Repatriation of Remains
Repatriating a Deceased U.S. Citizen from Saudi Arabia
When an American citizen dies in Saudi Arabia, the employer (or sponsor) is responsible for handling the administrative arrangements on behalf of the next of kin. To facilitate the repatriation of the remains, which is required for non-Muslims, the sponsor will need to obtain all the appropriate documentation required by the Saudi authorities and airlines.
The procedure is as follows:
1. Upon receipt of police permission, the hospital will transport the body to the central morgue at Riyadh King Saud Medical Compound.
2. The police will provide the sponsor 5 envelopes addressed to the morgue, the passport Office for exit visa, the cargo office and the customs office.
The sponsor then:
3. Obtains a document from the Governor's office called “Death of an Alien Certificate.”
4. Coordinates with a travel agency for travel arrangements to make reservations and arrangements to transport the remains.
5. Arranges to receive the death certificate from the Riyadh Medical Complex with the medical report.
6. Has the death certificate and medical report translated into English and make eight (8) copies.
7. Obtains the exit visa for the remains from the passport office.
8. Brings 8 copies and translations of the following documents to the Embassy for authentication:
- The death certificate
- Medical report
- The Governor's Office letter
- Exit visa on the deceased’s passport
The Embassy will provide the employer’s representative with five authenticated copies to be presented to Saudia Cargo. These 5 copies are requested by the KKIA Cargo section to provide you with the authorization to receive the body 6 hours before the departure date.
The Embassy will also prepare the Report of Death of an American Citizen, which serves as the death certificate for U.S. legal purposes.
9. One (1) set of these 8 documents should be given to the escort and another should be affixed to the casket.