If the death occurred in hospital

1. The attending doctor is responsible for filling in the certificate of cause of death (CCOD).
2. Obtain the completed CCOD certificate from the ward nurse by producing the deceased’s NRIC.

If the death occurred at home

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

Unnatural deaths and autopsy

After the Certificate of Cause of Death has been obtained, the family may engage a funeral director who will assist with the following:

(i) collect the body from the home/hospital mortuary
(ii) send the body for embalming (if required), and
(iii) deliver the body to the location of the wake

Wake Location

Note: Prior to registration of death, the family should decide whether the body will be cremated or buried, as this information is required when registering the death.

You can register the death at the following places:

1. Police
2. ICA – The Registry of Births & Death

Your funeral director can help you with the booking of the date and time for cremation or burial.

Otherwise, you can do the bookings through phone, online or at the relevant booking office.
Required documents for application:

• Original Death Certificate, which contains the Permit to Bury/Cremate
• NRIC / Passport of the applicant and next-of-kin
• Letter of Authorization (if applicant is not next-of-kin)

Please note that if the deceased is to be cremated, any valuables placed in the coffin will not be recoverable after the high heat of cremation.

Notification to Banks, Insurance Companies, Lawyers & others.

Managing the estate & inheritance

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Banks

Please notify the deceased person’s bank, especially for receipts and cheques deposited automatically, or if mortgage payments and other transactions (e.g. GIRO deductions) are carried out directly from the account.

If you find out about the overseas death of a relative or friend who is a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, you should immediately contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) or the nearest Singapore mission.

MFA will help you do the following:

• Contact the next of kin
• Advise you on how to register the death in the foreign country
• Provide you with a list of local undertakers
• Advise you on the cost of a local burial/cremation, and the cost of shipping the remains and personal property back to Singapore
• Help transfer money from family members and relatives in Singapore to pay for any costs

If you wish to bring the body back to Singapore for cremation or burial, you should engage a funeral director for assistance.

If you wish to make the arrangements yourself, apply for a coffin (import) permit and a permit to cremate or bury from one of these offices:

Port Health Office
+65-6222 2585

Airport Health Office
+65-6543-2515

Permit fee is $10.

You will need these documents:

• The death certificate issued in the country of death (non-English documents must be accompanied by an English translation);
• A cause of death certificate or a statutory declaration;
• A sealing certificate for the coffin;
• An embalming certificate (if applicable);
• A 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 Food and Environmental Hygiene Department before you import the body.

The death will also have to be reported to Singapore’s Registry of Births & Deaths, Citizen Centre, 3rd Storey, ICA Building personally by the next-of-kin of the deceased. If the next-of-kin is unable to report the death personally at ICA Building , a letter of authorization will be required.

Documents Required

1. Death Certificate issued by the foreign authorities (copy of English translation is required if the death certificate is in ethnic languages)
2. Coffin (Import/Export) permit
3. Permit to Bury/Cremate
4. Deceased’s Singapore identity card, passport, Citizenship Certificate (if any), and
5. Informant’s identification documents