place where husbands bump off their wife or wives bump off their husbands and get away with the murder. For these reasons I think the government makes its own autopsy and other family members are contacted to see if they are in agreement with the deceased being cremated.
If possible it is advisable to register with Blandino before death occurs, but this is not required. You don't pay until death occurs, but pre registration speeds up the process after death has occured, at time when you don't much feel like answering a lot of questions.
The process I have described is specific for Americans, but I think there is similar procedure for all foreigners who are cremated, except that the embassy or consulate of some other country would be issuing the documents.
The adddresses and phone numbers are on the website that I linked you to above. In terms of directions, I don't know where the Santo Dominigo office is but the Santiago office is accross the street from the big public cemetery. You can't miss the building, it is huge and is well marked with signs.
Taking the ashes into the US is not difficult, except you can be sure that yiou will get some extra attention from the TSA screeners. The ashes appear on the xray screen to be a big black blob with no way of knowing what is inside. However, they are understanding when you explain, and you have the papers issued the the Consulate to show if required. But they will take the box the ashes are in and run it through the xray a second time.