Many Singaporeans in Saudi Arabia are there on pilgrimage, and for many Muslim families, a loved one who passes away in Makkah or Madinah is where they would want to be laid to rest, close to the holy places. The procedures differ a little between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, but the first steps are the same. This guide sets them out city by city, using the Consulate-General's own published guidance.
⚠️ Important
Saudi local law dictates that the deceased is buried in the city where the person died. The next of kin can appeal to move the deceased to another city, but this delays the burial and needs specific approvals. The final decision is at the sole discretion of the Saudi authorities. Settle this as a family early, and tell the Consulate-General what you want.
Phone numbers to call
| Who | Number | When |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi emergency services | 911 | Immediately, if the death happens outside a hospital |
| Consulate-General of Singapore, Jeddah: 24-hour duty number | [+966 50 559 6481](tel:+966505596481) | Any time, including after you have submitted documents |
| Consulate-General of Singapore, Jeddah: office | [+966 12 607 3980](tel:+966126073980) or [+966 12 607 3981](tel:+966126073981) | Sunday to Thursday, 8.00 am to 3.30 pm |
| MFA duty line, Singapore | [+65 6379 8800](tel:+6563798800) | From Singapore, 24 hours |
Email: [email protected]. After the first call, submit the documents on the deceased and the next of kin using MFA's online form, then call the 24-hour duty number to say you have done so.
What is the same in all three cities
1. If the death happens outside a hospital, call 911 straight away. If it happens in a hotel, tell the hotel, who will bring in the police and paramedics. Do not handle the deceased without the police and paramedics. The deceased is taken to a public hospital by ambulance. 2. Get the Death Notification Memo (تبليغ وفاة) from the hospital. You need it for the burial. 3. Get the release letter (تسليم جثمان لذويه) that lets you collect the deceased from the hospital mortuary. In some cases the police issue it instead. 4. Get the No Objection Letter (NOL) from the Consulate-General in Jeddah. The consulate emails or WhatsApps it to you. In Makkah and Madinah you do not need to collect the original: a colour printout is enough. 5. Have these ready: the deceased's passport, the next of kin's passport, and the NOL. 6. Note the Border Number of the deceased and the next of kin. Look it up on absher.sa under "Query Border Number". You will need the visa numbers and visa issue dates. 7. Contact a local shrouding facility. It washes and shrouds the deceased and, in Makkah and Madinah, arranges the prayers and liaises with the cemetery. 8. Confirm who will collect the death certificate. The consulate asks you to tell them.
Jeddah
| Step | Where to go | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Authorisation Letter from the police to release the deceased | Central police station, Al Sharafiyah district: map | Original Death Notification Memo, both passports, and the NOL (the police keep the original, so copy one for the hospital) |
| Collect the deceased | The hospital mortuary, with the police letter | The police letter, plus the shrouding facility's representative and ambulance |
| Shrouding and burial arrangements | A local shrouding facility, often next to a cemetery. MFA's examples: Salehiya cemetery and shrouding facility and Ikram shrouding facility | Death Notification Memo and passports |
• In Jeddah the police Authorisation Letter is a standard step. For a death outside a hospital, MFA says you may be required to go to the central police station to obtain it. • The deceased is released from the mortuary only when the shrouding facility's representative and ambulance arrive. • The shrouding facility may need 2 to 3 assistants. Male assistants wash a male deceased and female assistants a female deceased. A spouse is not allowed to assist.
Makkah
| Step | Where to go | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Release letter for the deceased | The hospital mortuary issues it. You may also be asked to get an Authorisation Letter from the police | Both passports and a colour printout of the NOL |
| Prayers and burial arrangements | A local shrouding facility (maghsalah), which liaises with the cemetery | Death Notification Memo and passports |
| Burial | Foreigners who die in Makkah are often buried at Al Sharayea cemetery, around 18 km from the Grand Mosque | Nothing extra: the shrouding facility arranges it |
Madinah
| Step | Where to go | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Release letter for the deceased | The hospital mortuary usually issues it. In some cases you must go to the local police station for an Authorisation Letter | Both passports and a colour printout of the NOL |
| Prayers and burial arrangements | A local shrouding facility (maghsalah), which liaises with the cemetery | Death Notification Memo and passports |
| Burial | Foreigners who die in Madinah are often buried at Uhud cemetery, around 6 km from the Prophet's Mosque | Nothing extra: the shrouding facility arranges it |
The burial itself
Space in the vehicle from the shrouding facility is limited, so only a handful of family members can accompany the deceased. Local custom means female family members are not allowed to enter the burial grounds and wait outside the cemetery's main entrance. It helps to tell the family before they arrive, so nobody is surprised.
What MFA can and cannot do
| MFA can | MFA cannot |
|---|---|
| Give information, advice and consular assistance | Pay hospital, legal or accommodation bills, or the costs of repatriating remains and belongings |
| Contact relatives to ask them to send emergency funds | Provide loans, act as guarantor or arrange transport and accommodation |
| Notify next of kin and help with the remains and belongings of a deceased Singaporean | Provide translation or other personal services |
Make sure someone in the family handles the money side: hospital fees, the shrouding facility and the cemetery are paid by the family, or by the travel insurer if there is a policy. If the person was on a package, ask the travel group's operator what the package covers. See What To Do When Someone Dies Overseas for why the insurer comes first and for the ICA report once you are back.
Back in Singapore
Once the burial is done, the family can report the death to ICA with the Saudi death certificate, as covered in the overseas death guide. For the customs that follow and the prayers families usually arrange at home, see the Muslim funeral guide and Muslim funeral rites and prayers.
⚠️ Important
This page is compiled from MFA's General Guide for Consular Assistance in KSA (Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah), which MFA itself says is not definitive and not a substitute for legal advice. Procedures can change and some of it may not apply to your case, so confirm with the Consulate-General before you act. Afterlife Bro explains the process and does not give legal, insurance or religious rulings. Last checked 4 November 2026.
💡 Tip
If you are in the middle of this and need someone to talk the steps through, WhatsApp Kenneth at +65 8958 9787 and I will help you work out what to ask and who to call.
