Burial

In the event of a death, it is your duty as a relative to immediately inform a doctor who will carry out the post-mortem examination and issue the corpse certificate. You must allow the doctor to enter your property and rooms to carry out the post-mortem examination. The basic right to inviolability of the home is restricted in this respect.

The death must be reported to the registry office of the place where the death occurred no later than the third working day following the death. The non-confidential part of the death certificate must be handed in (see also death certificate). As a relative, you must arrange the funeral, which should take place no earlier than 48 hours and no later than 96 hours after the death. There is the option of burial in the ground, cremation or burial at sea. The type of burial depends on the wishes of the deceased. If the wishes of the deceased are not known, you as the next of kin determine the type of burial.

Relatives with a duty of care
Relatives with a duty of care are the spouse or civil partner in accordance with the Civil Partnership Act as well as children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren and siblings, adoptive parents and children.

• To a doctor to carry out the post-mortem examination.
• To the relevant registry office for the issue of the death certificate.
• For the burial to the cemetery administration of the place of burial.
• For the transfer from the place of death to the cemetery/crematorium to a funeral home.

Important note

The next of kin generally commission a funeral home to carry out the funeral. They can also register the death at the registry office and take care of the other administrative formalities for you.

A basic fee of between EUR 12.00 and EUR 48.00 is charged for checking the admissibility of a burial.