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The passing of a parent is a deeply emotional and often overwhelming experience. For NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) who live far from India, the situation becomes even more challenging, as one must manage not only grief but also the practical arrangements and legal procedures that follow a death in India. Whether you reside in the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, or Australia, understanding the steps to take after a parent passes away in India is crucial to ensuring that everything is handled smoothly.
In this guide, we will walk you through all the key aspects to keep in mind when managing a parent's death, from the emotional to the practical. We'll cover the immediate steps, such as arranging for mortuary services and the funeral, to longer-term considerations like managing finances and supporting the surviving parent. We'll also outline how Nila can support NRIs at each stage, providing both practical assistance and emotional support.
When a parent passes away in India, the first and most important thing is to manage your emotions while quickly acting on the immediate practicalities. The first few hours are critical, and clear decisions must be made, especially if you're coordinating remotely.
If your parent passes away in a hospital, the medical staff will provide the first declaration of death, which is essential for all subsequent formalities. If they pass away at home, a local doctor must be called to confirm the death and issue a death declaration.
Nila's Role: Nila can help NRIs coordinate with hospitals and healthcare providers to ensure all initial procedures, including the issuance of the preliminary death certificate, are handled promptly.
Once the death is confirmed, the next step is to arrange for the body to be transported to a mortuary, particularly if there will be a delay in the funeral arrangements. Many NRIs may need time to fly back to India or make other arrangements, which makes mortuary services essential.
Nila's Role: Nila can coordinate with local hospitals and mortuaries to ensure that the body is kept in a respectful and safe manner until you arrive in India or have finalized funeral plans.
Organizing a funeral from abroad can be difficult, particularly when dealing with local customs, finding funeral partners and locations, and making sure everything is in line with your family's traditions. In some unfortunate circumstances, if the family living abroad cannot reach India in time, some funerals may need to proceed quickly due to religious or legal reasons. It is helpful to have a reliable local contact who can help manage the arrangements.
Nila's Role: The team at Nila can help you with funeral arrangements for NRIs in India, putting you in touch with various partners and services that can help organize things in a respectful and efficient manner.
Once the funeral has been conducted, it is time to turn to a critical step - obtaining the death certificate for your parent. The death certificate is a crucial document that must be obtained as quickly as possible, because several of your next steps will include this document. The process for obtaining an Indian death certificate for NRIs involves visiting the local municipal office or village panchayat with the necessary documentation, including the hospital’s initial death declaration. You will need this certificate for legal and financial purposes, including claiming insurance and closing bank accounts.
Nila's Role: Often, even having the necessary documents in order, the process of obtaining the death certificate may involve multiple visits and follow-up communication to the municipal authority’s office. Nila can help you get things in order and ensure proactive communication with the local authorities to ensure that you get the document on time.
One of the most time-consuming aspects of a parent’s death is handling their financial affairs. This includes managing bank accounts, utility bills, investments, property, insurance claims and any pending debts. If your parent has left a will, the process will involve executing it through the Indian legal system.
If your parent left behind significant assets, you will need to navigate the complexities of inheritance law in India. The process will depend on the state laws where your parent resided, as inheritance laws vary across India. Additionally, managing financial affairs can become more difficult if there is no will, as the assets may need to go through probate.
Begin by making a laundry list of the accounts, assets, items from various financial institutions or government agencies which will need to be transferred. Spending some time in creating this list will be helpful in avoiding confusion and being thorough.
Some key assets that deserve consideration include
Once you have a thorough list of the assets you will need to work on, begin gathering the necessary documents for each of them. There are a number of resources available online that can guide you through the specific documents needed for each form of transfer, but remember that all of them will require the death certificate.
Additional important documents to gather include
Working with each financial institution in a systematic way will help keep track of each of these transfers and avoid confusion and frustration at an already trying time.
Grief is an inevitable part of losing a parent, and dealing with this loss while managing practicalities from abroad can be emotionally exhausting. The feelings of isolation and helplessness may be compounded when you are far away from home.
It's important to allow yourself the time and space to grieve, even if you are actively involved in the logistics. Seek support from family members, friends, or professional grief counselors who understand the unique challenges NRIs face when a parent passes away in India.
Nila's Role: Nila can put you and your family in touch with grief counseling services to help you navigate this difficult time. Whether it's through connecting you to online counselors or providing support in India, Nila ensures that your emotional well-being is also taken care of.
When one parent passes away, the surviving parent may face immense emotional and practical challenges. As an NRI, offering emotional support to your living parent from abroad can be tough, but it is crucial to ensure they are emotionally supported and practically taken care of, even more so during the first few months after their spouse’s passing.
If your surviving parent is elderly or unwell, you may need to coordinate healthcare, home care, and even legal arrangements from abroad. Maintaining regular contact and ensuring they have local support is vital for their emotional well-being.
Nila's Role: Nila offers comprehensive services to help NRIs in supporting a living parent after a death. From arranging home care services to connecting them with local social groups and emotional support networks, Nila helps ensure that your parent is well looked after in your absence. Even when there is no real service to be coordinated for them, Nila will always continue to check in and ensure that a form of support is always available.
The passing of a parent is a time of immense emotional turmoil, made even more challenging when managing it from another country. NRIs in the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, and Australia often face additional complexities in terms of logistics, legalities, and finances. However, with the right support, much of this burden can be alleviated, allowing the family enough time to grieve and process the loss in a healthy manner. .
Nila plays a vital role in supporting NRIs through every stage of the process—from handling mortuary services for NRIs in India to assisting with post-death formalities and providing the in-person support needed at each step. By ensuring that all the practical aspects are handled efficiently, Nila helps NRIs focus on healing and spending time with their family.
As an NRI, having a trusted partner like Nila to manage the aftermath of a parent’s death in India can bring peace of mind during one of life’s most difficult moments.
