Birth & Death are part and parcel of life. The news of a person’s death produces fright among the deceased’s family members, relatives & friends. This article briefs on the procedures that need to be followed when any of your family members, friends or relatives have died in Saudi Arabia. Burying is permitted only after the below mentioned procedures are finished.

Death of Non Muslim in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

It is important to emphasis at this juncture that only Muslims are permitted to be buried in Saudi Arabia. If a non-Muslim dies in Saudi Arabia then his corpse will be sent back to his home country. To transport his dead body, it is essential that a dead certificate must be received from the Saudi authorities. It is the sponsor or employer’s responsibility to take care of all the administrative procedures and the expenditure burden involved in it.

Steps that need to be followed in the case of death of a Muslim & Non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia.

This process should be taken care by the deceased’s legal heirs or friends (whoever is taking the responsibility of the deceased’s funeral activities) regardless whether the deceased is a Muslim or non Muslim.

In the event of death (at any location whether it is at home, office, or because of some road accidents) the local police as well as the ambulance should be called without delay. You can call 999 for the Saudi Police and for the ambulance you can call 997.

The police will create a report, and based on the situation the ambulance will perform its duties. If all goes fine, the body will send to the hospital morgue. At the hospital a doctor’s team will check the deceased and will provide a death report. Please note if a person dies in hospital you need not report to the police or call for an ambulance.

It is very much essential that you need to immediately convey the death of a person to his sponsor. Legally, the employer or sponsor is responsible for the administrative processes and also the cost involved in tithe Hospital will create a list on the belongings found in the deceased person and will hand over those things to the deceased’s sponsor. The hospital will provide 4 envelopes to the deceased’s sponsor. The 4 envelopes will be addressed to the following

1. . To the Morgue in hospital. In Riyadh, the main mortuary is the King Saud Medical Complex (Shumaisi Hospital), Al Khabari st, Shumaisi area, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Phone:011 435 -5555.
2. . to the passport office for the final exit
3. Saudi customs office (repatriation of the deceased to his home country (sending back his corpse to the native country))
4. . Airport cargo office (repatriation of the deceased to his home country (sending back his corpse to the native country))

Visit Ministry of Health

The sponsor must visit the Ministry of Health along with the hospital’s death note and the police report. They will verify all the documents and will provide a death report .

Visit Ministry of Interior

The sponsor then has to visit the Ministry of Interior along with Ministry of Health’s death report. The ministry of interior will provide to the sponsor a legal death certificate. While going to the Ministry of Interior to get the death certificate, the sponsor must carry the deceased’s passport and Iqama copy.

Contact Deceased’s Embassy

The sponsor must now contact the deceased’s embassy so as to get endorsed for burying or transporting the body to his home country.

Once getting no objection certificate from the embassy the deceased ( if he happens to be a muslim) can be buried in Sauid Arabia.

In case of repatriation of the deceased to his home country from Saudi Arabia

If the deceased has to be repatriated (send back) to his home country, the sponsor must go to the Jawazat and the deceased’s Iqama must be surrendered to the Jawazat so as to get the final exit visa.

Following are the papers required to transport the dead body from Saudi Arabia to native country

• Passport copy of the deceased as well as the entry visa
• Iqama copy of the deceased (Residence permit)
• Death report or Death certificate copy (with the English translation
• Family home address of the deceased written in Arabic language.
• Endorsement from the deceased’s embassy in Saudi Arabia. Hospital’s medical report (with English translation).
• Power of attorney from the legal heir in Arabic translation (signed & attested by the Notary public)
• Copy of police report (only in the event of unnatural deaths)
• A sponsor’s letter concerning the deceased’s dues.

To repatriate the deceased body the lawful heirs must show an affidavit to the office of the deceased’s native country declaring that they will immediately collect the corpse without any delay.

Please note all the submitted Arabic documents must accompany with an English translation, which is endorsed by the embassy. The Airlines need 5 certified copies of the all the papers concerning to death as well as Forensic Medical

office/Morgue’s letter. Getting the required papers is a difficult & technical procedure and you need to seek the assistance of the respective embassy to get the needed and extensive guidance.

If the deceased is an Indian, then you can contact the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia for further details

Address of Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia

B-1, Diplomatic Quarter,

PO Box 94387, Riyadh 11693,

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Working Hours

9.00 AM to 5.30 PM (Sunday to Thursday)

Tel. Nos.: 011-4884144/ 4884691 / 4884692/ 4884252 Fax No. : 011-4884750