Singapore - Register a Death

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Procedure

Step 1: Certify the cause of death

If the death occurred in Singapore hospital

• The attending doctor is responsible for filling in the certificate of cause of death (CCOD).
• The completed CCOD certificate may be obtain from the ward nurse by producing the deceased’s NRIC.

If the death occurred at home

• Call the family doctor or any neighbourhood doctor for a house call to certify the cause of death.
• The doctor will issue the CCOD certificate on the spot if he is able to identify the cause of death.

Unnatural deaths and autopsy

• If the cause of death cannot be determined, the doctor will refer the deceased to the police.
• If the death occurred in hospital, it will also be referred to the police if death was directly or indirectly caused by unnatural events, such as surgical complications or a fall before admission.
• The body will be sent to Mortuary@HSA (located at Block 9 of Singapore General Hospital) in a police hearse. The next of kin will be asked to go to the mortuary to identify the deceased's body.
• The coroner will review the case and determine if autopsy is required. The next of kin will be informed of the coroner's decision and when to claim the body for the funeral.

Step 2: Get in touch with a funeral director
The funeral director will help you do the following:

• Collect the body from home or the hospital mortuary
• Embalm the body (if required)
• Deliver the body to the location of the wake
• Make arrangements for burial, cremation or ash storage

Step 3: Register the death

• To Register a Death, the applicant has to approach the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority contact link
• Get the application form from the office.
• Fill the complete details and attach the documents mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
• Submit the form to the officer.
• Once the verification is done, the death certificate is issued to the applicant within a day.

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Required Documents

If the death occurred in Singapore
Documents to bring to the mortuary:

• Medical documents relating to the deceased
• All medicine consumed by the deceased
• Identification papers of the deceased (e.g. NRIC/passport/birth certificate/FIN card)
• Identification papers of the informant.

You will need these documents to register the death:

• Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD).
• The deceased’s identification documents (e.g. NRIC/birth certificate and passport)
• The next of kin identification documents (e.g. NRIC or passport)

If the death occurred overseas
If you wish to bring back the body in Singapore, you will need these documents:

• The death certificate issued in the country of death (non-English documents must be accompanied by an English translation)
• Cause of death certificate or a statutory declaration
• Sealing certificate for the coffin
• Embalming certificate (if applicable)
• Coffin export permit from the country exporting the body and
• An air waybill or air consignment note (if importing by air).

Note:
If the deceased is known to have suffered from HIV, you need to get written approval from the National Environment Agency’s Environmental Health Department before you will be allowed to import the body.

Office Locations & Contacts

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
IC Unit
Citizen Services Centre
ICA Building
10 Kallang Road, Level 3 (next to Lavender MRT station)
Singapore 208718
Location link
Contact link
ICA Checkpoints link

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1 Sherwood Rd, Singapore 248163
Website link
Contact - +6563798000
Location link

Eligibility

• Any person or a family member who intends to register a death are eligible to make this application.

Fees

• There is no fee for register a death.

Validity

• The validity for the death certificate is forever.

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

• Registration and collection of the death certificate will be processed on the spot.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• Applicant must complete the application form before submitting. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicant must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

Required Information

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e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or Country of Birth.

Need for the Document

• When a death occurs, the deceased's family should register it within 24 hours. Registering a death is a legal requirement, you need to do this to obtain document for the funeral director and for dealing with the deceased's estate.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

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Others

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