Doha: A single-window facility to ease the formalities for the repatriation of the bodies of deceased expatriates to their home countries was inaugurated in Qatar.

The Humanitarian Services Office provides services relating to the issuance of death certificates and the transportation of the bodies home through a single channel that brings together various stakeholders, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. The services are free of charge.

“The office was established with the purpose of making it easier to repatriate bodies to their home countries or to process the procedures for burial in Qatar,” Colonel Ahmad Zayed Al Muhannadi, Director of the Community Policing Department, was quoted as saying. “This process used to take two to five days, but now it is possible to complete all procedures within half an hour.”

The office, located in Hamad Medical City, is regarded as the outcome of shared efforts exerted by the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the Public Prosecution, Qatar Airways, the Consular Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and coordinators from embassies and consulates.

According to Qatari daily The Peninsula, the procedures start from the HMC counter by issuing the death certificate and feeding the data of the deceased, then the counter of the Ministry of Public Health verifies the data and issues necessary certificates for completing the procedures of various departments under the Ministry of Interior.

The counter of Qatar Airways issues the cargo policy for the repatriation of the body and the tickets for the accompanying people.

The Consular Affairs Department coordinates between the office and diplomatic representations for the issuance of the ‘No Objection Certificate’ in order to repatriate the body outside the country.

The procedure for repatriating the body of an absconding worker will be similar, if the employer had lodged a complaint with the authority concerned saying the worker had run away. Otherwise, the sponsor will have to complete the legal requirements under the residency law.

In case of road accidents, security requirements are to be fulfilled and a forensic report is needed to start the repatriation procedures.

The office is open all days of the week from 7am to 9pm, with a possibility to extend the working hours following an assessment of the situation.