What to do when a death occurs.
1. Certify the death
2. Arrange Funeral Matters
3. Register the death at Police Station or ICA
4. Find Resting Place
5. Administrative
Where did the death occur?
Depending on where the death occurred, several procedures may differ from one another. Below is the information listed for you to guide you depending on the location of the death occurrence.
We have gotten this information from the following government sites:
Death occurred at a Hospital or at home
1. Obtain Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD)
Relevant Numbers / Authorities
Search for a doctor
Mortuary @ HSA
Applied Sciences Group
Health Sciences Authority
Level 1, Blk 9, SGH,
Outram Rd Singapore 169608
If the death occurred in hospital
- The attending doctor is responsible for filling in the certificate of cause of death (CCOD).
- Obtain the completed CCOD certificate from the ward nurse by producing the deceased’s NRIC.
If the death occurred at home
- Call the family doctor or any neighborhood doctor for a house call to certify the cause of death.
Click here to search for a doctor - 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 needs to go to the mortuary to identify the deceased’s body.
Mortuary@HSA operating hours:
Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 4:30pm
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays – 8:00am to 12:30pm
What to Bring to Mortuary@HSA:
- All medical documents relating to the deceased
- All medicine consumed by the deceased
- Identification papers of the deceased
- informant e.g. NRIC/Passport/Certificate of Registration of Birth/ FIN card
2. Arrange the funeral matters
Things to decide:
- Wake Location
- Burial or Cremation
- Engage Funeral Director
Useful Numbers
Wake Location
HDB: Town Council
Private Apartments and Condos – Consult Condo Management / MCST or Funeral parlours
Landed Property – LTA (if road use is required, usually funeral directors will assist)
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
Landed property For wakes more than 7 Days Prior written permission will have to be sought from the National Environment Agency. Write to: 40 Scotts Road,
You will need to get a permit from your Town Council.
If you need to use part of the road outside your house, you will need to get a permit from Land Transport Authority (LTA). Your funeral director will assist you on this.
National Environment Agency
Environmental Health Department
Environment Building, #21-00
Singapore 228231
3. Register the death with Police / ICA
Can be done simultaneously with arrangement of funeral matters
Relevant Numbers / Authorities
Police
Any Police Division HQ, NPC, Police Post
The Registry of Births & Death – ICA
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:
- Police
- ICA – The Registry of Births & Death
Police
- Any Police Divisional Headquarters
- Any Neighborhood Police Centre
- Any Neighborhood Police Post
The Registry of Births & Deaths @ ICA Building
3rd floor, ICA Building
10 Kallang Road S(208718)
Tel: 6391 6100
Working hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon – Fri) 8am – 1pm (Sat)
Map Location
4. Final Resting Place – Burial / Cremation
Useful Numbers
List of Columbarium Available
Burial
Choa Chu Kang Cemetary Booking Office
6793 7428
Cremation
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex
6554 5655
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
6459 2258
Tse Toh Aum Temple
6454 7666
Govt Columbaria
Mandai
6554 5655
Choa Chu Kang
6795 9731
Private Columbaria
Click here to see more
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.
Cremation Government Crematorium Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex Private Crematorium Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery Tel: 6849 5333 Mon – Sun: 9:00am to 3:00pm Tse Toh Aum Temple Tel: 6454 7666 Mon – Sun: 9:00am to 3:00pm Columbaria – Ash Storage Niche Fees (For all government columbaria) Niche (Standard) – $500* Government-Managed Columbaria Choa Chu Kang Columbarium i) No advance booking of niches is allowed. ii) Payment is to be made when the niche is confirmed. ii) Documents Required: iv) Payment modes: Scattering the ashes at sea Port Marine Safety Control Centre Ashes may also be scattered at sea. The scattering of small amounts of ashes can be carried out at the designated site located about 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) south of Pulau Semakau. The scattering of ashes can be conducted daily, from 0700 hrs-1900 hours. For further information on scattering of ashes, please call the Port Marine Safety Control Centre. Burial Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Booking Office Bookings can be made: Note:
Bookings can be made by:
300 Mandai Road, Singapore 779393
Mondays to Sundays 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fax : 6459 5228
Map: Link / Google Map: Link
88 Bright Hill Drive, Singapore 574117
Fax: 6459 2258
Cremation Fees (as according to NEA website)
$300 (cremation only)
$400*(cremation + urn storage)
*Price varies, depending on choice of urns and storage location
601 Sin Ming Drive, Singapore 575719
Cremation Fees (as according to NEA website)
$400 (cremation only)
$500*(cremation + urn storage)
*Price varies, depending on choice of urns and storage location
Niche (Family) – $900*
*Niches at government columbaria are allocated sequentially. There will be a $250 selection fee should you wish to choose a different location from that allocated.
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex
300 Mandai Road, Singapore 779393
Mondays to Sundays 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fax : 6459 5228
Map: Link / Google Map: Link
51 Chinese Cemetery Path 4, Singapore 698932
Monday to Fridays 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturdays 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Fax : 6795 0885
6325 2488
Choa Chu Kang Cemetary Complex is the only cemetery in Singapore still open for burials.
910 Choa Chu Kang Road , Singapore 699819
Mondays to Sundays – 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fax : 6459 5228
With effect from 1 November 1998 , the burial period for all graves will be limited to 15 years. At the end of the 15 years, the graves will be exhumed. For those whose religion permits cremation, the exhumed remains will be cremated and stored in columbaria niches. Where compulsory burial is required due to religious reasons, the remains will be re-buried in smaller individual plots.
5. Administrative Matters after funeral
Relevant Parties to contact
Public Trustee’s Office
Lawyers / Solicitors
Banks
Insurance Companies
Other billing companies
Counselors
Notification to Banks, Insurance Companies, Lawyers & others.
Managing the estate & inheritance
Click here to read more.
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.
Insurance Companies Inform the deceased person’s insurance companies. Beneficiaries may receive payouts from insurance policies, credit and trade unions or fraternal organisations, etc. Bills & Miscellaneous Items Check for any outstanding debts, such as credit-card bills. For bills where payment is made automatically via GIRO, inform the companies to cancel the GIRO. Where appropriate, contact the deceased person’s landlord, cancel utilities such as electricity and telephone connections, and other items such as safety deposit boxes etc. Give the post office a forwarding address for the deceased person’s mail. Estate Duty Estate Duty has been removed for deaths on and after 15 February 2008. Click here for more information from IRAS site.
Death occurred overseas
1. Inform MFA or the nearest Singapore Mission
Relevant Numbers / Authorities
MFA Duty Officer in Singapore at +65-6379-8800
(if you cannot locate any Singapore Mission)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
+65-6379-8000
More on Consular Services
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
2. Return the body to Singapore
a. Engage a Funeral Director for assistance
b. Apply a coffin (import) permit
Useful Numbers
Funeral Director List
Port Health Office
+65-6222-2585
Airport Health Office
+65-6543-2515
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.
3. Register the overseas death with ICA
In person at ICA
Relevant Numbers / Authorities
The Registry of Births and Death
+65 6391 6100
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
- Death Certificate issued by the foreign authorities (copy of English translation is required if the death certificate is in ethnic languages)
- Coffin (Import/Export) permit
- Permit to Bury/Cremate
- Deceased’s Singapore identity card, passport, Citizenship Certificate (if any), and
- Informant’s identification documents