Claim Life Insurance After a Death in Pakistan: Forms, Papers and the 90 Day Rule
How to claim life insurance after a death in Pakistan: the letter, State Life forms A to D, the papers, who gets paid, the 90 day rule and the 99833 finder.
To claim life insurance after a death in Pakistan, send a written death intimation to the insurer's office that services the policy, with the death certificate and CNIC copies. The insurer then sends claim forms. Return them with the original policy. By law, a complete claim must be paid within 90 days.
Weeks after a death, a relative often finds a policy document in a drawer. We read State Life Insurance Corporation's own claim procedure, its four claim forms and its policy conditions, and the SECP regulations that set claim deadlines. The steps below use State Life as the worked example, because it publishes the most detail. Other life insurers and family takaful operators follow the same broad pattern.
The death claim starts with one written letter
A life insurance death claim begins when a family member writes to the insurer's zonal office and reports the death. State Life asks for the policy number, a copy of the death certificate and a CNIC copy. It then sends the claim forms within seven days.
State Life's own page puts it plainly: "send a written intimation to the zonal office of State Life servicing the policy". Its FAQ adds that the family should attach a copy of a valid CNIC and a copy of the death certificate, and that the claims department dispatches the forms to the nominee within 07 days of receiving the intimation.
The zonal office address is printed on the back cover of the policy document. If you have lost the policy, the claim is not lost. State Life's FAQ says a lost policy "does not absolve the Corporation of its liability". You will give an indemnity bond with two sureties instead.
Get the death certificate first. It comes from the union council or cantonment board, and the union council death certificate process is usually the slowest part of the whole claim.
Four claim forms decide whether the claim moves
State Life uses four death claim forms, called A, B, C and D. The claimant fills Form A, the treating doctor fills Form B, an unrelated person who knew the deceased fills Form C, and the employer fills Form D.
| Form | Name on the form | Who fills it |
|---|---|---|
| Form A | Claimant's Statement | The nominee, guardian, trustee, assignee or holder of a succession certificate. Each claimant fills a separate form. |
| Form B | Medical Attendant's Certificate | The doctor who treated the person in the last illness |
| Form C | Certificate of Identity | Someone who knew the deceased, is not a relative, and has no interest in the money |
| Form D | Certificate of Employer | The employer of the deceased |
Forms A and C must be signed in front of a gazetted officer, magistrate, justice of the peace or a State Life officer. Form A also asks for the bank account and IBAN, verified by the bank.
The documents list grows if the death was an accident
Every death claim needs the original policy, an attested death certificate, attested CNICs of the deceased, the claimant and the Form C witness, and the last premium receipt. An accident or murder adds the FIR, the police report and the postmortem report.
This is the full list from State Life's standard condolence letter, which goes out with the forms:
- Original policy document.
- Attested copy of the death certificate from the union council or cantonment board.
- Attested CNIC copies of the deceased, the claimant and the person who filled Form C.
- Proof of age of the deceased, if age was not admitted when the policy was issued.
- Proof of age of the nominee, if the nominee was a minor when named and is now an adult.
- Receipt of the last premium paid.
- For an accident or murder: the FIR and police investigation report, the postmortem report and a newspaper clipping of the news.
If the person died abroad, every document issued abroad must be attested by the Pakistani embassy in that country. If burial took place in Pakistan, add the papers for carrying the body home.
The nominee gets paid, or a court decides who does
State Life pays a death claim to the nominee or assignee named in the policy. If there is no nominee, no assignment and no will, the money goes to whoever holds a succession certificate or other title from a court.
A policy bought twenty years ago may name a nominee who has since died. Then the heirs need a succession certificate from NADRA before the insurer will pay. NADRA also uses the family registration certificate to show who the legal heirs are, so order both together.
A minor nominee cannot sign. The guardian named in the policy signs Form A for the child.
The insurer has 90 days to pay a complete claim
Section 118 of the Insurance Ordinance 2000 gives an insurer 90 days to pay once the claimant has filed complete papers. State Life's policy conditions say that if it pays late without good reason, it owes liquidated damages at five per cent above the base rate.
The SECP's 2020 regulations repeat the 90 day rule and cite section 118. In State Life's wording, the 90 days run from the date payment fell due, or the date the claimant met all requirements, whichever is later. So the clock does not start until your file is complete.
The SECP's Corporate Insurance Agents Regulations 2020 add two more deadlines for policies sold through banks and other corporate agents. The insurer must acknowledge a claim within seven working days. And before it declines a claim for missing papers, it must tell you what is missing within 14 days of receiving your documents.
An SMS can find a policy the family never knew about
If you think the deceased had life insurance but cannot find the papers, send the deceased person's CNIC number by SMS to 99833. This is the Life Insurance Policy Finder service run with the Central Depository Company.
State Life's own website advertises the service in these words: "SMS your CNIC to 99833". The SECP announced the service in December 2025 and said all life insurers and family takaful operators must take part, as reported; we could not open the SECP's own announcement because its website blocked our requests. If a match is found, the insurer contacts the family. State Life also runs an unpaid claims search on its website.
Money sitting in the deceased person's bank accounts is a separate hunt. The State Bank's unclaimed deposit process covers that.
Complain in writing if the claim stalls
If a claim passes 90 days, or is refused, write to the insurer's complaint cell first. If that fails, the Federal Insurance Ombudsman hears complaints free of charge, and the SECP takes complaints too.
State Life's complaint cell is at its Principal Office, State Life Building No. 9, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi, and its helpline is 051-111-777-542. Keep copies of every form and a dated receipt for every letter. When a refusal comes, the steps to complain to the Insurance Ombudsman are the same for every insurer.
Common questions
How long does a life insurance death claim take in Pakistan?
The law gives the insurer 90 days after you file complete papers. Missing documents restart the wait, so a complete file is the fastest route.
Can I claim if the original policy is lost?
Yes. State Life pays on an indemnity bond with two sureties and a newspaper notice of the loss, according to its FAQ.
Who signs Form C?
Someone who knew the deceased but is not a relative and gets nothing from the policy, such as a neighbour or colleague. A gazetted officer or similar official must attest it.
Do I need a succession certificate?
Only if no living nominee or assignee is named in the policy and there is no will. Otherwise the named nominee claims directly.
Is there a fee to file a death claim?
We found no claim fee on State Life's forms or procedure pages. You may pay small costs for attested copies and certificates.
How do I find out if my late father had life insurance?
Send his CNIC number by SMS to 99833. If a policy is on record, the insurer will contact you.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 3 October 2026. We read State Life's claim procedures page, its forms page and the death claim forms A, B and C, the condolence letter and the discharge voucher, its FAQs and its policy terms and conditions. We read the SECP Corporate Insurance Agents Regulations 2020, S.R.O. 1304(I)/2020, in the Gazette of Pakistan of 5 December 2020. The SECP's own announcement of the 99833 service could not be opened, so its launch details are reported; the SMS number itself is on State Life's website. Other insurers' forms may differ in name and number.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
