How to Claim Term Insurance for NRIs in Kuwait in 2026

This guide lays out the claim as a practical to-do list: what to collect in Kuwait, what to send to the insurer, how the money reaches your family, and what to watch out for along the way.

Can an NRI's Family Claim Term Insurance from Kuwait?

Yes. NRIs are globally protected under a term plan from an Indian insurer, so the plan pays out wherever the death happens, including Kuwait. The claim can be made completely online.

The nominee can also live in Kuwait. RBI's Master Direction on Insurance sets out how life insurance claims are paid to individuals living outside India, including nominees. So a wife or child in Kuwait can file the claim and receive the money.

How to Claim Term Insurance for an NRI when Death Happens in Kuwait?

To claim term insurance for an NRI who has died in Kuwait, start with the Kuwait documents, as they take the longest. Then file the claim with the Indian insurer. Follow these six steps in order.

Step 1: Get the notice of death from the hospital or Forensic Medicine

If the death happens in a hospital, the Ministry of Health issues a notice of death. If it happens outside a hospital, the Forensic Medicine Department issues it instead. This is Kuwait's procedure for all foreign nationals, including Indians. The Kuwait death certificate and, later, the term insurance claim are both based on this notice.

Step 2: Get the Kuwait death certificate from the Ministry of Health

The official death certificate is issued by the Central Registry of Births and Deaths at the Ministry of Health, based on the notice of death. For a foreign national, the Ministry asks for an authorisation letter from the person's embassy, so the family or sponsor will need one from the Embassy of India in Kuwait.

Key facts about the Kuwait death certificate:

• The certificate is free.

• It is issued in Arabic only, so you will need a legal English translation for the insurer.

• It usually takes around a week to come through.

Step 3: Get the death certificate attested by Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Kuwait is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so the certificate cannot be apostilled. Instead, the Arabic death certificate is authenticated by the Consular Department of Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some Indian insurers then want the Embassy of India in Kuwait to attest it as well, so ask the insurer before you go.

Step 4: Register the death with the Embassy of India in Kuwait

If the deceased held an Indian passport, register the death with the Embassy of India in Kuwait. The Ministry of External Affairs says registration at the Indian Mission is needed to bring the body back to India, and the passport is cancelled at the same time. Keep copies, as some insurers ask for proof of registration.

Step 5: Intimate the term insurance claim to the insurer

Intimate the claim early, without waiting for the attestation. The nominee can inform the insurer online, by phone or by email with just the policy number, the name of the life assured, the date and place of death, and their own contact details.

If the policy was bought through Policybazaar, one call starts the process. Family members in India can call 1800-258-5881. From Kuwait, use the relationship manager's direct number or email on the Claim Assistance Card.

Step 6: Submit the claim documents and get the claim settled

Upload scans or courier the originals, as the insurer asks. Under IRDAI's Master Circular, 2024, the insurer must settle a death claim within 15 days of intimation, or within 45 days if an investigation is required. If the insurer delays, it must pay interest at 2% above the bank rate, and any rejection must be explained in writing.

Documents Checklist For An NRI Term Insurance Claim From Kuwait

Keep these documents ready before filing an NRI term insurance claim from Kuwait. The insurer may ask for more, especially after an accident.

• Official death certificate from the Ministry of Health, attested by Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Legal English translation of the death certificate

• Notice of death from the hospital or the Forensic Medicine Department

• Police and forensic reports, with English translations, if the death was accidental or unnatural

• Proof of death registration from the Embassy of India, if the insurer asks for it

• Original policy document, or an indemnity bond if it is lost

• Passport copy and Kuwait Civil ID copy

• Claim form, filled in and signed

• Photo ID, address proof, and passport copy if the nominee is an NRI

• Bank details for a savings, current, NRE or NRO account, with a cancelled cheque or bank statement

Where is the Claim Paid, and How Does it Reach Kuwait?

Indian term plans pay in rupees, into a bank account in India. Term life insurance claims can be credited to a savings, current, NRE or NRO account.

NRE or NRO account: Which One Receives the Term Insurance Claim?

RBI's Master Direction on Insurance links the payout of NRI term insurance claims to the account from which the premiums were paid.

• If premiums were paid from an NRE account or straight from your Kuwait salary, the claim can go to the nominee’s NRE account. It can be sent to Kuwait with no limit.

• If premiums were paid from an NRO account, such as rent or interest in India, the claim is credited to the nominee’s NRO account in rupees. It can be sent to Kuwait up to USD 1 million a year, with Form 145 and, where needed, a CA certificate in Form 146 (earlier Form 15CA and 15CB).

• If the premiums are paid from both, the claim is split in the same ratio based on your payment records.

Tip: pay all term insurance premiums from one NRE account and keep the receipts, so the claim is paid into a single, fully repatriable account.

Is the term insurance claim taxable for NRIs in Kuwait?

No. A term life insurance claim is 100% tax-free for NRI families in Kuwait, both in India and in Kuwait.

India: The term insurance death benefit is fully exempt from income tax, whatever the cover amount, for NRIs and residents alike (Section 11 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, read with Schedule II, earlier Section 10(10D)). The main exception is a keyman policy taken by an employer. No TDS is deducted.

Kuwait: There is no personal income tax regime in Kuwait, and individuals do not file tax returns, according to PwC. Kuwait also has no inheritance tax. So a nominee living in Kuwait pays no tax on the term insurance payout.

Special Cases in an NRI Term Insurance Claim from Kuwait

How Policybazaar helps NRI families in Kuwait?

Policybazaar has already supported NRI families in Kuwait through the claim process, with 2 claims worth ₹3 crore so far, according to its claims data.

It has a dedicated claim assistance team which helps every term customer, including NRIs, free of charge. Each policy comes with a Claim Assistance Card showing the policy details and the relationship manager's name, phone number and email. Share it with your nominee.

When a claim comes up, the relationship manager:

• Registers the claim and tells the family exactly what Kuwait needs: the Ministry of Health certificate, the MOFA attestation and the translation

• Checks the papers before they reach the insurer, with free doorstep pick-up for family members in India in 85+ cities

• Represents the case with the insurer from day one, tracks it and escalates delays

If the insurer rejects the claim, Policybazaar's Second Opinion Guarantee comes in. The team builds a second-opinion case for the insurer's higher review committee, takes it to the grievance cell and, if needed, helps the family approach the Insurance Ombudsman.

Family members in India can call 1800-258-5881, 24x7. From Kuwait, use the relationship manager's direct number or email on the Claim Assistance Card.

NRI term insurance claims supported by Policybazaar, by country of residence

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