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Documents & practical guidance

Documents and NOC to transport a dead body

What to carry when a body travels from Delhi to another city or state by road or air, and when a police NOC comes into it.

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  • Official procedure
  • Read it in a few minutes
Written to be usable
The paperwork, in order

One less thing to work out alone.

The short answer

To take a body from Delhi to another state after a natural death, carry the cause-of-death certificate (Form 4 or 4A), the hospital death summary if there is one, and photo ID of the deceased and of the relative travelling. After an unnatural death, you also need the inquest or FIR copy, the postmortem report and the police NOC. If the body has been embalmed - which air travel requires - carry the embalming certificate. Requirements differ by state and airline, so check the destination's rules before you leave.

Who handles it

The hospital, the police (for unnatural deaths) and the carrier

Deadline

Collect everything before the vehicle leaves

Official fee

The certificates are free; embalming and the vehicle are paid for separately

Start here

What to do,
in order.

Work down the list. Each step assumes only that the one above it is done.

  1. Start with the cause-of-death certificate

    Form 4 from the hospital, or Form 4A from the treating doctor for a death at home. Carry the original and several photocopies - checkpoints, the receiving hospital and the ground at the destination may each ask for one.

  2. Photo ID of the deceased and one relative

    Aadhaar is the most common. The relative travelling with the body should carry their own ID too.

  3. For an unnatural death, the police papers

    The inquest report or FIR copy, the postmortem report and the police no-objection certificate. Without the NOC, the body will not be released for transport.

  4. For air travel, embalming papers

    Airlines ask for an embalming certificate and a sealed coffin with its certificate. We check the chosen airline's list before anything is booked.

  5. Register the death where it happened

    The death is registered in Delhi - at the place of death - within 21 days, even if the cremation happens in another state. Keep the destination's cremation receipt for it.

Before you leave the house

What to take
with you.

Gather these once and you will not be sent home for them.

A little clarity

Common questions

If something here is still unclear, call us - someone answers at any hour.

Is a police NOC compulsory to transport a dead body?
For an unnatural or medico-legal death, yes - the body is only released with it. For a natural death certified by a doctor, it is usually not needed, but some states or carriers ask for one; check before you travel.
Do we need the death certificate before transporting the body?
No. The cause-of-death certificate (Form 4 or 4A) is what travels with the body. The death certificate comes later, after the death is registered in Delhi.
What extra documents does air transport need?
An embalming certificate and a sealed coffin with its certificate, in addition to the cause-of-death certificate and IDs. Each airline has its own list, so it is checked with the carrier first.
Where is the death registered if the cremation is in another state?
Where the death happened - in Delhi - within 21 days. The place of death decides it, not where the family lives or where the cremation takes place.

Where to go next

The other steps families usually need around this one.

If you would rather not do this yourself

We handle the paperwork.

It is part of every arrangement we make - the registrations, the certificates and the queueing. Ask us what is involved in your case.

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