Indian Community Welfare Fund
State: Central
Ministry: Ministry Of External Affairs
Department: null
Category: Health & Wellness, Housing & Shelter, Social welfare & Empowerment
Beneficiary Type: Individual

A scheme by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the welfare of Overseas Indians; assisting them in distress situations. ICWF has also been a critical support in emergency evacuation of Indian nationals from conflict zones, countries affected by natural disasters and other challenging situations.

Benefits:
> **Assisting Overseas Indian nationals in distress situations:**

1. Transportation of Mortal Remains and expenditure on incidentals of deceased Indian national to India or local cremation/burial of deceased in such cases where the employer, sponsor or insurance company is unable or unwilling to do so as per the contract and the family is unable to meet the cost.
1. Boarding and lodging for deserving distressed Indian nationals abroad on a means tested basis in budget category or shelters run by Mission/Post or NGOs empanelled with Mission.
1. Air passage to India to stranded Overseas Indian nationals
1. Legal Assistance on a means tested basis to deserving overseas Indian nationals who have committed minor crimes, offences or have been falsely implicated by their employer and put in jails; fishermen/seamen/sailors/Indian students in distress;
1. Payment for small fines and penalties in respect of Indian nationals for minor offences/crimes; for illegal stay in the host country where prima facie the worker is not at fault, and to enable release of Indian nationals from jail/detention center
1. Emergency Medical Care on means tested basis to overseas Indians who are involved in an accident (with serious life threatening injuries) have life-threatening medical conditions or suffer a serious disability.

> **Support for Community Welfare activities:**

1. To promote Indian Culture by organizing cultural programmes by recognized Indian Diaspora organizations at major Indian Festivals, National Days of India; Indian culture Programs by recognized local artists or Indian artists based in India etc.
1. Payment of honorarium for teachers/faculty teaching Indian languages, art forms.
1. Welfare activities for Indian students towards organizing Annual Day for Indian students at Universities/educational institutions to discuss problems, issues faced by Indian students, including their visa, residence status, work permit, financial, welfare and other issues with participation of students.

> **Improvement in Consular services:**

1. Hiring of limited additional staff for rendering various consular services
1. Hiring vehicles on a need basis for visits to jails, police stations; detention centres; labour camps; welfare camps; shelters for distressed Indians; prisons; hospitals; morgues and to airports for deportation/repatriation of distressed Indian nationals.
1. Hiring of local interpreters on a case-to-case basis for consular visits.
1. Design, publication, translation costs of pamphlets by Mission/Post about local labour laws, regulations, norms, dos &amp; don’ts, welfare measures pertaining to overseas employment in the host country.
1. Organizing labour camps / consular camps for interacting with Indian migrant workers and informing them about issues related to overseas employment; labour laws; welfare and protection measures of the government.
1. Setting up 24 x 7 toll-free helplines, walk-in resource centres for providing information, advise, guidance on problems faced by distressed Indian nationals; and helping them register their grievance with the Mission/Post.
1. Development of e-Governance solutions, applications to address Consular/ welfare matters.

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Eligibility:
1. The applicant must be an **Overseas Indian.**1. The applicant must be in a **distress situation (as defined under scheme benefits).**

Application Process:
[Online]
Compensation Claims for Indian Nationals who died Abroad:The application process and the documents required for the compensation claims vary from nation to nation. The nationwide detailed information can be found at the following link:
https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/compendium.pdf
Sample Application Forms for Seeking Financial Assistance under ICWF - Embassy of India, Kuwait: 
https://indembkwt.gov.in/pdf/Application%20for%20seeking%20financial%20assistance%20from%20ICWF.pdf
Embassy of India, Jeddah:
https://www.cgijeddah.gov.in/web_files/779810210-Form%20for%20ICWF%20assitaance.pdf

Documents Required:
Death Certificate
Bank details of the deceased
Insurance Number of the deceased
Marriage Certificate (spouse) and Birth Certificate (of children)
Original Passport of the deceased along with a photocopy 
Power of attorney from next of kin in the name of the Embassy or any individual residing in Austria whom the deceased’s family would like to appoint. 
Legal Heir Certificate, to be obtained by the next of kin through the concerned Taluk/Thasildar or through the District Civil Court of the concerned area in India. 
Any other document that seems relevant depending upon the death case, such as a police report (from the local police) or a medical report (from the hospital)
NOC from other Heirs (in case of multiple heirs)