What to do when a loved one pass away overseas

Sharing my personal experience when my client passed away overseas while on holiday.

One night in November 2018 I received a message that my client had passed away while on holiday. I was shocked that it was so sudden and it took me awhile to process the information. But after that was a mad rush to check all the documentations required while the family was still overseas.

As I had done full financial planning for the family, I was able to consolidate the various requirements for the respective insurers / investment platforms, and even quickly locating the original Will.

With the above information, I was able to guide the family through a smooth claims and estate administration process. Fortunately, we had also done nomination for the respective insurance policies, so the proceeds were paid out 4-6 weeks after my client’s passing.

Looking back, it was an emotional and stressful time for me as their trusted adviser, as I grieved with them through all the nitty-gritty paperwork.

Here is a broad overview on the process for overseas death claim.

Process for Overseas death claim

While overseas
1. Consolidate all requirements from various insurers
2. All overseas medical reports need to be translated to English by official translator
3. Need to get certified true copy of death cert by notary public
4. Need to inform Embassy in respective country
5. Need to submit for insurance claims:
– Attending doctor need to fill up pre-set form by insurer / submit doctor’s report
– Repatriation report (airway bill)

Upon return to Singapore
1. Bring overseas death cert to Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to convert to Singapore death cert with NRIC number
2. With Singapore death cert, ask for Will retrieval from custody (if necessary), or locate where the original Will is kept
Tip: For location of original Will, check if it’s lodged with Wills Registry website
3. Submit death claims to various insurers (submit certified true copy death cert + proof of relationship)

More details on the reporting process and repatriation are available at MyLegacy / Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

Apart from insurance, there are still other financial assets that forms part of the estate to be administered.

To make it easier for your Executor / Administrator to gather your assets, and for your dependents to have quick access to funds for living expenses, it’s best to prepare a Schedule of Assets. Check out my colleague Christina Ang’s article on “How to Prepare a Schedule of Assets for Your Will in Singapore

Do reach out to us if you have any queries on claims or estate planning matters & we’ll be most happy to guide you through!

Important: The information and opinions in this article are for general information purposes only. They should not be relied on as professional financial advice. Readers should seek unbiased financial advice that is customised to their specific financial objectives, situations & needs. This advertisement or publication has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Published By:

Chan Wen Li Winnie

Winnie Chan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and MDRT Court of the Table qualifier (top 5% of advisers) with 15 years of experience in financial advisory services.

She specialises in helping doctors and high-income professionals build sustainable passive income, protect what they’ve worked for, and create a financial legacy for the people they love. Working across different insurers and investment platforms, Winnie focuses on finding the right fit for each client — not the other way around.

Her experience supporting clients through insurance claims has helped families access the financial protection they planned for, providing peace of mind during life’s most challenging moments.

Winnie was recognised as a Top 5 Weighted Premium producer at Financial Alliance in 2025 — out of close to 500 advisers — and received industry-level recognition for Top 3 Single Premium category Insurer award.

She has also brought financial education to organisations including Carousell Group, Singapore National Eye Centre, and Singtel.

Outside of work, Winnie stays active through regular gym workouts and is an accomplished pianist — recently attaining ABRSM Piano Performance Grade 6 (Merit).
She believes balance matters in finances, and in life.

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