Lets bring Steve home

 

 

 

On behalf of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, I would like to offer you and your family our sincerest condolences on the loss of Steven Sullivan.

 

 

 

When a Canadian passes away abroad and the family wishes to repatriate the ashes, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD) and the Canadian Embassy in Cuba can assist the family. Note that in Cuba, ASISTUR, a Cuban governmental agency, acts as an intermediary and also coordinates the funeral arrangements and the transportation up to a Canadian airport. Please find attached some useful information (Handout) regarding the process in case of death in Cuba. ASISTUR handles all the arrangements, including cremation, arranging the paperwork, the cargo flights and delivering the remains to the airline. All the associated costs have to be taken in charge either by an insurance company or the relatives.

 

 

 

If an insurance company cannot guarantee the payment to ASISTUR, the amount required by the Canadian Embassy in Havana to ensure payment for the cremation of the remains is $ 7,075 CAD (5 500 CUC - Cuban convertible pesos).

 

 

 

Note that for transferring funds via Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, a fixed fee of $75 has been added to the amount needed in order to cover the applicable consular service fees. Please find attached the credit card authorization form that needs to be filled out, signed and returned to me either by fax or a scanned copy via email. Should there be any remaining amount, it will be reimbursed to you via a cheque mailed to the address you indicate on the form.

 

 

 

Before the process can start, the next-of-kin will have to fill out a letter of authorization (see example attached) that will be forwarded by the Canadian Embassy to ASISTUR. For documentation accompanying the urn, Cuban authorities require the name, address and telephone number of the receiving person (or funeral home) collecting the urn upon arrival in Canada.

 

 

 

Once ASISTUR receives the guarantee of payment and the written authorization from the Canadian Embassy, usual delays for the repatriation of ashes are around 10 working days (but may take longer depending on time of the year or other circumstances).