Report of Death at the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia: Requirements and Filing Steps

The Report of Death is the single most important Philippine document in an overseas death case. Without it, the PSA cannot register the death, and many bank, benefit, and estate processes cannot be completed.

For an OFW death in Saudi Arabia, the ROD is filed at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh (for deaths in Central and Eastern KSA) or the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah (for deaths in the Western Region).

What the ROD Is

The Report of Death is not the death certificate itself — it is a consular registration that creates a Philippine legal record of a death that occurred abroad. The approved ROD is transmitted to the DFA in Manila, then forwarded to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for archiving and issuance of the PSA death certificate on security paper (SECPA).

Keep the ROD and the attested Saudi death certificate with the claim file. Individual agencies and banks may also require the PSA-issued certificate before completing a claim or account process.

Required Documents

The application must be compiled in four (4) original identical sets, all printed on A4-sized paper. Each set must contain:

1. Report of Death Form (Rev. 01-24 April 2018)

• Must be fully typewritten — handwritten forms are not accepted
• Signed with wet signatures by the informant and the consular officer
• Notarized by the Embassy Consular Officer or a recognized local notary public

2. Original Saudi Death Certificate (Shahada Al-Wafat)

• The certified English translation, apostilled by Saudi MOFA
• Four clear photocopies of both the Arabic original and the English translation

3. Deceased's Philippine Passport

• Original passport (which will be physically cancelled by the consular post)
• Four photocopies of the data page
• If the passport is unavailable (lost, withheld by sponsor, expired), submit a written explanation plus alternative government-issued IDs

4. Supporting Certificates

• Autopsy and medico-legal reports (if the death was investigated)
• Embalming Certificate (Shahadathul Thahneeth) from a Ministry of Health-approved mortuary
• Certificate of Sealing of Casket (confirming the coffin contains only the remains and has been hermetically sealed)
• Non-Contagious Disease Certificate from a licensed physician or health authority

5. Proof of Relationship

• PSA-issued marriage certificate (if the informant is the spouse)
• PSA-issued birth certificates (for children or parents as informant)

Filing Process

1. Gather all documents on the Saudi side. The attorney-in-fact (named in the family's Special Power of Attorney) collects the Saudi death certificate, translation, medical/police reports, and embalming certificate.

2. Schedule an appointment with the Embassy or Consulate. The ATN section handles ROD applications. Contact:

   • Riyadh: +966-56-989-3301 / riyadhpe@dfa.gov.ph
   • Jeddah: +966-55-521-9613 / jeddahpcg@dfa.gov.ph

3. Submit the four original sets. The consular officer reviews the documents, notarizes the ROD form, and cancels the deceased's passport.

4. Pay the consular fee. The standard ROD fee is listed as SAR 95 (approximately PHP 1,500 / USD 25); confirm the current amount with the post.

5. Get the ROD reference number. This reference is what you will need later to track the transmittal through DFA to PSA.

Transmittal to PSA

After the consular post approves the ROD, the records are transmitted to the DFA Consular Records Division in Manila. The DFA forwards the files to the PSA for indexing.

Standard timeline: Four to eight months from filing to PSA availability.

To check whether the PSA has received and indexed the record, contact the DFA Consular Records Division (email: oca.crd-us@dfa.gov.ph or oca.crd-eu@dfa.gov.ph, depending on the post) and request the transmittal metadata — reference number, dispatch number, dispatch date, and transmittal date. With this information, you can order the PSA death certificate on security paper through psahelpline.ph.

Delayed Registration

If the ROD is not filed within twelve months of the death, it is classified as a Delayed Registration. The additional requirements:

• Affidavit of Delayed Registration of Death: A notarized statement from the next of kin explaining the specific, credible reasons for the delay — protracted police investigations, difficulty securing employer records, administrative bottlenecks
• Additional consular fee: Typically equivalent to EUR 25 or local currency equivalent
• Stricter verification: The consular post conducts additional verification before approving the transmittal

Avoid delayed registration if at all possible. The extra verification can add weeks to an already-long timeline.

What to Do While Waiting

Keep the ROD available while the PSA version is in transit, but confirm each program's current document checklist before filing an OWWA, SSS, Pag-IBIG, or RA 10022 insurance claim.

The Philippines–Saudi bereavement guide maps the ROD into the full timeline — when to file it relative to the other clearances, which benefit claims it unlocks, and how to follow up on the PSA transmittal.