What to do when... repatriating body to India from UAE

Losing a dear one is never easy, but when away from one’s home country, families are faced with the added responsibility of ensuring the body is repatriated to the home country without delay or complication.

Indian residents must get clearances from hospital, DHA, local police station, mortuary, and complete paper work at the Indian consulate, airport and airlines.

Talking to Emirates 24|7, lawyer Najeed, who has helped many expat families in completing the paperwork, explains the process could take four days for normal deaths, but could be delayed by days or weeks if the death demanded investigation.

Social worker Uma Padmanabhan who has also been helping Indian families in the UAE added that if the death is unnatural the case will go to the court.

Najeed explained, “If it’s a normal death, a death notification should be applied for.”

According to the guidelines listed by the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, “The sponsor of the deceased or any of the relative should approach the 'Death Section' of the Preventive Medicine at the Central Hospital with passport copy of the deceased. The Preventive Medicine Dept. will issue a death notification.”

Once the death notification is given, the family must approach the local police station, who will then issue a ‘no objection certificate’ to the preventive medicine. “They will then issue the death certificate.

“This will notify the reason for the death,” said Najeed.

Then, visa and labour card of the deceased must be cancelled from the Ministry of Labour and department of Immigration.

After cancelling the visa, the families must make a cargo booking through an airline. “Using the airline confirmation letter, they must approach the preventive medicine centre again for the embalming certificate and a ‘no objection letter’ to the airports,” the Indian Embassy website reads.

Once the three documents are obtained, the Indian Embassy should be approached.

Once the death is registered, the Indian Embassy “will issue a death certificate, cancel the passport of the deceased, attest the three certificates issued by the Preventive Medicine department, and issue a letter to the airport for passage of the body”.

The guidelines put up by the official website of Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi read:

1. Death certificate in original and seven copies thereof

2. Embalming certificate in original and seven copies thereof

3. Certificate from the Directorate of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, for the transportation of the body and seven copies thereof

4. A letter from the Sponsor requesting facilitation of despatch of the body to India for last rites as required by the next of kin

5. Original passport of deceased with two photocopies of first 2, last 2 and visa page

6. Two photocopies of passport (of first 2, last 2 and visa page) of the person accompanying the body

7. Person accompanying should be present at the time of Registration for signing the Death Register

8. A letter from the Sponsor of the deceased person with details of outstanding dues to the deceased person in the proforma prescribed

9. Confirmation from airlines about booking of space

10. Authorisation from the next of kin of deceased, authorising designated representative to receive the body

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