Requirements and Procedures for Repatriating a Body from Saudi Arabia

Grief is something no one can predict. Death is a divine mystery that can come at any time, whether someone is performing pilgrimage in the holy land or traveling abroad on holiday. If death comes suddenly while in Arabia, how can the body be brought back from Arabia?

Of course, this is not a simple matter, since Saudi Arabia is quite far from Indonesia, so the process involves several steps and requirements that must be met.

Requirements for Repatriating a Body from Arabia

Returning a body to the homeland involves quite strict requirements. This is because the family will need to work together with the government (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to handle the administration.

According to the official website of the Indonesia Information Portal, there are several requirements for repatriating a body that you must fulfill, such as:

• A letter requesting the export of the body from an official agency.
• The deceased's passport.
• A valid passport of the accompanying person.
• Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Certificate of the Cause of Death) from the hospital.
• An export permit from the local authorities.
• Certification of Embalming (embalming certificate) from the authorized hospital.
• Certification of Sealing (sealing certificate) from the authorized hospital.

Once you have completed all these mandatory requirements, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) will work together with the competent authorities to handle the body.

What if the deceased comes from a family that cannot afford it? The entire repatriation process will be covered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the KBRI and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI).

However, to receive this assistance, the family must include a Certificate of Financial Inability from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the family is considered able to pay, the government will only assist with the administrative process.

Procedures for Repatriating a Body from Saudi Arabia

Before going through the procedures, it should be noted that there are usually two ways to send a body back to the homeland: by land and by air. However, if the death occurred in Saudi Arabia, which is thousands of kilometers from Indonesia, the body is repatriated by air.

The following are some of the procedures for sending a body from abroad:

1. Let the Authorized Parties Handle the Body

The party authorized to handle the body is the person or company responsible for it.

2. Report to the Police

The responsible company or person must report to the police or KJRI as soon as the Indonesian citizen is declared deceased.

3. Autopsy

After reporting, the officials in charge will check the condition of the body. If the death was unnatural and occurred outside hospital care, the police will carry out an autopsy to determine the cause. The autopsy results will be provided for insurance claims.

4. Shipping the Body

Once the death information is complete, the process of repatriating the body from Arabia can begin. In this step, the official body shipping agent is responsible for preparing a coffin that meets the destination requirements and the shipping method.

Since the body is shipped by air, the coffin must comply with the standards of the local health office and the relevant officials. This applies at all airports in Indonesia, so not just any coffin can be accepted.

The agent will then arrange the departure schedule and inform you of the estimated arrival time of the body.

To ensure safety, use official channels to repatriate the body to the homeland. If you use illegal channels, the shipment is highly likely to be misused for crimes such as drug smuggling and other prohibited goods.

Repatriating the Body of a Pilgrim from Arabia, Is It Possible?

Is it possible to repatriate a hajj or umrah pilgrim who died in Saudi Arabia? This question is often asked by pilgrims' families when they learn that a relative has passed away.

In fact, the Saudi government itself does not permit such bodies to be sent back to the homeland. They have a rule that if a pilgrim dies, they must be buried on site. The reason is that the Saudi government is concerned the body may deteriorate due to the very long distance involved.

Beyond that, there is also the matter of cost. It is quite expensive, not to mention the lengthy process of preparing the documents. In addition, there is a hadith explaining that anyone who passes away while performing the pilgrimage to the Holy Land will receive intercession (syafaat) from the Prophet.

According to Abdul Hafiz, a member of the Arabia Saudi PPI Surveillance team in the health field, there has been no known process throughout history for repatriating a pilgrim's body from Arabia to the homeland. Only one pilgrim has ever been repatriated, the hero Bung Tomo.

However, if the family still wishes to bring the body back from Arabia, they must request assistance from the government. They must follow the procedures and arrange complete documents, which takes a long time.

Even so, the deceased will still receive their rights. The Arabia Saudi hajj pilgrim administrators will carry out Islamic funeral preparation, from washing, shrouding and praying over the body, through to burial.

Are Pilgrims' Bodies Covered by Life Insurance?

In addition to funeral arrangement rights, the deceased is also covered by life insurance equal to the Hajj Pilgrimage Cost (BPIH). For example, if the pilgrimage cost is IDR 50,000,000.00, the insurance amount is the same.

However, if death occurs due to an accident, the pilgrim receives life insurance equal to twice the BPIH amount. The government usually hands this insurance over to the family of the deceased.

If the body passes away while on the plane, it will receive extra cover. This insurance is an effort to protect pilgrims while worshipping in the Holy Land.

It is important for you to know that the insurance can cover the pilgrim from the moment they enter the hajj embarkation dormitory until they return to the homeland. This insurance is arranged by the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Administration, and the insurer will transfer it to the pilgrim's account.

For the personal belongings of a deceased pilgrim, officers usually entrust them to family or relatives who are also performing hajj or umrah.

Now That You Understand How to Repatriate a Body from Arabia?

Those are the requirements, procedures and costs for repatriating a body from Arabia. You can follow this process if the family wishes for the body to return to Indonesia. However, for hajj pilgrims, since the Saudi Arabian government does not permit it, this procedure cannot be followed.

Speaking of body repatriation, if you need cargo services for bodies or body repatriation services, the Kamboja team is ready to help provide comfort while receiving and escorting the body to its final resting place.

Kamboja is a provider of funeral planning, arrangement and funding services. With Kamboja funeral protection, the costs and arrangements of your funeral on that day will be fully secured.

Without a doubt, with the many conveniences offered by Kamboja, you can contact Kamboja contact to discuss with one of the Kamboja team.