A step-by-step guide for families dealing with the death of an expatriate in the UAE: how to report the death, obtain the death certificate, cancel the visa, and either arrange a local burial or repatriate the body home, with the official documents and costs at each stage.
When an expatriate dies in the UAE, the family must complete a defined sequence: report the death, obtain the official death certificate, cancel the deceased’s residence visa, and then either bury the person locally within 14 days or repatriate the body home. The government mortuary’s embalming and repatriation package in Dubai has a fixed official cost of AED 3,132.50, though airline freight and the coffin are additional. For any unexpected or at-home death, the first call is to the police on 999.
This guide sets out each step in order, the documents you need, which authority issues what, and the difference between a local burial and repatriation. Dubai is the reference point, with Abu Dhabi variations noted. The aim is to give bereaved families a clear path through an administrative process that has to be handled quickly.
The First Hours: Reporting the Death
What you do first depends on where the death occurred. If a person dies in a hospital, the hospital completes the initial death report and transfers the body to the mortuary, which issues the death notification. If a person dies at home, in public, or unexpectedly, call the police on 999 immediately; the police attend, and the body is taken by ambulance to the police mortuary for examination.
According to the UAE Government portal, the death notification then has to be stamped by the police, who issue a No Objection Certificate. Where a death is unnatural or unexplained, a forensic medical report, a police no-objection certificate, and a Public Prosecution letter are needed before the death certificate can be issued. Contacting the deceased’s embassy or consulate early is important, because the embassy handles the passport and issues letters you will need later.
Getting the Death Certificate
Once the police notification and stamp are in place, you apply for the official death certificate from the health authority. In Dubai this is Dubai Health where the death occurred in one of its facilities, or the Ministry of Health and Prevention Preventive Medicine department at Al Baraha Hospital otherwise. In the northern emirates the issuer is Emirates Health Services, and in Abu Dhabi it is the Department of Health through the TAMM portal.
The certificate is issued in Arabic, and an official English version or translation is requested separately for use with your embassy and abroad. The certificate fee is modest, in the region of AED 60 in Dubai, with the English version charged as an extra. To apply you generally need the burial or transfer permit from the district police and the valid passport or Emirates ID of the deceased. A certificate stamped by Dubai Health, MOHAP, EHS, or the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi is treated as an official health-authority stamp, which matters for the later attestation step.
Cancelling the Visa and Emirates ID
The deceased’s residence visa and Emirates ID must be cancelled. This is done through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, or the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP) in the other emirates. Cancellation on death is handled as an exceptional cancellation, so the normal signature of the visa holder is not required, and the death certificate is the supporting document.
If the deceased was sponsoring family members, those dependents’ visas must also be addressed. A woman widowed while on her husband’s visa is entitled to a one-year residence extension from the date of death, renewable once, without needing a new sponsor, and this can cover children who were on the father’s visa, provided the visas were valid at the time of death. For the detail on dependents, see our guide to what happens to a dependent visa when the sponsor dies.
Choosing Burial in the UAE or Repatriation
The family then decides between a local burial or cremation in the UAE and repatriating the body to the home country. Both are permitted, and the right choice depends on the family’s wishes, religion, and cost.
Local burial or cremation
UAE practice is to bury the deceased locally within about 14 days of death. A burial requires the police No Objection Certificate and a burial permit from the district police, and for a non-Muslim burial the municipality’s permission is obtained through a letter of request from the embassy. Dubai has designated Muslim cemeteries managed by Dubai Municipality, and non-Muslim burial and cremation are available at the Jebel Ali cemetery and crematorium. In Abu Dhabi, non-Muslim burial is at the Bani Yas cemetery, and the Al Foah multi-faith cemetery and crematorium in Al Ain serves several communities. Costs vary by cemetery and service and are set by the individual facilities.
Repatriating the body abroad
Repatriation means preparing and transporting the body to the home country as air cargo. Embalming is legally required for international transport and is performed at a government-approved mortuary, and the body must travel in a sealed, zinc-lined coffin under airline cargo rules. Because an embalmed body remains suitable for transport for only a matter of days, the paperwork has to move quickly. The home embassy cancels the deceased’s passport and issues a consular or mortuary certificate that allows the remains to be exported.
Repatriation Documents and the Official Cost
The Dubai Health embalming and repatriation service requires the death certificate, the death notification, a letter from the police, a letter from the embassy, an electronic copy of the airline ticket, and a copy of the deceased’s passport. For a body with an infectious disease, the family is told to call the contact center on 800 342. The government package has a fixed, itemized cost.
| Item (Dubai Health package) | Fee (AED) |
|---|---|
| Embalming | 1,020 |
| Dubai Municipality ambulance | 220 |
| Company in charge of the deceased’s body | 1,840 |
| Typing fees | 52.50 |
| Total | 3,132.50 |
This official total covers the government mortuary steps only. It does not include the coffin, the airline cargo charge, or the repatriation-agent fees, which depend on the destination. A full repatriation, including freight and coffin, commonly runs into several thousand dirhams more and varies significantly by country, so treat any all-in figure as an estimate and get a written quote. Some employment contracts and insurance policies cover repatriation costs, so check whether the employer or an insurer is liable before the family pays.
