In the event of a death outside of a hospital, the first thing to do is to notify the police by dialling 999. The police will then file a report and the body will be taken to Rashid Hospital, where a doctor will determine the cause of death and produce a report; this usually takes three to five days. If the death occurs in a hospital, then that hospital will be responsible for completing an initial death report and transferring the deceased to the mortuary.

The first administrative step in dealing with a death is to get a death certificate, which is needed before you can send the body home or arrange a local burial or cremation. In either event, the process for registering a death then varies depending on the deceased’s religion and whether or not he or she was an expat. It’s best to contact your home country embassy for guidelines on what the next steps are.

Prerequisites

• A death has occurred (natural or unnatural causes).

What to bring

• Passport and visit visa or residence visa of the deceased (original and copy).
• Police report (if death outside a hospital) OR death report from the hospital confirming cause of death.

​Fees:

• Dhs.60 death certificate fee.
• Dhs.100 English translation fee (optional).
• Up to Dhs.700 embassy certificate/registration fee.

Procedure

• A post-mortem examination is not routinely performed unless foul play is suspected. If the family wants a post-mortem, a written request should be submitted to the Medical Superintendent at Dubai Police HQ.
• Submit all documents (original passport and copy) to the hospital where the deceased is.
• The hospital will issue a death certificate declaration (not to be confused with the death certificate itself).
• Submit declaration and all required documents to Dubai Police, which will issue a no objection certificate (NOC) addressed to Al Baraha Hospital, Preventive Medicine Department.
• If the deceased is to be sent to his or her home country, request NOCs addressed to the airport for the transportation of the body, the mortuary for embalming, and the chosen hospital in your home country.
• Submit all documents from Dubai Police to Al Baraha Hospital, to the Preventive Medicine Department.
• A death certificate will be issued in Arabic.
• If the deceased is being sent home, the death certificate must be translated into English or the language required by the home country (for an additional fee of Dhs.100).
• Notify the home country embassy or consulate of the death.
• The embassy will cancel the passport and register the death in the deceased’s country of origin.
• An embassy death certificate will be issued.
• If you wish to fly the deceased home, request an NOC from the home country embassy.