Muscat: The Oman Consulate in Mumbai has released the procedures to be followed for repatriation of bodies of citizens who die in India. The procedures to be followed include coordination with the national airline (Oman Air) and a local company to transport the body.
It includes submission of documents such as the death certificate, autopsy examination and passport of the deceased to the transport company. Other documents include No Objection Certificates (NOC) by the concerned authorities such as the Indian Foreign Ministry, the Municipality, and the police. Documents from the Indian authorities include the death certificate from the hospital, autopsy certificate (in case of death outside the hospital), passport of the deceased, a letter from the family of the deceased requesting the transfer of the body or requesting a burial permit.
It also includes a certificate of preservation (mummification) of the body, approval of the NOC certificates for the transfer of the body by the Ministry of External Affairs. Other processes include preparing the coffin for transporting the body and delivering it to the national carrier.
On arrival in the Sultanate of Oman, the process includes receiving a letter from the transport company confirming the shipment of the body and providing identity documents .
The Consulate General must be contacted through the person accompanying the deceased or one of his close relatives. The Consulate General needs to confirm the identity of the deceased and obtain approval from local authorities to ship the body.
The process of shipping a body from India to Oman usually takes 3 to 5 business days. Over 77 bodies were repatriated from the Republic of India to the Sultanate of Oman since August 2022.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
