Consular Services
Emergency Services
Death of An American Citizen
If an American citizen passes away while in India, the Consulate can provide crucial assistance to the family members during this difficult time. For insurance and other purposes, surviving family members need to have a Report of Death Abroad for relatives who have passed away while outside of the United States. In order to issue a Report of Death, the Consular Section will need the following documents:
- Original death certificate issued by the local authorities
- Doctor's report with the cause of death listed
- Original passport of the deceased
If your American citizen friend or relative has died while traveling or residing in India, you can contact the Consulate at 2857-4000. (When calling from the U.S. remember first to dial 011-91-44.)
The Consulate regrets that it does not have funds available to help with the return of remains or other costs associated with funeral arrangements.
The Consulate assists relatives of U.S. citizens who die in India, by communicating with the deceased's next-of-kin and following their wishes concerning disposition of remains. Those who make their own arrangements should bring the deceased's passport and the local death certificate to the nearest Embassy or Consulate. A consular officer will cancel the passport, and use the local death certificate to issue a Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen which can be used in the U.S. to settle the estate or in making insurance claims.
For information on how to obtain additional copies of consular reports of death, click here.
Indian regulations require that a deceased person must be cremated, buried or embalmed within 72 hours of death. Only the embalmed remains can be held in cold storage until instructions are received from the next-of-kin concerning disposition of the remains.
The Consulate will assist in arranging documentation for those remains to be shipped to the U.S., and oversee the required preparations, but all costs are the responsibility of the family.
Mortuary and embalming services are limited in South India and not up to U.S. standards.
Arrest of American Citizen
While traveling or residing in India, American citizens are required to abide by Indian laws. If an American citizen violates Indian law during their time in the country, they are susceptible to prosecution. If an American is arrested in India, someone from the Consulate will visit that person to verify his or her well being, to facilitate communication with family members and to assist the citizen in obtaining legal representation. The Embassy and Consulates General may not pay for your legal representation, however. If your U.S. citizen friend or relative has been arrested in India, please contact the Consulate at 2857-4000. (When calling from the U.S. remember first to dial 011-91-44.) Article 36 of the Vienna Consular Convention obliges the Indian Government to notify an arrestee without delay of the right to communicate with an American Consular Officer, and to promptly notify the nearest American Government representative whenever an American is arrested. In practice, however, this does not always happen.
The Indian legal system is based on English common law. An arrested person has the right to consult an attorney before making a statement. Any statement made to the police at the time of arrest or afterward can be used against the defendant in a court of law. The most frequent grounds of arrest for Americans are possession of narcotics (including marijuana) in any amount and customs violations (often, import or export of gold).
Under Indian law, an arrested person must be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours. Offenses are categorized as bailable or non-bailable, but even in bailable cases the court may decline to grant bail if it believes the accused is likely to flee. The basic legal principle is that the accused must be regarded as innocent until proved guilty and if kept in detention before trial, it is to ensure his/her appearance for the trial. However, in practice, bail is often difficult to obtain for foreigners.
The law requires detainees to appear before the magistrate every 14 days. Prisoners are entitled to legal aid. When a prisoner is unable to hire an attorney, legal assistance is provided in the court of sessions and the high court. Free legal aid is also provided in the lower court (magistrate's court) upon a prisoner's request.
The jury system has been abolished in India. Cases are tried in first instance before a metropolitan magistrate. An appeal can be made to a higher court. Most court proceedings are in English.
The Consulate's role in an arrest is to ensure that: (1) the arrestee is accorded rights and privileges as guaranteed under the laws of India as they apply to Indian nationals; (2) the arrestee knows the specific charges filed against him/her and is given a reasonably prompt opportunity for defense and (3) the arrestee is not mistreated while in jail or out on bail.
When the Consulate learns of an arrest, a consular representative visits the American in jail as soon as possible, provides a list of local attorneys, and offers to assist in notifying and/or obtaining funds from relatives or friends.
The Consulate cannot demand or obtain the release of a prisoner. A U.S. passport does not entitle its bearer to any special privileges in local courts. While in India, an American citizen is subject to Indian law, just as an Indian in the United States is subject to American law. The Consulate makes every effort, to ensure that arrested or jailed American citizens receive fair and humane treatment from local authorities, and that legal and other needs are met. Any mistreatment of a prisoner should be reported immediately to the Consulate.
Welfare and Whereabouts
If your American citizen friend or relative is traveling or residing in India and you have reason to be concerned about their welfare or need to contact them in an emergency, the Consulate can be of some assistance in attempting to locate and make contact with the missing American citizen. If you wish to check on the welfare and whereabouts of an American Citizen in India, please contact the Consulate at 2857-4000. (When calling from the U.S. remember first to dial 011-91-44.)
Medical Emergencies
For additional information about in-country medical facilities, please click on Medical Information on the menu to the left.
For information on the availability of medical flights (medevacs) to the United States from abroad, see: http://www.americanairambulance.com/air_ambulance_assistance.html
You may also call the hot-line for all air ambulance questions: 800-863-0312 or 941-536-2002.
Financial Emergencies
If an American citizen's money has been lost or stolen, the Consulate can assist that person in obtaining funds from friends or relatives in the U.S.. If you need assistance in transferring funds to assist an American citizen in an emergency situation in India, please contact the Consulate at 2857-4000. (When calling from the U.S. remember first to dial 011-91-44.)
Transfer Of Funds: Many American banks are affiliated with Indian banks and will readily transfer funds. However, the traveler must know to which bank in India the funds are being sent. The only American banking services in New Delhi are American Express, Citibank and the Bank of America , with branches in Mumbai (Bombay), Calcutta and Chennai (Madras). American Express does not process funds for persons who are not AMEX credit card holders or whose bank is not an American Express affiliate. Citibank advises that fund transfers from the United States generally take from 7 to 14 days. Western Union offers a money transfer service to participating SITA travel agents in 15 cities in India. For more information, contact a SITA agency if in India, or call Western Union 1-800-325-6000 if in the United States.
The following is the list of cities and numbers for Western Union locations throughout India.
| City | Telephone |
| Agra | 91 568 363 922 |
| Ahmedabad | 91 272 409 105 |
| Bangalore | 91 80 558 5684 and 91 80 558 8691 |
| Bhuvaneshwar | 91 674 404 408 |
| Bombay | 91 22 340 668 |
| Calcutta | 91 33 297 185 |
| Cochin | 91 484 353 012 |
| Hyderabad | 91 40 2324 3901 |
| Jaipur | 91 141 682 26 |
| Kanpur | 91 512 211 458 |
| Chennai | 91 44 2827 8861 |
| New Delhi | 91 11 33 111 22 |
| Pune | 91 212 668 707 |
| Sikandarabad | 91 842 834 137 |
| Varanasi | 91 542 429 45 |
In a genuine emergency, an American citizen can have funds transferred from the United States through the Office of Overseas
Citizens Services, Department of State, Washington, D.C. The sender should first contact the State Department at 202-647-5226 in Washington D.C. for information on how to send money. When notified by the State Department, the Consulate releases the amount in rupees or U.S. dollars to the citizen in distress. Americans are cautioned that this facility is available only in a true emergency, when time does not allow transfer of funds through normal banking channels. It is not meant for the routine transfer of money. Funds cannot exceed the amount required to resolve the emergency situation. Large sums (over $1000) should be avoided. Funds transferred in this way are not to be used for commercial transactions. If funds are repeatedly received via the State Department, the Consulate, following current instructions, will be left with no alternative but to return the remittance.
Please click here for more detailed information on the types of services that are available to Americans in trouble overseas http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1212.html
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