United Arab Emirates – Bereavement

Information

Prepared by British Embassy Dubai

August 2019

Disclaimer This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither Her Majesty’s Government nor its staff take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information, nor accept liability for any loss, costs, damage or expense that you might suffer as a result of relying on the information. Some of the information may not be relevant to your circumstances. The language used is intended to be general and factual, and is not meant to cause offence. Introduction When a relative or friend dies abroad, the different procedures, laws or language can cause additional distress. You may be uncertain about what to do or who to contact. This country specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which applies to all countries (www.gov.uk/government/publications/coping-with-death-abroad). Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like. How to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7 any day of the year by contacting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London on +44 207 008 1500. If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate online (www.gov.uk/government/world/embassies). If the death occurred outside of usual working hours, you are able to contact the British Embassy on the 24 hour number (+971 4 309 4444). Please note that UAE Government Offices are closed on Friday and Saturday and during local bank holidays. They do not offer an emergency/out-of-hours service.

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Table of Contents

Essential Information ................................................................................................. 3

1. Next Of Kin ............................................................................................................. 3

2. Release of Information to next of kin ....................................................................... 3

3. Insurance ................................................................................................................ 3

4. Appointing a funeral director ................................................................................... 3

5. Registering the death and obtaining the death certificate ........................................ 4

6. Burial, Cremation and Repatriation ......................................................................... 4

7. Mortuary facilities and Post Mortem examinations (autopsies) ................................ 7

8. Return of personal belongings ................................................................................ 7

9. Steps to take in the UK ........................................................................................... 7

Further Information .................................................................................................... 7

10. Child deaths ............................................................................................................ 7

11. Deaths in road traffic accidents ............................................................................... 8

12. Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter ..................................................... 8

13. UK coroners and inquests ....................................................................................... 8

14. Legal Aid ................................................................................................................. 8

Additional Support ..................................................................................................... 8

15. Translations and Interpretation................................................................................ 8

16. Local support organisations .................................................................................... 9

Annex A – Next of Kin Authorisation Form ................................................................. 10

Annex B – List of Funeral Directors in Dubai .............................................................. 11

Feedback Form for Funeral Directors ......................................................................... 12

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Essential Information

1. Next Of Kin

The next of kin of the person who died will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. The next of kin can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf. If you are not the next of kin, they will need to be informed. If required, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can help you do this. There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. Please note that if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not choose a next of kin, this can cause additional complications. If you have any uncertainty on next of kin please call us at the embassy, for example if you’re in a same sex marriage or unsure of who would be next of kin.

2. Release of Information to next of kin

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad. Some of this may will only be available to next of kin. Consular officers may be able to obtain this themselves, or put you in touch directly with the authorities overseas. They can provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, charities, or other organisations. Access to information concerning a death can be restricted until a Coroner has reviewed the evidence and a case has been concluded. During this time it can be hard to get information but we can try.

3. Insurance

It is very important to check if the person who died had insurance. If they had insurance, contact the insurance company as soon as possible as they might have a list of approved funeral directors to help you make arrangements, or be able to cover some of the costs. If the person who died did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually have to appoint a funeral director and will usually be responsible for all costs. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot help with these costs. Once the next of kin have decided how they wish to proceed, there are certain local procedures to be followed. If the person worked in the UAE or was here on business, their employer will usually take the actions necessary to comply with these procedures. They will also be able to provide details on the person’s insurance. If the deceased was here on a temporary basis, it is usual for their travel insurance company to take any necessary actions and the company should be informed immediately. Quite often, a local agent is appointed to act on their behalf as they are knowledgeable in local procedures.

4. Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring the deceased to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign and Commonwealth produces a list of international funeral directors. Please see a list of UK-based international funeral directors and related industry bodies on the website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-funeral-directors-in-the-uk. If you are unsure about this then please don’t hesitate to contact the Embassy as quite often, the person’s insurance company will be able to arrange this.

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If you decide to hold a funeral or cremation in the UAE you can find a list of funeral directors in Annex B and more information on this is under point 6 of this document.

5. Registering the death and obtaining the death certificate

There is a requirement to register the death with local authorities in the country where the person died. Sometimes a funeral director can do this for you. We have included more details on this and on how to obtain a death certificate under point 6 of this document. Please note that there is no requirement for a consular death registration to be completed for any death that has occurred overseas. The original Death Certificate issued by the authorities in the country in which the death took place, along with a notarised translation if necessary, is sufficient for all purposes in the UK. If you wish to complete a consular death registration, you can receive a UK-style death registration document, and a permanent copy of it will always be available in English from the General Register Office in the UK. It can also be used for reasons of probate. Registrations are made through the Overseas Registration Unit in the UK. Full details of how to do so are available at www.gov.uk/register-a-death.