Attesting the Death Certificate for Use Abroad
To use the UAE death certificate in the home country, it usually needs to be attested. After the health-authority stamp and an English version, the certificate is attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAIC) at AED 150 per document, and then legalized by the destination country’s embassy in the UAE if that country requires it. The process is the same legalization chain used for other personal documents, which we cover in detail in our guide to attesting certificates for use in and from the UAE.
Bank Accounts, Debts, and the Estate
On being notified of a death, UAE banks typically freeze the deceased’s accounts, including joint accounts, until a court issues an order on how the estate is distributed, and this can take months. Outstanding debts are settled from the estate before anything is distributed, and any end-of-service gratuity and final salary are paid to the estate. Whether the estate is distributed under the default rules or under the person’s own wishes depends on whether they registered a will. Our guides to why a UAE bank account is frozen and how to unfreeze it, non-Muslim inheritance law, and registering a will explain how a registered will makes releasing frozen assets faster and more predictable.
Who Can Help
Several bodies handle parts of this process. The hospital’s patient affairs office or the government mortuary guides the paperwork and the death declaration. The deceased’s embassy or consulate cancels the passport, issues the consular certificate, and provides the letters needed for burial or repatriation. Licensed funeral and repatriation service providers handle embalming, the coffin, cargo, and the attestation runs. Key numbers are 999 for the police, Dubai Health customer service on 800 60, and the infectious-body line on 800 342.
Dubai vs Abu Dhabi
| Function | Dubai | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Death certificate issuer | Dubai Health facilities; MOHAP Preventive Medicine, Al Baraha | Department of Health, via the TAMM portal |
| Visa cancellation | GDRFA Dubai | ICP |
| Non-Muslim burial or cremation | Jebel Ali cemetery and crematorium | Bani Yas cemetery; Al Foah multi-faith cemetery, Al Ain |
| Attestation for abroad | Health-authority stamp to MOFAIC to destination embassy | Same federal chain |
FAQ
What is the first thing to do when someone dies at home in Dubai?
Call the police on 999 immediately. For an unexpected or at-home death the police attend and the body is taken by ambulance to the police mortuary for examination. The police then issue the notification and No Objection Certificate you need to obtain the death certificate. If the death occurred in a hospital, the hospital handles the initial report instead.
Who issues the death certificate in the UAE?
The health authority issues it: Dubai Health or MOHAP Preventive Medicine at Al Baraha in Dubai, Emirates Health Services in the northern emirates, and the Department of Health through TAMM in Abu Dhabi. The certificate is issued in Arabic, with an English version requested separately for use abroad.
How much does a death certificate cost in the UAE?
In Dubai the certificate fee is modest, in the region of AED 60, with the English version charged as an extra. Fees vary by emirate and by the number of copies and languages requested, so confirm the current charge with the issuing health authority.
Is embalming mandatory to repatriate a body from the UAE?
Yes. Embalming is legally required to transport a body internationally and is done at a government-approved mortuary, and the body must travel in a sealed, zinc-lined coffin. In Dubai the government embalming and repatriation package costs AED 3,132.50, which does not include the coffin or airline freight.
What documents are needed to repatriate a body from Dubai?
The Dubai Health repatriation service requires the death certificate, the death notification, a letter from the police, a letter from the embassy, an electronic copy of the airline ticket, and a copy of the deceased’s passport. The embassy also cancels the passport and issues a consular certificate that allows the remains to be exported.
How much does it cost to repatriate a body from the UAE?
The official Dubai government mortuary package is AED 3,132.50, but that excludes the coffin and airline cargo, so a full repatriation typically costs several thousand dirhams more and varies widely by destination. Get a written quote from a licensed repatriation provider, and check whether an employer or insurance policy covers the cost.
Do I have to cancel the deceased’s visa and Emirates ID?
Yes. The residence visa and Emirates ID must be cancelled through GDRFA in Dubai or ICP elsewhere, handled as an exceptional cancellation with the death certificate as support. Any dependents the deceased sponsored must also be addressed, though a widow can obtain a one-year residence extension without a new sponsor.
Are UAE bank accounts frozen when someone dies?
Typically yes. Banks freeze the deceased’s accounts, including joint accounts, once notified, until a court issues an order on the estate, which can take months. A registered will makes releasing the assets faster and more predictable than relying on the default distribution.
Can a non-Muslim be buried or cremated in the UAE?
Yes. Non-Muslim burial and cremation are available in Dubai at the Jebel Ali cemetery and crematorium, and in Abu Dhabi at the Bani Yas cemetery and the Al Foah multi-faith cemetery in Al Ain. Non-Muslim burial requires municipal permission obtained through a letter from the deceased’s embassy.
Official Sources
This article references information from the following authorities:
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae) — Deaths and Reporting a Death
- Dubai Health — Request for Death Certificate
- Dubai Health — Embalming and Repatriation of the Deceased (fees)
- GDRFA Dubai — Residence Visa Cancellation
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAIC) — Document Attestation
Information is current as of July 2026. Fees, procedures, and requirements are subject to change and vary by emirate and by the deceased’s nationality. Repatriation costs beyond the official mortuary package are set by service providers and airlines. Verify the current requirements with the relevant health authority, the police, and the deceased’s embassy before proceeding.
