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Start with the insurer’s current checklist
Contact the insurer’s servicing branch or claims department as soon as possible and ask for the current death-claim form, submission address, and document list for that policy. Do not rely on a checklist downloaded for a different insurer or policy type. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) says the nominee or assignee should notify the servicing branch in writing, identify the policy number and policyholder, and state the date and cause of death, enclosing the original death certificate issued by the appropriate authority.
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LIC’s forms page puts the responsibility this way: “The person legally entitled to receive the policy monies should give intimation of death of the policyholder to the servicing Branch.” That wording matters because a recorded nominee, an assignee, or an heir with court-issued authority may be the relevant claimant in different circumstances.
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Core documents commonly requested
The following documents appear in the official LIC, India Post, and insurer examples reviewed. Your insurer may ask for fewer, additional, or differently certified copies.
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| Document | What it establishes | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Completed claim form or claimant statement | Formal notice of the death and the claimant’s request for payment | LIC refers to Claim Form A; its forms page also lists Form 3783 and, in some cases, Form 3783A. Use the version supplied for your policy. |
| Official death record | That the policyholder died, and the date and place of death | LIC guidance refers to a certified extract from the death register and, in service instructions, the original death certificate. Ask whether the insurer wants the original, a certified copy, or a self-attested copy. |
| Original policy document | The contract number, benefits, nomination, and policy conditions | Provide it when available and requested. If it is lost, ask the insurer in writing whether an indemnity, declaration, or another substitute is acceptable. |
| Assignment deed or deeds | Whether policy rights were transferred to an assignee | Submit every relevant assignment document. An assignment can change who is entitled to receive the policy money, so the insurer must examine the policy record. |
| Claimant identity and address evidence | Who is making the claim and where the claimant can be contacted | India Post asks for self-attested copies. The acceptable documents and certification method vary by insurer. |
| Bank and payment information | Where an approved claim should be paid | LIC settlement material mentions an NEFT mandate and supporting bank proof for certain payments; India Post’s application guidance asks for account details. Follow the insurer’s precise format. |
| Proof of age | The life assured’s age, if it was not previously admitted | LIC identifies this as conditional. Do not obtain it automatically unless the insurer says age remains unadmitted. |
How to file the claim step by step
- Confirm the policy record. Locate the policy number, policyholder’s full name, servicing branch, nomination details, and any assignment endorsement. If you cannot find the policy bond, give the insurer the policyholder’s identifying details and ask it to search its records.
- Notify the servicing insurer in writing. State the policy number, policyholder, date of death, and cause of death. Keep a copy of the letter or online submission and note the acknowledgement number.
- Obtain the correct form. Complete the insurer’s current claim form or claimant statement exactly as the policy record shows the names. Use additional forms, such as LIC Form 3783 or 3783A, only when the branch says they apply.
- Prepare the death record. Request the death certificate or certified death-register extract from the authority that registered the death. Check that names, dates, and registration details match the claim form; ask the insurer how it wants copies certified.
- Add policy and entitlement papers. Include the original policy document if available, assignment deeds, and any other document the insurer identifies as relevant to the recorded nomination or ownership.
- Complete KYC and payment instructions. Attach the claimant’s accepted identity and address proof, bank account evidence, and NEFT mandate or equivalent form where requested. Sign copies as instructed rather than assuming every document must be notarised.
- Ask whether special investigation papers apply. The timing and circumstances of death can trigger medical, hospital, police, or other records. Get that answer before submitting an incomplete packet.
- Submit and track the claim. Deliver the documents to the servicing branch or the channel named by the insurer. Keep originals unless the insurer gives a receipt and specifically requires surrender; retain a complete copy of everything submitted.
Do you need the original policy document?
Often, the insurer asks for the original policy bond because it records the contract, nomination, and endorsements. The requirement is not identical for every insurer or claim. If the bond is unavailable, do not delay indefinitely or assume the claim is impossible. Tell the insurer that it is missing and request its approved alternative, which may include an indemnity or a written declaration. The insurer may also require evidence that the claimant is entitled to act on the policy before releasing payment.
What if there is no nominee?
A nominee is not the only possible route to payment. If the policy has no valid nomination, the nomination is disputed, or an assignment changes the entitlement, the insurer may require proof of title to the deceased’s estate. LIC refers to evidence of title where a policy is not nominated or assigned, or is not covered by the relevant statutory arrangement. India Post lists a succession certificate, letters of administration, or probate of a will when nomination is unavailable.
