Death; notification

The death of a person must be reported to the registry office in whose jurisdiction they died. Funeral homes, hospitals, retirement and nursing homes and other institutions are obliged to notify the registry office.

The death of a person must be certified by the registry office in whose jurisdiction they died. Therefore, such a death must be reported to the registry office.

Written notification for deaths in a hospital or retirement home

In the case of deaths in hospitals, old people's and nursing homes and other institutions, the responsible body (usually the administration) of the institution is obliged to report the death. For this purpose, the administration of the facility will collect data on the deceased and obtain the necessary documents and evidence from the relatives.

Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that relatives of the deceased or a funeral home commissioned by them will have to appear again. This is particularly necessary if the registry office does not yet have all the data required for the notarization.

Verbal notification

If written notification is not possible, the death of the person must be reported verbally to the registry office. This is the case, for example, if the death did not take place in an institution (clinic, retirement home, etc.).

The following are obliged to notify the registry office

• Any person who lived with the deceased in the same household.
• The person in whose home the death occurred.
• Any other person who was present at the death or who is aware of the death from their own knowledge.

If a funeral home registered with a Chamber of Crafts or Chamber of Industry and Commerce is commissioned with the notification, the notification can also be made in writing.

• Birth certificate of the deceased
• Proof of last residence
• medical certificate of death
• In the case of persons who were married or living in a registered civil partnership:

  Instead of the birth certificate, the marriage or civil partnership certificate of the last marriage or civil partnership and, if applicable, proof of dissolution are required.

• The registry office may require the submission of further documents if this is necessary to prove information. The competent registry office will be happy to advise you.

Once the death has been reported, the registry office will record the death in the death register. The following information about the deceased is entered:

• his first names and surname
• Date, time and place of death
• Place and date of birth
• their gender
• their marital status (e.g. married, divorced, in a registered civil partnership)
• his place of residence and, at the request of the person making the notification, his religious affiliation.

On request, the registry office will issue a death certificate from the death register, in which essential data from the death register is transferred (see "Certificate of civil status; application" under "Related topics"). In addition, a certified printout from the death register (this is a verbatim reproduction of the contents of the death register) can also be issued.