Repatriation of Human Remains to Sri Lanka

Eligibility

Only the human remains of Sri Lankan Nationals, former Sri Lankan citizens who are holding Foreign Passports, foreigners who area married to

Sri Lankan citizens or foreigners where parents are Sri Lankan citizens will be allowed to repatriate.

In the event of a death occurring abroad, where the deceased is a Sri Lankan national or a native Sri Lankan holding a foreign passport,

the Next of Kin (NOK) must initiate the repatriation process through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka.

Application Process

The NOK is required to submit an application to:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Consular Affairs Division – Sri Lanka

                 For further details, please visit: http://www.mfa.gov.lk/en/deaths-abroad-2

Next of Kin Requirements

The NOK must:

• Nominate a representative in Sri Lanka responsible for funeral arrangements
• Obtain approval from the Department of Immigration & Emigration (Colombo) for repatriation

Upon receiving the request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka High Commission will:

• Legalise the required documents
• Issue a No Objection Letter to facilitate the repatriation of human remains

Prior Approval & Required Documents

1.     Prior approval shall be obtained from the Airport Health Officer (APHO) at the Bandaranaike International Airport by submitting

         the following documents. All documents must be produced in English language;

         I.      Proof of identification of the deceased (cancelled passport)

         II.    Death certificate

         III.   Embalming certificate

         IV.   No objection letter from the High Commission of Sri Lanka

         V.     Police report/coroner’s certificate/forensic report in the case of unnatural death or in any other circumstances where the APHO

                 decides to have such a report.

Preparation of the human remains for repatriation

1.     All orifices of the human remains should be closed with a gauze plug impregnated with Sodium Hypochlorite

2.     All lacerations and cut injuries should be covered with waterproof dressings

3.     The remains should be sealed in a non-permeable body bag

4.     The sealed body bag should be kept in a coffin disinfected with Sodium Hypochlorite and the bottom of the coffin should contain

        a layer of Sodium Hypochlorite powder

5.     The coffin should also be sealed

Releasing the human remains at the airport

1.     The human remains will be released inly to the consignee. If the consignee is not appearing, an affidavit from the consignee must be

        submitted for handing over to a nominated person

2.     If the death is due to homicide, suicide, accident, cause of death is under investigation or any other unnatural mode of death (as per

        the APHO’s discretion), will be subjected to an inquest before release

3.     If subject to an inquest, the human remains should be transferred to the District General Hospital, Negombo and be released to the

        consignee after the inquest. This may be with or without a postmortem as decided by the Inquirer into sudden deaths

Human remains with infection risk

If a death occurs due to a communicable disease with increased public health risk, or any unknown disease conditions, Director of Quarantine

may restrict the repatriation of the human remains on a case-by-case basis.  

* No approval is required for cremated human remain (ash), clean dry bones, bone fragments, human hair, clean human teeth, fingernails or toenails 

Sri Lankan Nationals

If the deceased was a Sri Lankan national, the following documents must be submitted, with certification of the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)

• Death Certificate
• Coroner’s Certificate / Post-mortem Report
• Embalming Certificate

All applicable documents must be submitted to the Sri Lanka High Commission for legalisation. 

Former Sri Lankan Nationals

If the deceased was a former Sri Lankan national, the following documents must be submitted, with certification of the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)

• Death Certificate
• Coroner’s Certificate / Post-mortem Report
• Embalming Certificate
• Approval from the country of current nationality
• Cancelled current passport

Additional Requirement

• Consent letter from the Next of Kin (NOK)

     All applicable documents must be certified by the FCDO and submitted to the Sri Lanka High Commission for legalisation.

     the Next of Kin (NOK) must initiate the repatriation process through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka.

     The NOK is required to submit an application to: Consular Affairs Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka

     For further details, please visit: http://www.mfa.gov.lk/en/deaths-abroad-2

Next of Kin Requirements

The NOK must:

·         Nominate a representative in Sri Lanka responsible for funeral arrangements

·         Obtain approval from the Department of Immigration & Emigration (Colombo) for repatriation

Upon receiving the request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka High Commission will:

·         Legalise the required documents

·         Issue a No Objection Letter to facilitate the repatriation of human remains

Repatriation of Cremated Remains (Ashes) to Sri Lanka

If transporting cremated remains to Sri Lanka, the following documents are required:

• Sri Lankan death certificate registered and issued by the High Commission or,
• Local death certificate (FCDO certification required)
• Cremation certificate (FCDO certification required)
• Acceptance letter from the relevant cemetery in Sri Lanka (if applicable)

Additional Requirement

• Consent letter from the Next of Kin (NOK)

All applicable documents must be certified by the FCDO and submitted to the Sri Lanka High Commission for legalisation. 

Important:

• Death and cremation certificates must be certified by the FCDO and legalised by the Sri Lanka High Commission in London
• Ensure all documentation is accurate and complete to avoid delays
• Applicants are advised to confirm specific requirements with the airline and any transit airports before travel
• Additional documentation may be required depending on individual circumstances