Company Letter Annexure 11 for UAE Death — What Employers Must Provide

When an Indian national dies in the UAE while employed, the Indian Embassy or Consulate will not complete the death registration or issue the repatriation NOC without a formal letter from the deceased's employer. This letter — referred to as Annexure 11 in the Indian consular system — is one of the documents families struggle with most, because it depends entirely on the employer's cooperation and cannot be substituted.

What Annexure 11 Must Contain

The company letter must be on official letterhead, signed by an authorised company representative, and include the following:

• The deceased's full name as it appears on their passport and employment visa
• The date of death and the location where it occurred
• The medical cause of death (as confirmed by the hospital or police report)
• Confirmation that the deceased's residency visa has been or will be cancelled
• A dues and drawn statement — a full accounting of unpaid salary, accrued annual leave, overtime, and the calculated end-of-service gratuity

The dues and drawn statement is not a courtesy disclosure. Under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the employer is legally required to calculate and pay the deceased's full end-of-service gratuity, cash out all accrued but unused annual leave at full basic salary, and settle all outstanding wages up to the exact date of death.

Why Employers Sometimes Resist

For straightforward employment relationships with established companies, the letter is routine. HR departments in large organisations and free-zone entities produce this document regularly and know the consular format.

Problems arise when the deceased worked for a small company, a subcontractor, or an employer who disputes the terms of employment. Some employers attempt to reduce the gratuity calculation, dispute leave accruals, or delay the letter to buy time on their financial obligations.

If the employer refuses to cooperate or delays the letter beyond a reasonable period, the family's representative should escalate through two channels simultaneously: file a formal complaint through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) portal, and inform the Indian consular mission that the employer is obstructing the repatriation process. MoHRE provides free mediation services, and consular pressure on the employer can move things faster than a formal complaint alone.

The Gratuity Calculation

Under Article 51 of the UAE Labor Law, a worker's death is treated as involuntary termination. The gratuity formula:

• First five years of service: 21 days of basic salary per year
• Beyond five years: 30 days of basic salary per year
• Maximum cap: total gratuity cannot exceed two years of basic wages

Under Ministerial Circular No. 12 of 2022, the employer must transfer these end-of-service benefits to the legal heirs (or into the court's escrow account) within 14 days of receiving the formal succession documents.

If the family cannot wait for the succession process, the immediate concern is securing the Annexure 11 letter for consular purposes — the financial settlement can continue in parallel through MoHRE while the repatriation proceeds.

Unpaid Salary and Leave Cash-Out

Article 53 of the Labor Law requires the employer to pay all outstanding wages and unpaid overtime up to the date of death. Article 29 requires cashing out all accrued annual leave at the full basic salary rate.

These amounts must appear on the dues and drawn statement in the company letter. The consular mission reviews this statement as part of the death registration process. If the figures look incomplete or the employer has omitted categories, the consular officer may flag the discrepancy — but the mission cannot enforce payment. That enforcement power sits with MoHRE and the labour courts.

How This Fits the Repatriation Timeline

The company letter is needed before the Indian Embassy or CGI Dubai will complete the consular death registration and passport cancellation. Without the consular NOC, the eCARe portal application cannot be submitted, and the airline will not book the remains for cargo transport.

In practical terms, this means the employer's speed in producing Annexure 11 directly controls how fast repatriation can happen. Families should request the letter on the same day they notify the employer of the death, and follow up daily.

The Indian Dies in the UAE — Family Guide includes the exact information the company letter must contain, what to do if the employer stalls, and how to initiate MoHRE complaints while keeping the repatriation on track.