Somebody from your family died – What to do?

The register office of the district where the death happened is responsible for the registration of a death.

The following documents must be submitted if the death occurred at home:

1. Death certificate of the physician who carried out the inspection of the corpse (green form and red envelope in North Rhine-Westphalia – closed for the medical officer!)
2. If possible, the family register or marriage certificate or – if the deceased was unmarried – the birth certificate, and a certificate if widowed or divorced (possibly the family register), and if these are not available, then at lest the identity card/passport of the deceased.
3. The person reporting the death to the register office must present their identity card or passport.

The following documents must be submitted if the death occurred in a hospital or old people's home:

1. Death certificate of the physician who carried out the inspection of the corpse (green form and red envelope in North Rhine-Westphalia – closed for the medical officer!)
2. Notification of death (the form is issued by the hospital/old people's home)
3. If possible, the family register or marriage certificate or – if the deceased was unmarried – the birth certificate, and a certificate if widowed or divorced (possibly the family register), and if these are not available, then at lest the identity card/passport of the deceased.

The following documents must be submitted if the police are involved in the investigation of the death (e.g. in case of an accident, suicide or murder):

1. If possible, the family register or marriage certificate or – if the deceased was unmarried – the birth certificate, and a certificate if widowed or divorced (possibly the family register), and if these are not available, then at lest the identity card/passport of the deceased.
   Please submit these documents to the police who will then take care about the rest.