South Africa - Advice to South Africans in the Event of Death Abroad

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Procedure

Apply In-Person:

1. To Get Advice to South Africans in the Event of Death Abroad, the applicant must visit the Department of International Relations and Cooperation office in South Africa. Contact Link
2. Make sure that you have all the documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
3. After visiting the International Relations Office, the further instructions and assistance will be provided to the applicant. (Next of kin)
4. The International Relations Office along with its Representative abroad (respective country) will provide logistical assistance and advice to the next of kin in the event of the death of a South African citizen abroad.
5. The kind of assistance possible for the respective country will be explained to the applicant while seeking advice.
6. The fee details in regards to the process will be intimated to the applicant while visiting the International Relations Office.
7. The process duration differs from country to country.

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Required Documents

• A Death Certificate clearly stating the cause of death.  If the cause of death is unknown, a permit will not be issued.  In the case of an infectious disease, an autopsy report is also required.
• ID document / Passport. Copy of the deceased SA passport or id certified by the relevant mission.
• Embalming Certificate clearly stating in the case of:
  • Non-Infectious – That the remains were embalmed, sealed in an airtight container and placed in a sturdy non-transparent coffin.
  • Infectious – That the remains were embalmed, placed in a polythene bag, placed in a second polythene bag, sealed in an airtight container and placed in a sturdy non-transparent coffin.
• If embalming cannot be done due to religious reasons, please include a statement of the alternative that will be used to ensure the safe transportation of the remains.
• A written statement from a medical practitioner that the remains will not constitute a danger to public health.
• A non-infectious disease certificate.
• Letter from the family member requesting importation. The letter should include:
  • Name of family member
  • ID nr
  • Relationship to the deceased
  • Physical address
  • Copy of ID/passport of family member
  • Contact details of family member
• If the deceased died while on business for their employer and the employer will be handling the transportation of the remains, a letter from the employer must be attached explaining the situation.
• If the documents are not in English, a certified translation must be attached.
• A covering letter from the South African Representative that includes:
  • Name of deceased
  • Date of death
  • Cause of death
  • Country of death
  • Place of burial
  • Full contact numbers including dialling codes
• A Certificate of compliance (CoC) from the South African Undertaker.

Office Locations & Contacts

Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) - Head Office
Physical Address: O R Tambo Building,
460 Soutpansberg Road,
Rietondale,
0084,Pretoria,
South Africa,
Postal Address : Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001,
South Africa
Tel No: + 27 12 351 1000
Fax: +27 12 329 1000
Website: Link

South African Representation Abroad

Eligibility

• The next of kin of the dead person is eligible to seek advice from the International Relations officer.

Fees

• The fee details in regards to the process will be intimated to the applicant while visiting the International Relations Office.

Validity

• There is no validity period for seeking advice to South Africans in the Event of Death Abroad.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g., links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• The processing time will be intimated to the applicant/patient while taking the service.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• The Department of Health does not deal with undertakers directly.  Only documents from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation or the South African Representative will be accepted. This includes transit through South Africa.
• No importation permit is needed if the remains are cremated.  The death certificate, cremation certificate and a copy of the deceased identification to accompany the ashes at all times.
• The next of kin must complete an affidavit selecting option to return mortal remains to SA signed by commissioner of oaths with certified copy of id/SA passport of the NOK who signed affidavit.

Required Information

• Name of the dead person
• Reasons of the death
• Name of family member
• ID nr
• Relationship to the deceased
• Physical address
• Copy of ID/passport of family member
• Contact details of family member
• Name of deceased
• Date of death
• Cause of death
• Country of death
• Place of burial
• Full contact numbers including dialling codes
• Contact Number
• Signature

Need for the Document

• This document helps in getting advice at the event of death abroad of a South African citizen.

Information which might help

• In the event the deceased had travel insurance, it is recommended that the insurer be contacted first to establish whether the deceased is covered in case of death.
• The South African Government does not render any financial assistance pertaining to the death of South African citizens abroad.
• The financial transaction for the importation of mortal remains, local burial or cremation and return of the ashes may only be done via a commercial institution such as a bank.
• The money must be transferred directly to the undertaker in the country concerned.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g., Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• External Link

Others

More information which might help people.