6. Burial, Cremation and Repatriation

If you require the deceased to be buried or cremated in Dubai and they passed away in a different Emirate, please inform us immediately, transportation between the Emirates may be restricted. Please note that individuals who are not on a valid residency visa may not be buried or cremated in Dubai and repatriation is the only option available. We have included more information on this below but please call the Embassy or speak to the funeral company for more guidance. In the UAE it can be a complicated process when a bereavement occurs. Below is the summary of procedures:

a. Contact the local police station where the deceased lived.

b. Obtain the Death Notification from hospital.

c. Obtain the Death Registration letter from police station or if the death was by accident,

the local police station which is handling the case.

d. Obtain Death Certificate.

In Dubai, this is from Al Baraha Hospital (Previously Kuwaiti Hospital),

+971 4 271 0000. The following documents will be required:

Police Registration from the police station.

Death notification from hospital (a copy is acceptable).

Passport copy of the deceased (including the visa page).

Any picture ID of yourself.

In Sharjah, this is from the Department of Preventative Medicine (Near the Gold Souk),

+971 6 566 2111.

e. Obtain the Ministry of Health stamp and signature on the Death Certificate.

f. In Dubai, there is an office within Al Baraha Hospital and in Sharjah the telephone

number is +971 6 574 4499.

g. Obtain the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp and signature on the Death Certificate. In

Dubai the office is in Umm Hurair 1 (the Embassy area). Opening hours are

08:00-13:00.

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h. Call the British Embassy in Dubai (+971 4 309 4444) to make an appointment for the

No Objection Letter. The following documents will be required:

The Local Death Certificate (stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The deceased’s original passport.

Next of Kin Authorisation form (Please see Annex B in this document) or Power

of Attorney document.

Copy of the next of kin’s passport.

With these documents, the Embassy will:

Cancel the original British passport and return it to you.

Issue a No Objection Letter for cremation, burial or repatriation, if

required.

In order to avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be

cancelled with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you will need to

complete a “D1 form”.

The form is available online (www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-to-do-with-a-

passport-when-the-passport-holder-has-died) and you can submit this to the Embassy.

i. Obtain letters for submission to Mortuary/Embalming Centre and Airport from the

police station.

j. Proceed to Immigration to cancel the residence visa/entry stamp. The original local

Death Certificate, Letter of No Objection from the British Embassy and original

cancelled passport to Immigration will be required.

In Dubai, the office is near Trade Centre Roundabout (+971 4 398 0000).

In Sharjah, the office is opposite Mega Mall (+971 6 572 6777).

k. Return to police station to obtain three Letters of No Objection. The original local Death

Certificate, the original passport and the No Objection Letter from the British Embassy

will be required. The police will provide you with three copies of their own letter of “no

objection” addressed to:

For burial:

Cemetery

Mortuary

Municipality

For cremation:

Crematorium

Mortuary

Municipality

For repatriation:

Airport Police

Embalming Facility

Mortuary

l. If burial or cremation is to occur locally, procedures will stop here and you will have to

liaise directly with the Cemetery or Crematorium. Please note that visitors who have

not entered the country through Dubai may not be buried or cremated in Dubai.

m. If repatriation is to occur, continue with the following procedures:

n. Contact the Embalming Centre. In Dubai, this is the Muhaisna Medical Fitness Centre

(located in Al Qusais), +971 4 502 3939.

o. Return to Hospital Mortuary to arrange transportation to the Embalming Facility.

p. Go to the Embalming Facility to pay for embalming, select casket and identify the

deceased. The following documents (with seven photocopies) should accompany the

casket:

Local Death Certificate with English translation, if appropriate.

Embalming Certificate.

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Police No Objection Letter.

Cancelled passport containing cancelled visa/entry stamp.

No Objection Letter from the British Embassy.

q. If the remains are not accompanied on the same flight as the next of kin, arrangements

must be made for the remains to be collected at the airport of arrival in the United

Kingdom. Details of the undertakers will be required by DNATA. The undertaker should

be asked to confirm his acceptance by fax directly to DNATA. Most undertakers will

perform this service but insurance companies usually appoint a company which has

global representatives.

r. Liaise with airline to arrange for transportation to the airport. This is normally a

minimum of 5 hours before the flight.

