International Cost Of Living, Hardship and Expat Pay: Expats, Death and How to Plan Round 2

"Death is Certain, Time is Not"

INFORMATION and INVENTORY REQUIREMENTS- EXPAT

It is important as an expat to know what is required when you or one of your loved ones passes away in your HOST country.

The below information should be available to your family in your Host country or a friend if you are on your own, as well as family or friends back in your home country.

A contact number for a family or friend back at home should be left with a reliable person in your host country.

If you are concerned about leaving the below information with other family members or friends, then ensure that you have left this with the person responsible for your Estate / Will, may it be a bank, accountant or lawyer. Then ensure that someone knows where to find this information if you do pass away.

STEPS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN IN YOUR HOST COUNTRY:

1. Register every member of your family with your HOME country Embassy, in your HOST country. Most embassies require the following information:
        - Person's Name, Date and Place of Birth, Passport Number, Visa or Work Permit Number,
and the Contact Details for each family member,
- The Full name and address of Next of Kin,
        - On the death of a family member they would require Date and Place of Death, Cause of
            Death, and the Location of the Remains.
2.   Your embassy will assist you in the event of a death of a family member in your Host country and will be the source of any required information with regards processes to be followed.
3. Be proactive and contact your embassy to find out all relevant processes to follow in cases of death; natural disasters; and evacuation processes during conflicts.
4.   When a person has passed away contact your embassy, as well as the police, a doctor or emergency services. Find out who the relevant people are to contact via your embassy.

5. A medical officer or doctor will have to pronounce the person as deceased, they will issue a medical record stating that the death was of natural causes and that nothing suspicious occurred.

6. The coroner, funeral home/parlor or police ambulance should be contacted to collect the body. The remains will be handled in accordance with the laws of and facilities available in your host country.

7. If the remains are to be shipped to your Home country, it would be necessary to embalm or cremate the body. Check the local requirements and customs allowed within your Host country. Certain Muslim countries will not allow non-Muslim's to be cremated within the country, and special arrangements would be required to ensure that customary procedures of your Home Country are followed. Once again your embassy should have this information.

8. Find out the legal requirements with regards the remains and follow these in accordance with the persons wishes.

9. The official funeral director should be able to complete and hand in any official forms on your behalf e.g. Lodging the Death Certificate with the relevant State/Government Department, as well as certify Identity Documents and Death Certificates.

10. Certified Copies of the Identity Documents, Passports and Death Certificate should be kept in a safe place. These may be required to close personal accounts at a later date and for official government requirements back at home.

11. In the case of an expat or a member of the expats family passing on, the below questions should be provided for a course of action to be followed by surviving family members.

12. This document should be completed separately by each adult member of the family.

13. This document should be distributed to relevant individuals and kept in a safe place.

14. Delete any sections that are irrelevant and add in sections that may have been left out and which are appropriate for the country you are a citizen of.

To find your Home country embassy in your Host country try out the Project Visa website,

EXPAT PERSONAL AND INVENTORY FORM

Personal Details:

Full Name:______________________________________________________________

ID Number:_____________________________________________________________

Passport Number:________________________________________________________

Resident’s Permit / Visa Number:___________________________________________

Essential Friends, relatives, neighbors and colleagues to be contacted in the event of my death:

Name:	Relationship:	Contact Details: Tel/Email

Where I have placed my Will:________________________________________________

Where I keep my ID Book / Passport:__________________________________________

Organ Donor:________________________ Living Will:___________________________

Guardianship of my children:

Names of Children:_________________________________________________________

Name of Guardian:_________________________________________________________

Contact for Guardian:_______________________________________________________

Person responsible for Children until Guardian arrives:_____________________________

Contact for above:___________________________________________________________

Pets:

Names of pets:_____________________________________________________________

Details of pets care:_________________________________________________________

Name of person responsible:__________________________________________________

Contact for person responsible:________________________________________________

Funeral Details:

Place of worship:___________________________________________________________

Requests regarding burial / cremation and scattering of ashes:

__________________________________________________________________________

Preferred funeral arrangements:

__________________________________________________________________________

Contact of Funeral Parlor / Person responsible in Host country for Funeral Arrangements:

Name:____________________________________________________________________

Tel:_______________________________________________________________________

Other:_____________________________________________________________________

Payment options for funeral:

Burial Scheme / Funeral Policy:_____________________________________________________________

Financial Details:

Income tax number:____________________________________________________

Auditors:_____________________________________________________________

E-mail:_______________________________________________________________

Tel:__________________________________________________________________

Employment / Sources of income details:

Employer:____________________________________________________________

Tel:__________________________________________________________________

Company policies:______________________________________________________

Company benefits:______________________________________________________

Bank account:

Institution:____________________________________________________________

Account number:_______________________________________________________

Type of account:________________________________________________________

Account details:_________________________________________________________

Insurance:

Institution:_____________________________________________________________

Account number:________________________________________________________

Type of account:_________________________________________________________

Account details:__________________________________________________________

Investments:

Institution:______________________________________________________________

Account number:_________________________________________________________

Type of account:__________________________________________________________