AWAY FROM HOME ASSURANCE®

A Membership for Death Away From Home & Repatriation of Remains

Fortress Insurance & Benefits Group offers Away From Home Assurance®, with qualifying return-home services provided by Sepio Guard. Away From Home Assurance® is a membership—not travel insurance—for qualifying preparation and transportation when death occurs 75 miles or more away from home, subject to the applicable agreement.

Review enrollment & payment steps (opens in a new tab)

Request the applicable membership agreement from Fortress. Use the inquiry form to ask about eligibility and terms before enrolling; it does not enroll you or activate services.

On the Go Protection: Consider this option if you want a return-home plan for family trips, frequent travel or seasonal stays—not protection for canceled trips or a living traveler's medical evacuation. The membership is $525 per person, paid in full or financed over 12 months, for qualifying preparation and transportation when death occurs 75 miles or more away from home, subject to the applicable agreement. Before departure, complete Sepio's application and payment and verify eligibility, the effective date and exclusions; payment alone is not confirmation of active protection.

Updated November 7, 2026. Review the applicable membership agreement, including how home is defined, before purchasing.

Protection for your loved one's return.
Not insurance for your travel plans.

$525 per person
Pay in full or finance over 12 months

What are my membership payment choices?

The $525 membership fee is per person. Choose a $525 one-time payment in full, or a $525 membership agreement financed over a 12-month period. With financing, only the first monthly payment is required to enroll. Lifetime membership is subject to the applicable agreement. Enrollment and payment do not by themselves confirm that services are effective. Review the financing charges, payment terms and effective-date requirements with Sepio Guard before purchasing.

WATCH BEFORE YOU ENROLL

Away From Home Assurance®: Repatriation Explained

Watch this short explanation of the Away From Home Assurance® membership.

Distance eligibility is 75 miles or more away from home, including exactly 75 miles, subject to the applicable agreement.

FORTRESS + SEPIO GUARD • 1:43

Read the video transcript

Travel is about making memories, visiting family, exploring somewhere new. But what if a loved one passes away far from home? How do you bring them back?

Fortress Insurance and Benefits Group presents Away From Home Assurance® with services provided by Sepio Guard. This isn't insurance for canceled trips or lost luggage. It's a membership that helps bring a deceased loved one home when a death occurs 75 miles or more from their legal residence.

Here's what that means for your family. Lifetime protection for qualifying travel in the United States and abroad. No age limits, no deductibles, and no transport dollar limits on covered services. You don't have to figure everything out alone.

Sepio Guard coordinates with local officials and funeral professionals, gathers the necessary permits and documents, and arranges qualifying preparation and transportation to a selected licensed funeral home. When help is needed, your family calls the number on the membership card. Sepio Guard then begins coordinating the return.

It's more than transportation. It's a plan that can ease the logistical and financial burden on the people you love when they need support most. This product just makes sense to have as part of your comprehensive estate plan. Plan ahead with Fortress and give your family a plan for bringing you home.

To enroll, click the link below this video, review the membership details, complete your application, and purchase your travel protection.

Start with a Fortress inquiry, then complete your application and purchase with Sepio Guard. The Fortress form does not process payment or activate protection.

What happens if someone dies away from home?

When a covered member dies away from home, the family or next of kin should call the assistance telephone number printed on the member's membership card to report the death. Sepio Guard then coordinates the qualifying return arrangements directly with the next of kin. Call before independently arranging services. Returning remains typically involves two funeral homes: a sending funeral home and a receiving funeral home; international returns may involve additional providers. If there is an emergency or uncertainty about whether someone has died, contact local emergency services immediately.

Preparation such as embalming depends on the jurisdiction, carrier, container and delay. Ask which steps are required by law, which are required by the carrier, and which are optional, including alternatives to embalming.

How much does it cost to transport a body to another state?

There is no standard interstate transport price. Costs depend on distance, preparation, permits, ground versus air transport, receiving charges and timing. For a covered member, call the assistance number on the membership card before arranging services or accepting charges independently. Without membership assistance, request itemized estimates for the actual route rather than relying on a national range. Transport costs are separate from the $525 per-person membership agreement, payable in full or financed over 12 months.

Ask for separate preparation, container, permit, carrier, airport-transfer, storage and receiving charges. Confirm whether each charge is required or optional and who collects it. A route example is not a quote.

