Parliament Question: Repatriation of Mortal Remains

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 1091 ANSWERED ON - 24/07/2026 REPATRIATION OF MORTAL REMAINS 1091. SHRI ROBERT BRUCE C: Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and exact timeline followed by Indian Missions to register death cases and process documentation for Indian citizens dying suddenly or unnaturally in foreign jurisdictions; (b) the number of mortal remains repatriated to India, State-wise including Tamil Nadu, utilizing the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) over the last three years, including the expenditures incurred theron annually; (c) whether the Government is cognizant of severe administrative delays faced by grieving families across multi-agency clearings (foreign police, airlines and the domestic eCARe portal), if so, whether a Unified Single- Window Helpdesk will be launched within Embassies to coordinate logistics free of cost; and 1(d) the total number of pending death compensation and insurance settlement cases under the Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) currently pursued with foreign employers and the mechanisms ensuring time-bound relief to legal heirs? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) The early transportation of mortal remains of Indian nationals who have died abroad is accorded high priority by the Ministry. There is a well-established mechanism/Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to coordinate with Indian Missions/Posts abroad to facilitate the transportation of the mortal remains of Indian nationals to their hometowns in India. The consular wings of Indian Missions/Posts have designated nodal officer/desks for dealing with death cases of Indian nationals abroad and subsequent transportation of their mortal remains to India or local burial/cremation. It involves completion of certain formalities before the local authorities in the foreign countries permit transportation to India. In case the death is not natural, police investigation is to be completed. As soon as the information about the death of an Indian national comes to the knowledge of the concerned Indian Mission/Post abroad, they 2proactively seek report from the local Foreign Office and other concerned authorities regarding the cause of the death of the Indian national. Our Missions/Posts abroad inform the next of kin of the deceased Indian national, and facilitate the transportation to India or local burial/cremation of mortal remains in accordance with the wishes of the family of the deceased. Transportation of mortal remains of Indians involves the following steps: i. Nomination of a person by the family to carry out, on their behalf, the formalities in the foreign country, in case they are unable to come to the foreign country to take over the mortal remain. ii. Informing the Insurance Company (if any) by the authorized person/employer. iii. Nomination of a transporter (in consultation with Insurance Company, if any) by the authorized person/employer. iv. Obtain the copy of the FIR from the Police authorities, if applicable. v. Complete the formalities relating to embalming, coffin and quarantine of the mortal remains as soon as possible by the transporter. vi. Procurement of air ticket for transportation of mortal remains by the authorized person/ employer. 3vii. The authorized person needs to obtain the documents – FIR, where applicable, Medical Certificate/Death Certificate, Original Passport, Embalming Certificate, Coffin Certificate, Quarantine Certificate, Authority Letter by the family, List of belongings, Air Way Bill (copy or detail information) and provide the original passport to the Embassy/Consulate for cancellation, upon which the Mission/Post issues the “Death Certificate and No Objection Certificate (NOC)”. viii. Nomination of person by the family who will collect the mortal remains, on their behalf, at the Indian Airport, if required. Indian Missions/Posts liaise with different authorities in the foreign country for seeking following documents for transportation of mortal remains: i. Medical report / death certificate issued from the hospital concerned; ii. Police report (with English translation, if report is in some other language), in case of accidental or unnatural death; iii. Consent letter from next of kin of the deceased for local cremation / burial / transportation of mortal remains; iv. Issuing of NOC by the Mission / Post for transportation or local cremation / burial as required; 4v. Clearance and arrangements for embalming of mortal remains from the authorities concerned in the foreign country; vi. Clearance from local immigration/ customs department. These procedures differ from country to country depending upon the local regulations. (b) The number of mortal remains repatriated to India utilizing the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) over the last three years, including total annual fund expenditures incurred is as follows: Transportation of Mortal Remains under ICWF S. No Year No. of Beneficiaries Total Expenditure(INR) 1 2023 433 9,06,38,615 2 2024 488 11,96,50,424 3 2025 435 11,49,17,649 State-wise data is not available with this Ministry. (c) Various Ministries of the Government of India coordinate to ensure time-bound transportation of mortal remains. The eCARe Clearance Portal (https://ecare.mohfw.gov.in) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is an online platform for providing clearance within 48 hours for 5transportation of mortal remains to India. The Portal is aimed at integrating all stakeholders on a single all-in-one interface, including the Consignee, Airport Health Organizations (APHOs) and Airlines. The portal facilitates smooth and timely clearance of documents with automated periodic alerts and live status tracking. (d) Ministry does not maintain a separate list of pending cases under the Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana (PBBY). Claims submitted by the policyholder, nominee, or legal heir are assessed by the insurance company administering the scheme, which either approves or rejects each claim as per the terms and conditions of the policy, and the insurance company shares a status report with the Ministry. ***** 6