What to Do When a Citizen of Philippines Dies in United Arab Emirates: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Certification of Death and Police or Forensic Clearance in the United Arab Emirates

   • Death in a hospital: When your family member dies in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, the attending physician issues an electronic Medical Notification of Death and arranges transfer of the deceased to a government mortuary [1][2].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or at a workplace: Immediately call the police emergency line on 999 and ambulance services on 998 [1]. The local police force (such as Dubai Police, Abu Dhabi Police, or the respective emirate police command) attends the scene, transfers the deceased to a forensic medicine mortuary, and coordinates with the Public Prosecution if a forensic investigation or autopsy is required [1].
   • Police No Objection Certificate (NOC): Before the mortuary can release the body for embalming, local burial, or international repatriation, the police issue a stamped declaration and Police NOC (accompanied by a Public Prosecution clearance for non-natural or workplace deaths) [1][3].
2. 2

   Repatriation Coverage, Funeral Coordination, and Philippine Consular Support

   • Employer and insurance obligations: Check whether your family member was employed in the UAE or covered by travel or life insurance. Under UAE labour regulations administered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (phone: 600590000), employers are generally responsible for the cost of repatriating the remains of a deceased employee to the home country or place of recruitment when requested by the family [1][6]. For Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), recruitment agencies and mandatory employment insurance also carry repatriation obligations overseen by the Department of Migrant Workers [9].
   • Appointing funeral and cargo coordinators: In the UAE, an authorised representative or licensed repatriation coordinator interacts with the government embalming unit (such as Dubai Health in Dubai, the Department of Health via the TAMM Abu Dhabi portal, or Emirates Health Services in the Northern Emirates) and an IATA-certified air cargo agent [2][3][4]. In the Philippines, appoint a Department of Health-licensed funeral establishment in the destination city or province to receive the coffin or urn at the airport (such as Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Mactan-Cebu, or Clark) and manage local transit and interment [8].
   • Philippine diplomatic mission: Notify the Embassy of the Philippines in Abu Dhabi (phone: +971 2 639 0006; Assistance-to-Nationals hotline: +971 50 443 8003; email: [email protected]) for deaths in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain, or the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, together with the attached Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration welfare officer [9].
3. 3

   Civil Death Registration, Visa Cancellation, and Philippine Recognition

   • Official UAE Death Certificate: Once the hospital notification and police clearance are issued, the family's representative or employer applies for the official bilingual (Arabic and English) Death Certificate through the emirate's health authority: the TAMM Abu Dhabi portal (Department of Health - Abu Dhabi) [3], Dubai Health / Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in Dubai [2], or Emirates Health Services (EHS / MOHAP) in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah [4]. Request multiple official copies in both Arabic and English [1][3].
   • Emirates ID and residency visa cancellation: The deceased's UAE residency visa and Emirates ID must be cancelled through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai as part of the death registration and exit clearance workflow [1][3].
   • UAE attestation and Philippine Report of Death: Have the UAE Death Certificate attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) [1][5]. Then submit the attested certificate, the deceased's original Philippine passport for cancellation, and the required forms to the Philippine Embassy or Consulate to file the official Report of Death (ROD) [9][10]. The foreign mission transmits the Report of Death through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) so the family can obtain the official PSA Security Paper (SECPA) Death Certificate via PSA Serbilis [10]. (By contrast, if a death occurs inside the Philippines, it is registered within 30 days at the Local Civil Registrar Office of the city or municipality of death before transmission to the PSA [10].)
4. 4

   International Repatriation to the Philippines vs. Local Burial or Cremation in the UAE

   • International repatriation of human remains: Exporting a body from the UAE requires government mortuary embalming, a Certificate of Embalming, a Certificate of Non-Contagious Disease (Freedom from Infection), hermetic sealing in a zinc-lined coffin, a Police NOC for export of human remains, and MoFA attestation [1][2][3][5]. The Philippine Embassy or Consulate then issues the Consular Mortuary Certificate and Report of Death clearance [9]. For entry into the Philippines, the receiving funeral provider secures clearance from the Department of Health Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) at the port of entry using the Consular Mortuary Certificate, Embalming Certificate, and Air Waybill [8][9]. If the family is in the Philippines without a representative in the UAE, next of kin execute a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) designating the employer, coordinator, or consular representative to act on their behalf [3][9].
   • Repatriation of cremated ashes: If cremation takes place first in the UAE, the urn must be accompanied by the official UAE Death Certificate, Cremation Certificate, police clearance, and Philippine consular certificate for customs and Bureau of Quarantine clearance upon arrival in the Philippines [1][2].
   • Local burial or cremation in the UAE: Non-Muslim residents may be buried in designated non-Muslim cemeteries or cremated at municipality-licensed crematoria (for example in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah) using a municipal burial or cremation permit issued after police and health authority clearance; Muslim residents are buried in designated local Muslim cemeteries in accordance with municipal procedures [1][3].
5. 5

   Post-Death Benefits, End-of-Service Settlements, Tax, and Probate in Both Countries

   • UAE end-of-service gratuity, insurance, and estates: Under UAE labour law, the employer must settle unpaid wages, accrued leave, and statutory end-of-service gratuity (for workers with at least one year of service), as well as any workplace death compensation or Workers' Protection Programme payout, through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation or the relevant free-zone authority [6]. Because UAE bank accounts are frozen upon notification of death, releasing local bank balances, vehicles, or property requires a formal succession order or probate certificate from the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court), Dubai Courts (Personal Status or Non-Muslim Estate Court), or the DIFC Wills Service Centre if a registered civil will exists [7].
   • Philippine statutory benefits: Once the Report of Death or PSA Death Certificate is available, eligible beneficiaries can claim funeral and survivor death benefits from the Social Security System (SSS) for private-sector and voluntary OFW members (or GSIS for public-sector workers), hospitalisation reimbursements from PhilHealth, provident savings and death benefits from the Pag-IBIG Fund, and burial and bereavement assistance from OWWA and the Department of Migrant Workers AKSYON Fund [8][9].
   • Philippine estate tax and settlement: Under the National Internal Revenue Code administered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the Estate Tax Return (BIR Form 1801) must be filed within one year from the date of death (taxed at a flat 6% rate on the net taxable estate after statutory deductions; statutory SSS/GSIS benefits are exempt) to obtain the Electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration (eCAR) needed to transfer Philippine bank accounts or real property via an Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate or court probate [11].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Handling a death in the UAE - Official Portal of the UAE Government — UAE Government (u.ae)
2. [2]
   Embalming and Repatriation of the Deceased — Dubai Health
3. [3]
   Issue a Death Certificate and Request for Deporting and Embalming the Deceased — TAMM Abu Dhabi Government Services
4. [4]
   Issue of Death Certificate Service Directory — Emirates Health Services (EHS)
5. [5]
   Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official Services — UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)
6. [6]
   MOHRE eServices Portal — Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
7. [7]
   Abu Dhabi Judicial Department eServices — Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD)
8. [8]
   SSS Death Benefit Eligibility and Requirements — Social Security System (SSS Philippines)
9. [9]
   Department of Migrant Workers Assistance and Repatriation Guidelines — Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)
10. [10]
    Request for PSA Death Certificate — PSA Serbilis / Philippine Statistics Authority
11. [11]
    Estate Tax Information and Filing Requirements — Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)