Compare interstate transport estimates · FTC price-information rights

What happens if a U.S. citizen dies abroad?

The nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can assist with consular documentation and local guidance, but the U.S. government does not pay to return a citizen’s remains or ashes to the United States. For a covered member, the family or next of kin should report the death using the assistance telephone number printed on the membership card. Sepio Guard coordinates qualifying return arrangements directly with the next of kin.

How much does it cost to bring a body home from overseas?

Emergency Assistance Plus, a commercial assistance provider, estimates repatriation at $5,000–$25,000 USD in its repatriation-cost guide, accessed October 8, 2026. This is not a universal bill, cap, government average or Sepio quote. The actual route, preparation, documents and services determine the charge.

Source: Emergency Assistance Plus, “Repatriation Costs: What Families Need To Know”, accessed October 8, 2026; publication date not independently verified. This commercial provider's USD estimate concerns repatriation, not a guaranteed price for a particular route or a government average. Actual charges may fall outside it.

Read the international return guide · Understand the complete repatriation process

Air and interstate transport: steps to confirm

For a covered member, call the assistance telephone number printed on the membership card first to report the death; Sepio Guard coordinates qualifying return arrangements directly with the next of kin. The following explains provider roles, not instructions for members' families to arrange services themselves. A long-distance return generally involves two funeral homes working together. The sending funeral home near the place of death handles local collection, coordinates release and death-registration paperwork with the responsible authorities, and arranges required permits, preparation and forwarding. The receiving funeral home near the family's chosen destination coordinates receipt, local requirements and final arrangements.

Crossing state lines requires compliance with the applicable requirements in the jurisdictions involved. Distance matters even without crossing a state line: if someone dies a 12-hour drive from home within the same state, a local funeral home may collect and prepare the deceased while another receives them near home. International returns may involve more than two funeral homes or additional specialist providers, depending on the country and route. The exact provider arrangement varies; confirm responsibilities and requirements before authorizing transport.

Obtain local authority release; ask whether an investigation may delay arrangements.
Contact any insurer or membership assistance provider before authorizing transport. Confirm who can legally instruct the funeral provider.
Choose local disposition or return of the body or ashes. Ask a licensed provider to compare ground and air options for the actual route.
Identify the sending and receiving funeral homes and confirm who handles local paperwork, permits, each transfer and receipt at the destination. Ask whether any additional providers are needed.
Have the provider confirm carrier acceptance, shipper registration, preparation, container, weight, booking and document requirements before paying for travel.
Obtain required permits, confirm release and arrival appointments, and get an itemized estimate identifying storage, airport handling and receiving charges.

IATA describes the initial funeral home as the shipper and the second funeral home as the receiver for the family. NFDA describes airline-specific Known Shipper registration for funeral homes shipping bodies. Confirm the actual carrier and route requirements rather than applying one rule to every airline worldwide, ground transfer or urn carried by a passenger. NFDA guidance (accessed October 8, 2026) · IATA guidance: the role of funeral homes (checked October 9, 2026).

Which document, who issues it, and when?

Requirements depend on origin, destination, cause of death and carrier; these documents are not interchangeable.
Document	Issuer or preparer	When needed
Death certificate	Local civil registrar or competent authority	Records the death where it occurred; certified copies support transport, claims and estate matters.
Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA/CRODA)	U.S. embassy or consulate	Records a U.S. citizen's death abroad for U.S. legal and estate use; not a transport permit.
Consular mortuary certificate	Consular officer	International return documentation when applicable; supports transport/customs processing.
Burial-transit or disposition permit	Relevant state/local health or registration authority	Domestic transfers or disposition when required by the jurisdictions involved.
Foreign transit/export permit	Competent local authority, including port health authority where applicable	International departure/transit when required by local law.
Preparation/container affidavit and translations	Funeral director; qualified translator where required	Documents preparation and contents for the route/carrier; confirm authentication requirements.

Sources: U.S. Department of State and CDC import requirements; accessed October 8, 2026. Ask the consulate and provider about the specific route, including any public-health restrictions.

Who may pay, and under what conditions?

