When a U.S. citizen dies abroad, the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate should be notified as soon as possible. Visit:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/death/death_3878.html
Upon notification, the consular officer, in accordance with local laws, may do the following….
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Require proof of the decedent’s citizenship (for example, U.S. passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate).
Report the death to the next of kin or legal representative.
Obtain instructions and funds from the family to make arrangements for local burial or return of the body to the United States.
Obtain the local death certificate and prepare a Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad (Form OF-180) to forward to the next of kin or legal representative. (This document may be used in U.S. courts to settle estate matters.)
Serve as provisional conservator of a deceased Americans estate and arrange for disposition of those effects.
Because the costs for local burial or transporting a deceased body back to the United States can be quite expensive, you may wish to obtain insurance to cover this cost. Otherwise, your next of kin or other relatives must bear these expenses. The U.S. Government cannot pay to have your body buried overseas or returned to the United States.