The Director of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Section at India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Foreigners Division, has issued a clarification regarding the repatriation of human remains to India in cases where the deceased’s original passport is unavailable.
In a letter dated November 11, 2025, addressed to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, Director G. Muthuraja noted that several airlines have been refusing to transport human remains to India despite the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by Indian missions abroad. The refusals were reportedly based on the absence of the deceased person’s original passport.
Addressing the issue, Muthuraja clarified that “human mortal remains cannot be treated as ‘passenger’ under section 19 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 as these are treated as Cargo. No immigration clearance is required for such human mortal remains,” adding, “Hence, the transportation of human mortal remains without an original passport cannot be considered as a violation under section 19 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.”
The MHA directive advised that all airlines operating international services to India should accept human remains for transport upon presentation of the NOC issued by the concerned Indian Mission or Post. This applies to cases where the deceased’s passport is unavailable for valid reasons, provided that customs and health clearances are completed in accordance with existing procedures.
The letter further noted, “Passport (either original or cancelled) of the deceased person may not be insisted upon in such cases. Airlines may on arrival present details of Passport or NOC issued by the concerned Indian Mission/Post to immigration authority to update the immigration records of the deceased person concerned.”