Burial Christians of any denominations can contact St. Mary’s Church (+971 4 337 0087). They are able to assist with administration and signpost you as required. For Pastoral support you may like to contact the Ministers at Christ Church Jebel Ali (+971 4 884 5436) or the Holy Trinity Church (+971 4 337 0247), for Anglican support or the Priest at St. Mary’s Church for Roman Catholic support (+971 4 337 0087). Muslims are required to produce a burial permit issued by the police station to the burial ground located in Al Quoz. In other Emirates, Christians of various denominations are required to contact their respective churches in that Emirate who will signpost them. The procedure is the same for Pastoral support. In Sharjah, Muslims are required to produce a burial permit issued by the police station to the burial ground (located next to the Cricket Stadium). Cremation Local cremation is also possible at Sonapur Jebel Ali, Dubai. This facility is owned and managed by the Hindu community, who are kindly allowing other faiths to use it. This facility is used mainly for Hindu ceremonies and the decor and the manner of the cremation reflects this. Arrangements should be made through Regal Traders Dubai (+971 4 888 0192). If you wish to make enquiries, Bereavement Information for Dubai and Northern Emirates outside of these times, you can contact Mr Sunil (+971 50 507 1640). Please note that this option is not possible for children under 5. The Sharjah Crematorium is owned and managed by the Indian Association in Sharjah (+971 6 561 0845 (08:00-22:00) or +971 50 7866591 (Sree Hari) and open to all faiths. This is mainly for use if death has occurred in Sharjah and the other Northern Emirates. Special permissions are required if cremation/burial is to take place in an Emirate other than in which the death has occurred. Repatriation This is possible but the deceased will be embalmed as this is an international requirement. International regulations require zinc-lined coffins to be used for repatriations and the dressing of the deceased is not normally allowed. A temporary shroud will be provided by the hospital and very simple zinc-lined coffins can also be obtained at a fee. Please note that someone will be required to identify the deceased before and after embalming. This can be the agent or nominated representative.

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7. Mortuary facilities and Post Mortem examinations (autopsies)

The UAE mortuary facilities have staff who speak English, Arabic and Hindi and they are experienced with helping British Nationals. They are of a high standard and similar to those in the UK. Post mortems are always carried out and if a forensic report has not been given, a UK Coroner can make a request for this.

8. Return of personal belongings

Any personal belongings of the deceased can only be returned to the next of kin upon completion of police enquiries and all local procedures. Personal belongings are usually transported to next of kin or families via local agents or commercial courier companies if the family does not travel to the UAE to collect the belongings themselves. Please note, the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

9. Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK online. This includes information on arranging the funeral, telling the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the person who died. There is a step-by-step guide on www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies.

Further Information

10. Child deaths

Children who have passed away under the age of 3 must be buried or repatriated. They cannot be cremated in the UAE. Depending on the age of the child and if they do not already have a British passport, you may need a travel document (Emergency Passport or Emergency Travel Document). A funeral director can advise further on this and please contact the British Embassy for advice. If you do need a travel document, please speak to the British Embassy as the following

documents may be required:

a. Death Notification/Certificate, attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

b. Birth Notification/Certificate (if applicable), attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. c. Parent’s full UK Birth Certificate(s)/Naturalisation or Registration Certificates. d. Parent’s passports (British and/or non-British). e. Parent’s Marriage Certificate. f. If the parents were born in the UK after 1 January 1983, a grandparent’s full UK Birth

Certificate/Naturalisation or Registration Certificate and Marriage Certificate if this is a grandmother who has changed her name.

g. The British Embassy will then contact colleagues in London to determine nationality of the child. Once we have this we can issue the travel document.

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11. Deaths in road traffic accidents

Police in the UAE will hold full investigations into any death. There are no separate procedures into road traffic accidents however sometimes they can take longer than normal.

12. Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter a dedicated team within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be available to provide support, including by referring you to specialised organisations. You can find more about what they can do online (www.gov.uk/government/publications/helping-britishpeople-abroad-murder-and-manslaughter).

13. UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the person who died to England and Wales there may be an inquest. The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by Her Majesty’s Coroner. Please note, an inquest will usually only happens in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest. If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry. If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry. Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual. You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office guide on Death Abroad (www.gov.uk/government/publications/coping-with-death-abroad).

14. Legal Aid

There is no legal Aid available in the UAE, however a list of local lawyers who can help you if you require legal advice can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-arab-emirates-list-of-lawyers

Additional Support

15. Translations and Interpretation

Arabic is the official language in the UAE, however English is widely spoken. Most local authorities and organisations will have English and Arabic speakers. Often the death certificate will be in English however this may vary Emirate to Emirate. If you face any problems please call us.

