Making a Life Insurance Claim from Abroad: A Practical Guide

When a life assurance policyholder dies, the people who are left to deal with the claim — typically a surviving spouse, adult children, or professional trustees — are rarely in an ideal position to navigate the administrative demands of an insurance claim. When the death has occurred abroad, or the beneficiaries are living in a different country from where the policy was issued, those demands multiply considerably.

This guide sets out the practical steps involved in making a life insurance claim when there is an international dimension — whether the death occurred abroad, the policy was issued in a different jurisdiction from the beneficiaries' residence, or the documentation must cross multiple legal systems.

Step 1: Notify the Insurer Promptly

The first action on the death of a policyholder is to notify the insurer or the policy administrator as quickly as practicable. Most insurers have a 24-hour claims notification line. Early notification:

• Starts the claims process without unnecessary delay
• Allows the insurer to advise on exactly what documentation they require
• Prevents any suggestion that claims were lodged long after the event without explanation

Notification can typically be made by the surviving beneficiary, a trustee, an executor, a legal adviser, or an authorised financial adviser on the family's behalf. If a professional adviser arranged the policy, they can often take the lead in managing the claims process — a significant relief at a difficult time.

Step 2: Understand the Policy Structure

Before gathering documentation, it is important to understand the exact structure of the policy:

• Is the policy written in trust? If yes, the trustees are the claimants, not the estate or beneficiaries directly. The claim is made by the trustees, who then distribute according to the trust deed.
• Is the policy a personal policy or a group scheme? Group schemes are usually administered by the employer's HR team, who liaise with the group insurer.
• What is the sum assured? A larger sum may require a more detailed claims investigation.
• Are there any riders? Critical illness or terminal illness riders may have already been triggered; the remaining life benefit should be checked.
• Are there multiple policies with multiple insurers? Each policy is a separate claim.

Step 3: Gather the Core Documentation

The specific documentation required varies by insurer and jurisdiction, but the following are universally required:

Original Death Certificate

The death certificate issued by the competent authority in the country where death occurred. This is the primary document and everything else depends on it.

Points of complexity:

• In some countries, the death certificate is issued relatively quickly (days); in others it can take weeks or months
• Some countries issue a certificate that is a combination of death registration and cause of death; others issue these separately
• Where the cause of death is subject to a post-mortem or inquest, the final death certificate may be delayed

Cause of Death Documentation

For natural deaths, the cause is typically stated on the death certificate. For accidental or sudden deaths, an autopsy report (post-mortem report) is usually required. For deaths in unusual circumstances — particularly those where the insurer may investigate whether an exclusion applies — the medical and forensic documentation around the cause of death will be scrutinised carefully.

Policy Documents

The original policy document or policy certificate should be provided. If the original has been lost (a common issue where the policyholder has moved multiple times and documents are scattered), the insurer will typically accept a certified copy with a statutory declaration confirming the original's loss.

Proof of Identity of the Claimant

The insurer must verify the identity of the person claiming. This typically requires:

• Certified copy of passport (certified by a solicitor, notary, or equivalent professional)
• Proof of address (utility bill or bank statement within the last three months)

For trustees: proof of trusteeship, including the trust deed.

Evidence of Relationship

Depending on the beneficiary structure, proof of the claimant's relationship to the deceased may be required:

• Marriage certificate (for a spouse)
• Birth certificate (for children)
• Trust deed and letter of wishes (for trustees)

Step 4: Apostille and Certified Translations

For international claims, the authentication of foreign documents is frequently the most time-consuming part of the process.

Apostille

An apostille is a form of authentication issued under the Hague Convention of 1961, which enables a public document from one country to be recognised as valid in another signatory country without further certification. Most international life assurance providers will require foreign official documents — death certificates, court orders, identity documents — to be apostilled.

The apostille is issued by a designated authority in the country that issued the document. In the UK, this is the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). In the UAE, it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Not all countries are party to the Hague Convention. Documents from non-signatory countries may require a different form of legalisation (usually consular certification), which is more complex and time-consuming. Thailand, for example, is not yet a party to the Apostille Convention as at June 2026, so Thai documents still require full consular legalisation rather than an apostille (the country approved accession in late 2025, but the Convention is not yet in force there).

