As people and families work and live overseas, it is very common if the unforeseen happens and for a loved one to pass away abroad.
If you are living in Singapore and a family member happens to pass on overseas, you might want to arrange to bring them home back to the country to pay final respects.
While this will be a heart-wrenching time, there will be quite a few procedures that need to be followed.
In this article, we will guide you through what happens when a death occurs abroad and what you must do to successfully repatriate your loved one back home.
The Repatriation Process Back To Singapore
When your loved one passes on, you will get informed, most likely by the local authorities or foreign embassy.
1) Contact Singapore’s Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
The first thing you’d want to do is to contact Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) by calling +65 6379 8800 or visit their website here.
However, if you are overseas with your loved one and they pass on, you should contact the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission where they will guide you through the process.
It is also important that you contact the local authorities in the country to comply with any local laws and regulations they might have.
2) Register The Death Overseas With The Local Authorities
Although your loved one might be a Singaporean, you will still be required to register their death with the local authorities or police in the country of passing.
For example, if they pass on in London, the UK, you will need to register their death with the local English police in London. If you have any doubts about the procedure, you can also direct your questions to the MFA and they will guide you accordingly.
You’d want to provide the authorities with your loved one’s NRIC, passport and any identification documents that might help. You will also need to provide your own NRIC and passport as well.
In the event that the deceased has a next-of-kin, you also want to provide that to the authorities so that their immediate loved ones can also be contacted.
Once the registration is done, you will obtain a death certificate from the local authorities. Ensure that it is given in English, if not, a translation will be necessary if it is issued in another language.
3) Contact The Insurance Company & Engage A Funeral Director
Once that is settled, you’d want to get in contact with the insurance provider. If your loved one purchased a travel insurance policy that covers overseas death, you might be able to claim or offset any repatriation fees which could work out to quite a lot.
In addition, you’d also want to file any claims on life insurance policies your loved one might have taken when they were still alive. The money could go a long way to ensure you have sufficient funds for a dignified funeral and engage a funeral director.
Service providers such as Singapore Casket can provide you with the expertise of a funeral director.
Not only will they help you through the repatriation process, but they will also guide you through the funeral arrangements during this difficult time.
4) Bring Your Loved One Home To Singapore
Once you obtain the death certificate, the next step is to select the right casket to assist with the repatriation process.
The casket will have to be of the right size for either burial or cremation back home in Singapore. An experienced funeral director will be able to help you select the right type of casket.
The next step is to apply for a coffin import permit at the Port Health Office in Singapore. This will help you import the casket back to Singapore.
In addition, you must provide the death certificate in English, the coffin sealing certificate, the embalming certificate (optional) as well as the coffin export permit from the exporting country. Only with these documents can you swiftly and easily repatriate your loved one back to Singapore.
5) Inform ICA Upon Arrival In Singapore
Once you touch down in Singapore, it is necessary to report the death to ICA as well as to the Registry of Birth & Deaths.
This will allow you to get the ball rolling when it comes to any financial or inheritance matters. Here is a guide by ICA that will take you through how to register and collect the death certificate in Singapore.
You’d want to also prepare the death certificate obtained overseas and prepare their NRIC and passport, surrendering them back to ICA.
If you have any questions or require further repatriation assistance, our professionals at Singapore Casket can help.
Singapore Casket: Your One-Stop Solution For Funeral Services
Our professional funeral directors have decades of experience and are committed to helping fulfil the last wishes of your loved one and delivering a funeral wake that is memorable, dignified and heartfelt.
We can handle every aspect of your loved one’s funeral arrangement – from embalming and makeup as well as memorial gemstone services to exhumation & remain relocation and post funeral services.
You can learn more about our full range of funeral services here or get in contact with us at 6293 4388, we are open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
