Is it normal for an insurer to refuse to return original death certificates?

I'm currently dealing with obtaining death benefits from my parent's life insurance policies, issued by two different providers. I am the sole beneficiary of these policies. My parent passed away abroad, and both insurance companies require the original foreign death certificate (not a copy). However, only one company says they will return the certificate when they are finished investigating and processing the claim. The other company says that they will not return the original death certificate (or any other documents I send) – absolutely no exceptions. Is this normal? Does anyone have any advice on how should I proceed?

Unfortunately, the process to obtain a death certificate from the country in which my parent passed away is extremely difficult – I would most likely have to go to that country and there would still be a lot of language, cultural, and bureaucratic barriers, not to mention the time and cost of going abroad. While my parent was a dual citizen of that country and the US, I have no legal standing and cannot legally prove my familial relationship to my parent in that country (I know, it's complicated).

Any thoughts, advice, or even commiseration would be greatly appreciated. TIA!

submitted by /u/meefteef
[comments]