- Details
- Benefits
- Eligibility
- Exclusions
- Application Process
- Documents Required
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources And References
- Feedback
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Ministry Of External Affairs
Indian Community Welfare Fund
Artist
Disability
Legal Assistance
Medical Assistance
Non Resident Indian
Overseas Indian
PwD
Shelter
Student
Welfare
Details
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. In view of its immense utility, ICWF stands extended to all Indian Missions and Posts abroad.
The ICWF guidelines have been revised further to make them more broad-based and expand the scope of welfare measures that can be extended through the Fund. They are expected to provide Indian Missions and Posts abroad greater flexibility in swiftly addressing to requests for assistance by Overseas Indian nationals.
Benefits
Assisting Overseas Indian nationals in distress situations:
- 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.
- 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.
- Air passage to India to stranded Overseas Indian nationals
- 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;
- 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
- 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:
- 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.
- Payment of honorarium for teachers/faculty teaching Indian languages, art forms.
- 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:
- Hiring of limited additional staff for rendering various consular services
- 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.
- Hiring of local interpreters on a case-to-case basis for consular visits.
- Design, publication, translation costs of pamphlets by Mission/Post about local labour laws, regulations, norms, dos & don’ts, welfare measures pertaining to overseas employment in the host country.
- 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.
- 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.
- Development of e-Governance solutions, applications to address Consular/ welfare matters.
Eligibility
- The applicant must be an Overseas Indian.
- The applicant must be in a distress situation (as defined under scheme benefits).
Exclusions
- Persons of Indian Origin aren’t covered under ICWF.
- The “Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) Card Holders” are not eligible for individual financial assistance from ICWF.
Application Process
Online
Compensation Claims for Indian Nationals who died Abroad:
The application process and the documents required for the compensation claims varies from nation to nation. The nation-wise 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
Documents Required
For filing Compensation Claims for Indian Nationals who died Abroad:
(varies from nation to nation)
- 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 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 seem relevant depending upon the death case, such as police report (from the local police), medical report (from the hospital)
- NOC from other Heirs (in case of multiple heirs)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is legal assistance also provided to the Overseas Indian students who are in distress?
Yes, Overseas Indian students who are in distress are eligible for support under this scheme.
In what cases is an Overseas Indian woman eligible to receive legal assistance?
Legal/financial assistance is provided to Indian women abandoned/ cheated / abused by their Overseas Indian/PIO or foreign spouses (up to seven years after their marriage.
Under what circumstances does the scheme provide support for transportation of Mortal Remains of the deceased Overseas Indian?
Such support is provided 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.
Are OCI card holders eligible for financial assistance under ICWF?
No, the “Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) Card Holders” are not eligible for individual financial assistance from ICWF.
Is a person from Indian origin but distressed in a foreign country eligible for assistance?
No, Persons of Indian Origin aren’t covered under ICWF.
Does ICWF also provides support in emergency evacuation of Indian nationals?
Yes, ICWF has been a critical support in emergency evacuation of Indian nationals in conflict zones in Libya, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan and other challenging situations.
Whom should I approach to file the compensation claim for my husband?
You need to contact the “First Point of Contact” of the nation in which your husband died.
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Something went wrong. Please try again later.
You need to sign in before applying for schemes
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It seems you have already initiated your application earlier.To know more please visit
Apply Now
You need to sign in before applying for schemes
Something went wrong. Please try again later.
It seems you have already initiated your application earlier.To know more please visit
Apply Now
Check Eligibility
Ministry Of External Affairs
Indian Community Welfare Fund
Artist
Disability
Legal Assistance
Medical Assistance
Non Resident Indian
Overseas Indian
PwD
Shelter
Student
Welfare
Details
Benefits
Eligibility
Exclusions
Application Process
Documents Required
Frequently Asked Questions
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. In view of its immense utility, ICWF stands extended to all Indian Missions and Posts abroad.
The ICWF guidelines have been revised further to make them more broad-based and expand the scope of welfare measures that can be extended through the Fund. They are expected to provide Indian Missions and Posts abroad greater flexibility in swiftly addressing to requests for assistance by Overseas Indian nationals.
Was this helpful?
Share
News and Updates
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