📋 Death: the first steps
In brief
After a death, a doctor must first confirm the death and issue a medical death certificate (Todesbescheinigung, Leichenschauschein). The death is then reported to the registry office (Standesamt) at the place of death – by the third working day after the death at the latest. In practice, the funeral director you have commissioned usually makes this report on behalf of the relatives and at the same time obtains the death certificates.
You will need the official death certificate (Sterbeurkunde) as an original several times – for banks, insurers, the pension insurance and, where applicable, for a certificate of inheritance. It is worth ordering several certified copies straight away.
Step by step
- Have the death confirmed by a doctorA doctor carries out the post-mortem examination and issues the medical death certificate; if the death occurs at home, call the family doctor, emergency doctor or the medical on-call service.
- Inform the funeral director and relativesA funeral director usually takes care of the further formalities, including the report to the registry office.
- Report the death to the registry officeThe death must be reported to the registry office (Standesamt) of the place of death by the third working day after the death at the latest (§ 28 PStG).
- Order several death certificatesSeveral certified copies are needed for banks, insurers, pension and social insurance institutions and a possible certificate of inheritance.
- Inform important bodiesInform the employer, landlord, insurers, banks and contractual partners of the death; ongoing contracts do not end automatically.
- Secure the estateSecure the home, valuables and important documents until a decision has been made on how to proceed (inheritance, see Estate and inheritance).
Deadlines
- Failing to meet the duty to report can be punished as an administrative offence with a fine (§ 70 PStG) – in practice, however, the funeral director you have commissioned usually makes the report on time.
- Order several original death certificates straight away – many bodies do not accept a copy.
- A death certificate does not replace a certificate of inheritance: some banks or the land registry additionally require separate proof of heirship.
- Contracts (rent, mobile phone, subscriptions) continue automatically until actively terminated – otherwise this costs money unnecessarily.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Who is obliged to report
Under §§ 29, 30 PStG, those obliged to report are primarily relatives living in the household or the person in whose home the death occurred; in the case of a death in an institution (hospital, care home), the duty to report falls on the institution itself. The report is made orally or in writing to the registry office in whose district the death occurred.
Legal basis of the deadline
§ 28 PStG in the version in force since 1 November 2022 (Third Act Amending Civil Status Law of 19 October 2022) requires the report by the third working day after the death at the latest. Working days are all days except Sundays and public holidays.
State-law particularities of the post-mortem examination
Whether and how a second post-mortem examination is required before a cremation is regulated differently by the burial acts of the states – see the page "Organising a funeral and costs" for more.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.