What to Do When an Indian Citizen Dies in Saudi Arabia: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain the Medical Death Notification and Saudi Police Report

   • Death in a hospital: When your family member dies of natural causes in a Saudi hospital, the attending physician issues the electronic Medical Death Notification (Tabligh Wafat) directly through the Ministry of Health system linked to the Civil Status Agency (Ahwal Madaniyah), and the body is placed in the hospital mortuary [1][3][5].
   • Death outside a hospital, at a workplace, or in a road accident: Call the Saudi Unified Emergency Operations Number (911 in Riyadh, Makkah, and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions) immediately. Saudi Police will attend the scene, open a mandatory investigation, and transfer the deceased to a government forensic medical facility for post-mortem examination if the death was accidental, work-related, or sudden [2][3][5].
   • Police clearance: In all non-hospital, traffic accident, or unnatural death cases, the investigating police station (Shurta) must issue an official Police Report and forensic clearance explicitly permitting either local burial in Saudi Arabia or repatriation of the mortal remains to India before any civil or consular registration can proceed [2][3][5].
2. 2

   Issue a Family Power of Attorney (Wakala) and Notify the Indian Mission

   • Execute a Power of Attorney (Wakala) from India: If the next of kin resides in India, Saudi regulations require the legal heirs to issue a notarized Power of Attorney (Consent Letter or Wakala) naming a representative in Saudi Arabia (typically the employer/sponsor Kafeel, a relative, or an authorized community welfare volunteer) to complete local formalities and stating clearly whether the family requests air repatriation to India or local burial in Saudi Arabia [3][5].
   • Attestation and submission: Have the Power of Attorney notarized in India and email a clear scanned copy (along with copies of the deceased's Indian passport, Saudi residency permit Iqama, and next-of-kin identification) to the relevant Indian diplomatic mission so it can issue an introductory facilitation letter to Saudi authorities [3][5].
   • Contact the competent Indian diplomatic mission by region:
     • Central, Eastern, and Northern Saudi Arabia: Contact the Embassy of India, Riyadh (Death Registration email: [email protected], Community Welfare email: [email protected], telephone: +966 11 488 4144 ext. 119 / 110 / 325, 24x7 Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra helpline: +966 11 488 4697, toll-free within Saudi Arabia: 800 247 1234, WhatsApp: +966 542126748) [3][4].
     • Western and Southern Saudi Arabia (including Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Taif, Tabuk, Abha, Jazan, and Najran): Contact the Consulate General of India, Jeddah (Community Welfare email: [email protected] or [email protected], telephone: +966 12 284 6130, 24x7 emergency mobile and WhatsApp: +966 556122301, toll-free: 800 244 0003) [5].
3. 3

   Register the Death with Saudi Civil Affairs (Ahwal Madaniyah) and Obtain Jawazat Clearance

   • Saudi Civil Death Certificate: Using the hospital death notification, police clearance (if applicable), the original Indian passport, the original Saudi residency permit (Iqama), and the attested Power of Attorney, the authorized representative books an appointment via the Absher platform with the Saudi Civil Affairs Directorate (Ahwal Madaniyah) to obtain the official Saudi Death Certificate and its attested English translation [1][3][5].
   • Employer end-of-service clearance: Under Saudi Labor Law, the employer or sponsor (Kafeel) is responsible for settling the deceased worker's unpaid wages, accrued leave, and statutory End-of-Service Benefit (ESB), and for bearing the cost of preparing and transporting the mortal remains to the worker's home country [3][5].
   • Iqama cancellation and exit clearance: The authorized representative and sponsor submit the Saudi Death Certificate and settlement letter to the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) to cancel the deceased's Iqama and obtain the final exit and mortuary release clearance [2][3][5].
4. 4

   Complete Indian Consular Registration and Arrange Repatriation to India or Local Burial

   • Indian Consular Death Certificate and NOC: Present the original Saudi Death Certificate (with English translation), police and medical reports, the deceased's original Indian passport, and the Power of Attorney to the Embassy of India, Riyadh or the Consulate General of India, Jeddah. The Mission cancels the Indian passport and issues the official Indian Consular Death Certificate and No Objection Certificate (NOC) free of charge [3][5].
   • Option A - Air repatriation of mortal remains to India:
     • Obtain a hospital Embalming Certificate and Certificate of Non-Contagious Disease, have the body placed in a hermetically sealed coffin at the designated mortuary, and book air cargo transport (through Saudia Cargo, Air India, or another carrier) [2][3][5].
     • Email the flight airway bill, Indian Consular Death Certificate, Embalming Certificate, Non-Contagious Certificate, and cancelled passport copy at least 48 hours before departure to the Airport Health Organization (APHO) at the destination airport in India for public health clearance [3][5].
     • If the deceased's sponsor or family is genuinely destitute and unable to pay for air transport, the Indian Mission can fund repatriation through the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) administered by the Ministry of External Affairs [3][5][6].
   • Option B - Local burial in Saudi Arabia:
     • If the family opts for burial in Saudi Arabia, the authorized representative submits the family's notarized consent letter (Wakala), the Indian Mission's NOC, and the Saudi medical/police permit via the municipal Balady (Ikram) portal to obtain a municipal burial permit and cemetery plot allocation at no municipal fee [1][2][5].
5. 5

   Claim Legal Dues, Saudi GOSI Compensation, PBBY Insurance, and Indian EPFO Benefits

   • Unpaid salary, End-of-Service Benefit, and Blood Money (Diyah): If unpaid wages, End-of-Service Benefits, or court-awarded traffic/accident compensation (Diyah) remain pending, the legal heirs must submit a Succession Certificate (Legal Heirship Certificate) issued by the competent district collector or civil court in India, attested by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi and the Indian Mission in Saudi Arabia, so the Mission's Death Claims Cell can collect and remit the funds to India [3][5].
   • Saudi occupational hazard benefits (GOSI): If your family member died due to a work injury or occupational hazard in Saudi Arabia, file an occupational death compensation claim with the Saudi General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI, customer service 199044, email [email protected]), which covers repatriation expenses and statutory survivor benefits [7].
   • Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) insurance: If the deceased held an Emigration Check Required (ECR) passport or was insured under the mandatory Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana scheme overseen by the Ministry of External Affairs, the legal heirs can claim up to INR 10 lakhs for accidental death plus one economy-class return air ticket for an accompanying attendant [8].
   • Indian Provident Fund, Pension, and EDLI insurance: If your family member had prior or active contributions in India with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the surviving spouse or legal heirs should file the Composite Claim Form in Death Cases (Form 20 for Provident Fund settlement, Form 10-D for Employees' Pension Scheme monthly survivor pension, and Form 5-IF for Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance up to INR 7 lakhs) online via the EPFO Unified Portal or at the regional EPFO office [9].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Death Certificate Services and Civil Affairs Registration — Unified National Platform (GOV.SA)
2. [2]
   Request to Repatriate a Deceased Person's Body to Their Country — Unified National Platform (GOV.SA)
3. [3]
   Registration of Death and Attestation of Documents — Embassy of India, Riyadh
4. [4]
   Community Welfare Wing Helplines and Emergency Contact Numbers — Embassy of India, Riyadh
5. [5]
   Death Cases, Local Burial, and Transportation of Mortal Remains to India — Consulate General of India, Jeddah
6. [6]
   FAQs on Bringing Back Mortal Remains of Indian Nationals — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
7. [7]
   Occupational Hazards Branch Benefits and Death Compensation — General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI)
8. [8]
   Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
9. [9]
   Composite Claim Form in Death Cases and Contact Directory — Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)