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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. The registry office must therefore be notified of such a death.
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.
If no written notification is 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
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.
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:
Upon 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.
In the event of death, relatives of a deceased person can apply for a death certificate.
The death certificate is issued by the doctor who diagnoses the death and carries out the post-mortem examination. It serves as the basis for registering the death and must be submitted to the registry office.