Certified Translation

Documents in any language other than the policy's language (typically English) require certified translation by a professional translator. This translation must typically be certified — that is, accompanied by a signed statement from the translator confirming their competence and the accuracy of the translation.

Certified translations cannot be produced quickly in most cases. Budget at least two to four weeks for a translated and certified death certificate, autopsy report, and medical documentation from a country with a non-English official language.

Notarisation

Some documents need to be notarised — certified by a notary public — before the insurer will accept them. A notary confirms that a document is genuine and was signed before them. For documents produced in countries with civil law systems (France, Germany, Spain, UAE, etc.), notarisation is often the standard certification mechanism.

Step 5: Dealing with the Coroner or Inquest

If the death occurred in a country where an inquest or official investigation is mandatory — for example, in England and Wales for sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths — the final coroner's certificate may be needed before the claim can be settled. This can take months or longer if the inquest is contested.

International deaths that come under investigation in the country of death can create parallel documentation requirements: both the local authority's documentation and documentation recognisable to the insurer in the policy's home jurisdiction.

In these circumstances, the insurer may agree to pay a partial interim payment pending the conclusion of formal proceedings, at their discretion.

Step 6: Probate (If the Policy Is Not in Trust)

If the policy is not written in trust and forms part of the estate, probate will be required in at least one jurisdiction before the insurer can pay out. For an internationally mobile policyholder, this may mean:

• Obtaining a grant of probate in the country where the policy was issued
• Having that grant re-sealed, recognised, or replicated in another jurisdiction where probate proceedings are also required
• Coordinating executors across jurisdictions

This is one of the primary reasons why trust placement of life assurance policies is recommended. A trusted policy bypasses the estate administration process entirely, potentially saving months of delay.

Step 7: Completing the Claim Form

The insurer will provide a claim form that must be completed by the claimant (or trustees). The form typically asks:

• Details of the policy
• Details of the deceased
• Cause and date of death
• Details of the claimant and their relationship to the deceased
• Banking details for the claim payment

The form should be completed fully and accurately. Any inconsistency between the claim form and the supporting documentation will cause delay.

Common Pitfalls for International Claims

Missing documents from foreign healthcare providers. The insurer may request the deceased's GP records or hospital records to verify the circumstances of death. Obtaining records from healthcare providers in countries where the policyholder received treatment — sometimes from hospitals that have merged, moved, or closed — can be extremely difficult.

Non-disclosure disputes. If the claim prompts an investigation and the insurer discovers that a material health or lifestyle fact was not disclosed at underwriting, the claim may be challenged. This is more likely for larger claims. The estate's legal representatives may need to defend the disclosure position.

Currency and payment. Beneficiaries located abroad may need to provide foreign bank account details. The insurer will pay in the policy currency; the exchange rate at the date of payment applies. Large claims paid to beneficiaries in multiple countries may require multiple separate payments.

Trustee authority. If a trustee has died, become incapacitated, or is otherwise unable to act, a new trustee must be appointed before the claim can be completed. This can require a legal process.

Jurisdiction of claim settlement. In rare cases, there may be disputes about which jurisdiction's law governs the claim. This is less common with internationally structured policies from established offshore providers, whose policy terms typically specify the governing law clearly.

The Role of a Professional Adviser

A professional financial adviser — particularly one with experience in international life assurance claims — can manage much of the claims process on behalf of the family or trustees. This includes:

• Notifying the insurer and obtaining the claim form
• Advising on what documentation is needed and in what format
• Coordinating apostille and translation requirements
• Liaising with the insurer's claims team on the family's behalf
• Chasing progress and ensuring the claim is progressed without unnecessary delay

At a time of bereavement, this practical assistance has significant value.

How Global Investments Can Help

Global Investments has experience with the international life assurance claims process and can provide practical support to families and trustees navigating a claim with an international dimension. We liaise with insurers, help coordinate the documentation process, advise on trust distributions, and can introduce specialist legal advisers where probate or inheritance tax matters require expert input.

If you are a trustee or beneficiary of an international life assurance policy and need to make a claim, we encourage you to contact us early in the process.

This guide is for information only. Claims procedures vary between insurers. Seek regulated financial and legal advice appropriate to your circumstances.