A possible source of payment is not an approval or guarantee.
Payer or arrangement	Conditions to confirm
Family or estate	May need to arrange payment before transport. Estate reimbursement and authority depend on applicable law; request itemized charges.
Travel insurance, employer or card benefit	Only if the actual benefit covers the event and person; check dates, limits, exclusions and prior authorization.
Repatriation membership	Qualifying services only under the applicable agreement. Contact the assistance provider before making independent arrangements.
Life insurance	A beneficiary may later use proceeds, but a claim is not necessarily immediate funding or transport coordination.
U.S. embassy or consulate	Provides assistance and information; the State Department does not pay to return remains or ashes.

NAIC: review travel policy terms · State Department: assistance, not payment (accessed October 8, 2026).

For U.S. snowbirds: residence is not simply where you are staying

A seasonal home, hotel or RV campsite does not automatically become your legal residence. Crossing a state line alone does not establish the distance requirement, and a long trip within one state may still meet it. Ask how your applicable agreement determines residence, what evidence it requires, and how a move or extended stay affects eligibility. Do not substitute your nearest property or current campsite for the agreement's residence definition.

When a death happens away from home, your family deserves a plan

A death far from home can leave loved ones facing unfamiliar arrangements: contacting funeral providers, coordinating paperwork and organizing transportation of remains while grieving.

Planning ahead gives your family a clearer starting point and can reduce the logistical burden during a difficult time. Exploring Travel Assurance Protection is a simple step toward understanding how qualifying return-home services could fit your family's plans.

Fortress can help you understand the membership and the next steps, so you can make an informed decision before you travel.

Ask Fortress about Travel Assurance Protection

75 miles or moreAway from home

WorldwideQualifying domestic & international travel

LifetimeMembership protection

A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRAVEL PROTECTION

When the trip ends,
and they don't come home.

What is repatriation of remains?

Repatriation of remains means returning a deceased person's remains home after a death away from home. This membership addresses qualifying deaths 75 miles or more away from home, within the United States as well as abroad.

Away From Home Assurance® is a membership protection plan for qualifying return-home services if a death occurs 75 miles or more away from home. Sepio Guard coordinates documentation, preparation and transportation to a selected licensed funeral home.

WHAT IT IS FOR

Families planning ahead for a deceased member's qualifying preparation and return transportation, coordinated by Sepio Guard.

WHAT IT IS NOT

Trip cancellations, lost luggage, missed flights, medical evacuation of a living traveler or a complete funeral.

UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE

Does travel insurance cover repatriation of remains?

Travel insurance may include a repatriation-of-remains benefit, subject to the policy’s limits, exclusions and authorization requirements. If you are looking for “repatriation of remains insurance,” check those benefits in your policy. Away From Home Assurance® is different: a separate membership for qualifying return-home services coordinated by Sepio Guard, not general trip insurance.

Compare before you enroll: Check existing benefits before adding a membership. Consider who coordinates the return, which expenses qualify and whether protection applies to one trip or ongoing membership. Our Travel Assurance vs. Travel Insurance comparison explains the different purposes.

Repatriation of remains coverage is not automatic with every trip policy or credit card. Check what services, limits and exclusions apply to your own policy. This membership addresses qualifying return-home preparation and transportation when a member dies 75 miles or more away from home; it does not pay for trip cancellation, lost luggage, or a complete funeral.

For help reviewing the difference, read whether travel insurance covers repatriation of remains.

For a closer look at the process, read our guide to repatriation of human remains, including the documentation, funeral home coordination and transport families may need to arrange. Families comparing domestic charges can review the cost to transport a body to another state, and international travelers can read what happens if a U.S. citizen dies abroad.

LESS FOR YOUR FAMILY TO FIGURE OUT

One plan.
A clear path home.

When a qualifying death occurs, your family can contact Sepio Guard using the number on the membership card. The provider puts the return arrangements in motion.

Plan ahead

Review the membership agreement, complete enrollment and keep the membership card with your important documents.

Make the call

After a covered member's death, the next of kin should call the assistance telephone number printed on the membership card to report the death, before independently arranging services.

Let specialists coordinate

Sepio Guard handles qualifying documentation, preparation and transportation to the selected licensed funeral home.

Necessary permits. Local coordination. A return plan.
Support through a difficult moment, not another task for your family.

Put your plan in place

ON-THE-GO PROTECTION

Travel protection for snowbirds

On the go protection starts with a plan for the people you love. Whether you are visiting family, taking a road trip or traveling overseas, explore qualifying return services following a death 75 miles or more away from home.

