As more and more companies operate trans nationally, more and more workers also begin to work overseas as demand for labor shifts. This has significantly changed the landscape and economics of various services, primarily insurance travel packages. 

With millions of professionals now working away from their state, or country, of origin, whether professionally or personally, long or short-term, there is growing realization of the need to prepare in the event of death and the need to bring the deceased back home. The logistic of bringing-in, or on the side of insurance carriers, companies or host countries, the matter of transporting a body is an added dilemma and difficult issue. For host countries, this is further complicated by a rising population of transients particularly elderly transients as a number of retirees now move abroad. Families who are left behind still want to bring their loved ones back home and to their appropriate resting place while countries are obligated to do so For companies, the problem is becoming more alarming due to the fact that more than 25% of international assignees leave their employer within two years of returning home and more and more companies company are now planning for medical and human remain repatriation services that can help combat any reverse culture shock issues the assignees or family may experience or which may result to labor law infringement on the part of the employer or company.

Repatriation services are services which aim to bring a physical body, whether seriously ill or deceased, to his or her home country. Compared to evacuation services which only brings patients to the nearest heath or treatment center, repatriation services of human remains literally flies a dead body directly or place of origin. Although these kinds of services often do not include medical and healthcare expenses the way travel accident insurance policies do, they can still be considerably expensive. Evacuation services only usually cost $25,000 to fly patients to the nearest centre of medical excellence but a direct flight to the patient’s home country can cost up to $150,000 per flight. Nevertheless, cost of repatriation services in Singapore vary considerably depending on choice of transportation. Funeral shipping companies also will offer air repatriation of human remains and land transportation, dependent of national or international repatriation. There is also a huge difference depending on whether you choose to ship non-cremated human remains, or cremated remains. 

Repatriation overseas often involves international air transportation. Generally, depending on the country of destination, repatriation services in Singapore often cost up to $3800 to as much as $10,000 to internationally ship human remains in addition to funeral expenses. 

For repatriation of deceased between across different cities or states, services often involve land transportation and are considerably cheaper. In the case of short distances, regular insurance companies or funeral providers can offer usual services at additional mileage rate. When the distance is beyond their travel range, the funeral service provider will hire a repatriation company that specializes in that more sophisticated transportation procedures. Since these are long distance travels, cost of repatriation often includes refrigeration services if the body will not be embalmed prior to transportation. In some cases, repatriation may involve. 

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