Managing Last Rites in Indonesia

1903

This is article has been written with the inputs from Dr Kiran Shah and Mr Amith Baxi.

Managing Last Rites in IndonesiaStep 1: Death Certificate:
Get a Doctorโ€™s certified Certificate mentioning the cause of Death.
This may require arrangements to have the body transported to a hospital morgue where a post-mortem takes place. After the post-mortem, the doctor fills out a Post-Mortem Examination Report (Surat Keterangan Pemeriksaan Mayat). Under normal circumstances, post-mortems are conducted very quickly in Indonesia. After the post-mortem, the doctor completes a Doctor’s Death Certificate (Surat Kematian).

The body remains at the morgue until the next of kin have made their arrangements.

Step 2: Guarantee Letter
In case of an employee, a letter from Sponsor stating that the person is employed by the Company ( Kitas/Kitap holder) is required.

Step 3: Embassy Letterย 
Registerย the death with the Indian Embassy, in case the deceased is holding a tourist visa

ย Step 4: Kantor Lurah
All the letters and certificates have to be submitted to Kantor Lurah for issuance of the final letter.

Step 5: Cremation
To contact Pundit to perform last rites, contact Mr Rajesh +62-21-34833439 / Mr Vinod -081316742829 /Mr Prakash – +62-8567875958 .
You will also need toย contact Mr Kanhaiyo (Mr Boli) – +62-816916801 who will take care of all funeral/cremation arrangements upto the last rites.

Step 6: Prayer Session
A โ€˜shok sabhaโ€™ or prayer session can be organized at any of the Gurudwara or at home with the Gianiji leading the prayers.

Foreigners in Indonesia as well as their next of kin should familiarize themselves with the consulate’s legal responsibilities in the event of injury or death abroad. Consular services are listed and published on embassy website.

Documents required

The Registration of Death (AKTA Kematian) is written in Bahasa Indonesian only and the following documents are required to obtain it:

  • Letter of Notification of Death
  • Post-mortem Examination (Surat Keterangan Pemeriksaan Mayat) and Letter of Notification of Death (Surat Laporan Kematian)
  • Photocopy of the deceased’s passport
  • Deceased’s residency card: either the Working Permit Visa (KITAS) or Permanent Residence Visa (Kartu Ijin Tinggal Tetap – KITAP), plus a photocopy
  • Two witnesses for signing purposes, not below the age of 21
  • Possibly a photocopy of the Report of Death from the foreign embassy
  • A form is filled out providing the information that will be included on the Registration of Death

The Akta Kematian may be used for the following:

  • Outside Indonesia it is a “Foreign Death Certificate”
  • It states that the death took place in Indonesia
  • It is used mainly for statistical purposes within Indonesia
  • It has limited use outside the country and usually it is not accepted for insurance and estate purposes

Costs

There are fees associated with the entire procedure and exact costs vary. Some offices may not charge anything. Hospital costs make up a significant portion, and the post-mortem and storage of the body make up a large portion of expenses. Next of kin are responsible for payment. When a foreign national is married to an Indonesian, either the spouse or the next-of-kin in the country of origin is expected to pay what is owed.