Bring a Dead Body Home to Pakistan From Abroad: Embassy NOC, PIA and Free OPF Ambulance

When a Pakistani worker dies abroad, the employer usually has to pay to fly the body home. If the employer refuses and the family cannot pay, the Pakistani embassy or consulate takes it on. At the Pakistani airport, the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) drives the body to the home town in a free ambulance. Call OPF on 051-111-040-040 with the flight details.

We read OPF's ambulance, airport and financial aid pages and PIA's cargo questions page on 2 October 2026. This is what the family in Pakistan and the person helping abroad each need to do for dead body transportation to Pakistan.

The employer pays first, then the Pakistani mission steps in

OPF says moving the body of an overseas Pakistani is usually the contractual duty of the employer or company. If the employer refuses to pay and the family is poor, the Pakistani embassy or consulate in that country arranges the transport instead.

So the first call abroad goes to the employer, not the airline. Ask for the cost of the coffin, embalming and the flight in writing. If they refuse, take that refusal to the Community Welfare Attache (CWA), the welfare officer at the Pakistani mission.

OPF also says PIA carries the bodies of overseas Pakistanis free of cost from the places where PIA flies, a facility it says came from OPF's own efforts. PIA's cargo questions page does not mention a free fare. It only lists the papers. Confirm the free carriage with the PIA cargo office in that city before booking. PIA flies from fewer cities than the Gulf carriers, so many families still need another airline.

Four papers are needed before any airline will carry the body

PIA's cargo page asks for a death certificate from a licensed doctor or hospital, a police no objection or clearance certificate, a coffin packing or embalming certificate, and a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Pakistani embassy for an international flight.

• Death certificate, from a licensed medical practitioner or the hospital.
• Police clearance, a no objection or clearance certificate from local police.
• Embalming or coffin packing certificate, from the funeral service that prepared the body.
• Embassy NOC, issued by the Pakistani embassy or consulate for an international flight.

Other airlines and host countries can add their own rules, so ask the airline cargo office for its list. Keep a copy of every paper. The family will need the death certificate and the air waybill again in Pakistan for the funeral grant and any claim.

Give a trusted person abroad a power of attorney

OPF says the legal heirs can authorise a person they trust in that country by a power of attorney. That person gets the NOC from the embassy or consulate. With no relative abroad, heirs can give the power of attorney to the CWA or the mission.

A cousin or a colleague from the same company is the usual choice. They can deal with the hospital, police and employer in person, and they speak the local language. The family in Pakistan cannot do that from home.

The power of attorney is signed in Pakistan and used abroad. It is the reverse of a power of attorney from abroad, which an overseas Pakistani signs for use at home. Send the original abroad, because the embassy, police or employer may ask to see it.

Book the free OPF ambulance before the flight lands

OPF runs a free ambulance from every international airport in Pakistan to the deceased's home town, 24 hours a day. The family or the CWA should call 051-111-040-040 with the flight number, departure date, arrival time, a contact number and the full home address.

1. Get the flight details from the person abroad once the body is booked: flight number, departure date and arrival time.
2. Call OPF on 051-111-040-040 well before the flight lands.
3. Give a contact number in Pakistan for the person who will coordinate with OPF staff.
4. Give the full address of the deceased's home town or village.
5. Meet the OPF desk at the airport. OPF says its airport staff help the family clear the remains and coordinate the ambulance.

Embassy officials and the CWA can also request the ambulance on the family's behalf. OPF says the same free service is given for terminally ill patients when a mission or the heirs ask.

OPF airport desks help clear the body on arrival

OPF has One Window Facilitation Desks at Pakistan's international airports. Its staff help the family clear the remains and arrange the ambulance. Call the desk at the arrival airport a day before the flight, as well as the main OPF number.

These numbers are from OPF's airport and contact pages. Staff change, so call the main number too.

Claim the Rs 25,000 funeral grant within one month of burial

OPF pays a Rs 25,000 funeral grant if the deceased was an OPF member or registered with the Protector of Emigrants, died abroad, and was buried in Pakistan. Apply within one month of burial with the death certificate and the air waybill.

The widow or widower applies first. If the deceased was unmarried, a parent applies. Children apply if the widow or widower has died. Late claims are refused.

Anyone who went abroad on a work visa through the Protector of Emigrants counts as registered, and the stamped passport page is the proof. OPF lists these papers for the grant:

• Application form, on OPF's own form.
• Attested copies of the deceased's CNIC and all passports.
• Proof of OPF membership or Protector registration.
• Attested copy of the applicant's CNIC and proof of relationship.
• Attested death certificate from the host country.
• Attested air waybill for the body.
• Account maintenance certificate and a direct credit form.

OPF's larger financial aid of Rs 400,000 after a death is a separate claim with a one year limit. Unpaid salary and death compensation from the employer are a third claim, routed through OPF and the mission. A worker who never went through the Protector can still join with an OPF membership card, but only while alive and abroad.

Common questions

Who pays to send a dead body from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan?

Usually the employer, under the work contract. If the employer refuses and the family is poor, the Pakistani mission arranges it, OPF says.

Does PIA carry dead bodies free of charge?

OPF says PIA carries the bodies of overseas Pakistanis free from cities where it flies. PIA's own cargo page lists only the papers, so confirm with its cargo office.

Is the OPF ambulance free?

Yes. OPF runs a free ambulance from every international airport in Pakistan to the home town, 24 hours a day. Call 051-111-040-040.

What papers does the airline need?

A death certificate, a police clearance, an embalming or coffin certificate, and a no objection certificate from the Pakistani embassy.

How do I claim the OPF funeral grant?

Apply within one month of burial on OPF's form, with the death certificate and the air waybill. The grant is Rs 25,000.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 2 October 2026. The employer's duty, the mission's role, the PIA free carriage statement, the power of attorney route and the ambulance details are from OPF's ambulance service page. The airline papers are from PIA's cargo questions page. The funeral grant rules are from OPF's financial aid page, and the airport desk numbers from OPF's contact page. PIA's own site does not state the free carriage, so we have given it as OPF's statement. We did not call any number.