Spending weeks or months at a seasonal home can mean being far from your legal residence. For snowbirds, qualifying distance is measured from that legal residence—not from a nearby vacation address. Away From Home Assurance® is a lifetime membership with pay-in-full or 12-month financing options; review the agreement and your state's eligibility before enrolling.

For U.S. families thinking ahead, the question is not only “Where are we going?” It is “Who would help bring us home?” Review eligibility and membership terms for your state before enrolling.

Learn more in our on-the-go protection guide for travelers and snowbirds, including planning for travel 75 miles or more away from home. Seasonal residents can also read what happens if a snowbird dies away from home.

THE DISTANCE THAT MATTERS

75+miles
away from home

Legal residenceQualifying distance

Measured from the member's legal residence, not simply whether a state or national border is crossed.

A THOUGHTFUL ADDITION TO YOUR ESTATE PLAN

The will. The trust.
The trip home.

A funeral travel protection membership is different from a prepaid funeral plan. This membership addresses qualifying return-home services; it does not purchase a complete funeral.

Consider it alongside your will, trust, advance directives and funeral wishes: a practical plan for who will coordinate your return if you pass away while traveling away from home.

Share your membership information with the people who would need it. This membership complements advance planning; it does not replace estate documents, legal advice or funeral arrangements.

Add travel protection to your plan

CLEAR ANSWERS

Know what
you're planning for.

Have a question before enrolling? Fortress can help you understand your next step.

Call 732.889.4309

Away From Home Assurance® Brochure

The brochure's “75+” shorthand includes exactly 75 miles. The confirmed distance eligibility is 75 miles or more away from home.

Is this the same as travel insurance?

No. This is a repatriation membership focused on returning a deceased family member home. It is not trip-cancellation, baggage or emergency medical coverage. Do not assume an existing travel policy duplicates these services; review that policy's own terms.

What does repatriation of a loved one include?

Repatriation means returning a deceased person's remains home. After the next of kin reports the death using the assistance number on the membership card, Sepio Guard coordinates qualifying return arrangements directly with them, including required documentation, necessary preparation and transportation to a selected licensed funeral home.

What is the distance eligibility requirement?

The distance eligibility is 75 miles or more away from home. Exactly 75 miles meets this distance threshold. Qualifying services and other eligibility conditions remain subject to the applicable membership agreement.

Is it only for international travel?

No. The plan provides worldwide protection for qualifying deaths 75 miles or more away from home. That includes qualifying travel within the United States, not just international trips.

Can I apply from anywhere in the United States?

Product availability and terms may vary by jurisdiction. Confirm your state's eligibility on the enrollment application before purchasing.

What does the membership cost?

Does this pay for the entire funeral?

Return-home protection is not a prepaid funeral plan. It covers qualifying preparation and transportation services. Arrange any separate funeral, burial or cemetery services with your chosen provider.

What should snowbirds plan before leaving home?

Keep the membership card accessible and tell your next of kin where to find its assistance number. Confirm how the agreement defines home, your eligibility and your effective date before leaving. A seasonal address does not by itself establish eligibility. Read our planning guide for a snowbird's death away from home.

When does protection become effective?

Confirm your effective date, payment requirements and any waiting periods or exclusions before traveling. Completing an application is not, by itself, proof that protection is active.

IF YOU NEED HELP NOW

What to do if a loved one dies away from home

When a covered member dies away from home, the family or next of kin should call the assistance telephone number printed on the member's membership card to report the death. Sepio Guard then coordinates the qualifying return arrangements directly with the next of kin. Call the card's assistance number before independently arranging funeral-provider or transportation services.

If there is an emergency or uncertainty about whether someone has died, contact local emergency services immediately.

If there is no existing membership, contact a licensed funeral director for assistance with return arrangements. Do not assume that buying a new membership will cover a death that has already occurred.

For the immediate steps, documentation and planning questions, see what happens when someone dies away from home.

PRE-TRAVEL PLANNING

Plan before you travel: review protection and complete enrollment before departure.

Review whether the membership fits your travel plans. It applies to qualifying deaths 75 miles or more away from home, subject to the applicable agreement. A Fortress inquiry is not coverage and does not enroll you, process payment or activate protection.

Continue through the enrollment steps to complete Sepio's application and payment. Before departure, verify your eligibility, effective date and exclusions with Sepio. Completing an application or payment alone is not confirmation that protection is active.