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These papers are conditional, not a routine requirement for every nominee. First ask the insurer to confirm what its policy record shows and whether the claimant’s status is clear. If legal entitlement is disputed, obtain advice from a qualified lawyer in the relevant Indian state before filing court documents; the insurer’s checklist should identify the document and issuing authority it will accept.
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When death results from an accident, suicide, homicide, or another unnatural event, insurers commonly seek official investigation records in addition to the ordinary claim packet. LIC lists certified copies of the first information report (FIR), post-mortem report, and police investigation report in relevant cases. Its accident-benefit guidance says FIR and post-mortem reports are normally insisted upon. India Post also lists a self-attested post-mortem report for an unnatural death.
The insurer may ask for further police, medical, or court records depending on the facts and the benefits claimed. Tell the claims officer the circumstances accurately and ask for a written list of every required report. Do not substitute a newspaper report or an informal hospital letter for an official record unless the insurer confirms that it will accept it.
Early death, revival, or hospital treatment
LIC’s published policy conditions describe additional investigation-related forms for a death within three years of risk commencement or after revival or reinstatement. Its examples can include a medical-attendant certificate, information about hospital treatment, identity or burial/cremation certification, and an employer certificate. LIC’s claims guidance directs claimants to the servicing branch for the additional requirements.
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This three-year reference is an LIC policy-condition example, not a universal rule for every insurer, country, or policy. The insurer may also request hospital records when the policyholder received treatment before death, even if the claim does not fall into the same time window. Ask the hospital, doctor, police authority, or employer how to obtain sealed or certified records and whether the insurer will collect them directly.
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There is no single identity document that every Indian life insurer requires in every claim. India Post asks for self-attested identity and address evidence. An ICICI Prudential death-claim example states that Aadhaar is not mandatory when another officially valid document is supplied. That is an insurer-specific KYC example, not a rule that applies to all companies.
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Submit one of the documents on your insurer’s accepted-KYC list, along with address evidence if the same document does not show the current address. If your address has changed, ask whether a separate address document or an explanation is needed. Use the exact name and date-of-birth format shown on the policy and claim form, and ask before altering or masking information on a copy.
Why published checklists differ
Official lists are not interchangeable. They reflect each organisation’s products, forms, payment controls, and investigation procedures.
| Source | Examples of requirements described | How to use the example |
|---|---|---|
| LIC | Claim Form A and forms 3783/3783A in applicable cases; death certificate or certified death-register extract; policy document; assignment papers; conditional age proof; NEFT mandate and bank proof; extra investigation forms for certain early or revived policies; FIR and post-mortem records for relevant accidental claims | Use the servicing branch’s list for the specific policy and cause of death. |
| India Post Postal Life Insurance | Claimant application, self-attested identity and address proof, account details, and conditional succession certificate, letters of administration, probate, or post-mortem report | Follow the PLI application guidance rather than assuming a commercial insurer uses the same forms. |
| ICICI Prudential example | An insurer-specific KYC approach that accepts another officially valid identity document when Aadhaar is not provided | Confirm the current accepted-document list for that insurer before submission. |
How to avoid preventable delays
- Match names and dates. Compare the policy, death certificate, claimant ID, and bank record. Ask the insurer how to document a spelling difference, marriage-related name change, or transliteration difference.
- Separate originals from copies. Carry originals for verification, submit only the copies or documents requested, and obtain a receipt for anything surrendered.
- Label special-case records. If the claim involves an accident, hospitalisation, revival, or death soon after commencement, identify those facts in the covering letter so the branch can issue the right supplemental list.
- Do not obtain court papers prematurely. Succession certificates and probate are relevant when entitlement is unclear or nomination is absent; they are not automatic requirements for a clearly recorded nominee.
- Protect financial information. Give bank details only through the insurer’s official claims channel and verify the account number before signing the payment mandate.
- Keep a claim file. Store the notice, forms, document copies, courier or branch receipt, acknowledgement number, and every written response from the insurer.
If the policy was issued outside India
The examples above are Indian and should not be treated as a worldwide checklist. In another country, the insurer and local law may use different death records, probate documents, identity standards, certification rules, and payment forms. Contact the issuing insurer, ask for its current jurisdiction-specific checklist, and follow the authority that registered the death. Even within India, the policy wording and insurer procedure control when they differ from a generic list.
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