When a Kenyan dies in Canada: bringing them home When someone dies far from home.

1. The first hours

• If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 911.
• Need to travel to Kenya urgently without a valid Kenyan passport? See the emergency certificate.
• Choose a funeral home. In most cases the funeral director handles the Ontario paperwork for you, and they can arrange sending your loved one home. Tell them early if the burial will be in Kenya.
• Funeral homes, transfer services and crematoriums in Ontario must be licensed by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, and its consumer guide explains your rights and what you can be charged for.

Source: Government of Ontario, "What to do when someone dies" and Bereavement Authority of Ontario, consumer information guide

2. Who decides about the body

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) gives general guidance on who has the right to make decisions about the body. It is a partial list, not a strict legal order:

1. the estate trustee named in the will, or an administrator appointed by the court;
2. then the spouse;
3. then adult children (18 and over);
4. then parents.

The BAO notes that it depends on each case.

Source: Bereavement Authority of Ontario, Consumer Information Guide (July 2025), pp. 6–7. Checked October 28, 2026.

3. Your rights with a funeral home

• Price list: providers must give you a price list of everything they sell before you sign a contract.
• Check the provider: look up its licence on the BAO public register. You can ask the BAO about its discipline history: 1-844-493-6356 toll-free, or 647-483-2645 in Toronto.
• Embalming: Ontario law does not require it. A receiving country or the transport company may. For Kenya, the High Commission asks for an embalming certificate (see step 5).
• Your own casket: you may supply one. If the provider allows it, it can't charge an extra fee for that.
• The provider may refuse a casket that is unsafe or unsuitable, or that doesn't meet cemetery or crematorium rules.

Cancelling a contract:

• Within 30 days of signing: a full refund, except for supplies and services already provided.
• Prepaid contract (money held in trust), after 30 days: the provider may keep 10% of the amount paid, up to $350. It must refund the rest plus the income it earned.
• At-need contract: cancel in writing before the goods or services are provided.

Sources: Government of Ontario, "Funeral, burial, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis or scattering: your rights"; Bereavement Authority of Ontario, Consumer Information Guide (July 2025). Checked October 28, 2026.

4. Registering the death in Ontario

• Two forms are needed: a Medical Certificate of Death, filled in by the doctor or coroner, and a Statement of Death, filled in by the funeral director and a family member.
• They are sent to the clerk of the municipality where the death happened. Usually the funeral director does this.
• Once the death is registered, a burial permit is issued. You need it even if the burial will be outside Ontario.
• Moving a body outside Ontario also needs a shipment certificate approved by a coroner. Only a licensed funeral home, transfer service or crematorium can request it.
• Families can apply directly only for a cremation certificate.
• Questions: Office of the Chief Coroner, 1-877-991-9959 or OCC.inquiries@ontario.ca.

Source: Government of Ontario, "What to do when someone dies" and "Request a certificate to cremate a body or ship a body out of province"

5. Repatriation: taking your loved one home to Kenya

The Kenya High Commission issues a letter of no objection so the remains can be transported to Kenya. There is no fee. Send the High Commission copies of:

• The death certificate
• The burial transit permit
• The embalming certificate
• A letter from the health department confirming there was no contagious disease at the time of death
• The person's passport, birth certificate or other ID
• Phone numbers of next of kin or friends in Canada and in Kenya
• A prepaid, self-addressed Canada Post Xpresspost envelope with a tracking number for the reply

Kenya High Commission, 415 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, ON K1N 6R4. Main line +1 613-563-1773, emergency line +1 613-406-2065.

Source: Kenya High Commission, "Transportation of remains of a deceased Kenyan" and "Contact us"

6. Taking ashes home

If the family chooses cremation, the High Commission needs copies of:

• The death certificate
• The certificate from the crematorium
• A certificate from the funeral director confirming the container holds only the remains
• The person's Kenyan passport, birth certificate or other ID
• A prepaid, self-addressed Xpresspost envelope with a tracking number

Flying with the ashes:

• Screening officers are not allowed to open a cremation container.
• A container that can't be cleared at screening won't be allowed on board.
• Ask the funeral director for a temporary container. Plastic, cardboard, cloth or wood screen most easily; metal, stone and ceramic are hardest.
• Containers under 350 ml are more likely to clear.
• Some airlines don't accept remains in checked baggage, so check with the airline.

Source: Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), "Cremated remains". Checked October 28, 2026.

7. Death certificates

• A death certificate can only be issued after the death is registered. Ontario says registration can take up to 12 weeks.
• Order online from ServiceOntario: $15 regular (15 business days plus mail) or $45 premium (5 business days by courier).
• By mail: ServiceOntario, P.O. Box 4600, 189 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8.
• A certified copy of the death registration is available only to next of kin, such as a spouse, parent, child or sibling.

Source: Government of Ontario, "Get or replace an Ontario death certificate"

8. The CPP death benefit

If the person paid into the Canada Pension Plan long enough, their estate or family can get a one-time payment of up to $5,000.

• Amount: a basic $2,500, plus up to another $2,500 for some deaths on or after January 1, 2025.
• Who applies: the executor applies first, within 60 days. If there is no executor, the person who paid for the funeral, the spouse, or the next of kin can apply.
• How: apply online through My Service Canada Account, or by mail with form ISP1200.

Source: Government of Canada, "CPP death benefit"

9. The community

Kenyan families abroad have always carried each other through loss, with harambee, food and company. If you want the community to know, or need help, contact us and we'll help you reach wakenya in Thunder Bay.

• Wakenyatbay doesn't run a benevolence fund yet; see our proposal and have your say.
• If it's urgent, use the urgent community line at the top of this page.
• If the grief itself is heavy, where to talk to someone is in our mental health guide.

Grief support and funeral help:

• MyGrief.ca: free, run by the Canadian Virtual Hospice.
• Canadian Virtual Hospice.
• The Thunder Bay Muslim Religious Association (Thunder Bay Masjid, 591 John Street) lists funeral services on its website.

Sources: MyGrief.ca; Canadian Virtual Hospice; Thunder Bay Masjid. Checked October 28, 2026.

Contact us

This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm each step with the funeral home, the Kenya High Commission or the government office named.

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