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16. Local support organisations

If you or someone you know would like more support in Dubai, grief counselling is available.

Raymee Grief Centre Villa 2, Jumeirah Road, Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai, P O Box 334273 Tel: +971 4 380 9298 Website: www.lighthousearabia.com/services/grief-support/ The LightHouse is a community mental health and wellness clinic providing quality psychological and psychiatric care to children, adults, couples and families. The LightHouse is also home to the Raymee Grief Centre, which provides free grief support services to anyone living in the UAE.

Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) Angela: Tel: + 971 4 348 2801 Anita: Tel: + 971 50 6447903 Website: www.dubai-sands.org Dubai SANDS offers support to those who have lost a baby whether through stillbirth, neonatal loss or termination for medical reasons. The group is run by bereaved parents, for bereaved parents. It is a branch of the UK-based “Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society” (www.uk-sands.org/).

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Annex A – Next of Kin Authorisation Form

To British Embassy Dubai,

I hereby certify that Mr/Mrs/Ms ……………………………………………………..

British Passport Number …………………………………………………………………………

Date of Birth …………………………………………………………………………

Date of Death …………………………………………………………………………

Place of Death …………………………………………………………………………

Is my …………………………………………………………………………

I have no objection to the cremation/burial/repatriation of the above named person, provided the local authorities also have no objection. I further authorise ……………………………………… holder of ….………………….. passport number .…………………………… to request all documentation and conduct all procedures on my behalf. I declare that I am the Next of Kin of the above named person and the information given is true to the best of my personal knowledge and belief. Yours faithfully,

Name (as in passport):

Nationality:

Passport Number:

Telephone Number:

Email Address:

Date:

*Are you happy to be contacted to provide feedback about our service? Yes □ No □

*Your preferred means of contact? Phone □ Email □ *In order to have feedback on ways in which we can improve our service we would like to share your details with our partner research agency. We will provide them with your date of birth, email address, telephone number and the reason you contacted us. They may then make contact with you to obtain your feedback. If you change your mind you can withdraw your consent at any stage.

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Annex B – List of Funeral Directors in Dubai

Updated: June 2019 This list is in alphabetical order.

GRAFCO (Gulf Global Repatriations Air Ambulance MT Funeral Services Middle East), P O Box 50200, Dubai Telephone: +971 4 335 0492, Fax: +971 4 282 0523, Mob: +971 50 6544378 Hotline Mobile: +971 50 9201893 Website: www.grafcome.com Email info@grafcome.com Contact: John Korah, Managing Director This company has told us the following things:

They have English speaking staff.

Specialisations are in medical evacuation, repatriation, cremation and burial.

They have experience of representing British nationals.

Staff speak Arabic, English and Hindi.

They can offer repayment plans.

Areas/regions of the country they provide services for: All Emirates (but there are restrictions on cremations in some Emirates and laws may differ from one Emirate to another).

Middle East Assistance, Office M1 Al Ashram Building, Deira Fish R/A, Omar Bin Al Kattab Street, P O Box 111474, Dubai Office Tel No: +971 4 273 0313 Email: info@meassistance.ae Mr. Vivian Albertyn: +971 50 4941624 (24 hours), Email: vivian@meassistance.ae Mr. Mahadeer Mohamed: +971 50 4277145, Email: info@meassistance.ae This company has told us the following things:

They have English speaking staff.

Specialisations are in repatriation, cremation and burial.

They have experience of representing British nationals.

Staff speak Arabic, English, Hindi and Urdu.

Areas/regions of the country they provide services for: UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait

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Feedback Form for Funeral Directors

If you do decide to use any of the companies on this list, we would like to hear from you. While there is no obligation on your part to provide feedback on the services you receive, any feedback you can give us is helpful.

Once completed, please return the form to the Embassy by post to British Embassy Dubai, Al Seef Road, Bur Dubai, PO Box 65, Dubai, United Arab Emirates or by email to Consular.UAE@fco.gov.uk. An electronic version of the form is available on our website (www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-dubai). Thank you for your help. Company: Date of contact: Are any of the details on our list regarding this provider wrong (e.g. address, telephone number, etc.)?

Do you have any other comments?

We would like to share this information with other customers but if you would prefer it not to be seen by others please tick the box □

Please circle the appropriate boxes below: If the service provided English speaking services, how would you rate the standard of English? Excellent Good Average Poor Very Poor

How would you rate the professionalism of the staff? Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

Very Poor

How would you rate the overall service received? Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

Very Poor

Feedback provider’s name:

Tel. No.:

Email:

Date: