Declaration of Death - Death in hospital or nursing home

Verified 29 avril 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Your situation

  • Death in hospital or nursing home
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General case

It's a doctor who records the death and establishes the death certificate.

Please note

On an experimental basis, a nurse may record the death and establish the death certificate when the person has died in a Ehpad: titleContent.

Violent death

In case of violent death (e.g. accidental death, suicide), the police or national gendarmerie should be alerted.

Funerals can only take place after obtaining judicial authorization, called record for burial.

It shall be drawn up by a judicial police officer, on the order of the public prosecutor.

Who shall I contact

The institution must be responsible for the declaration of death.

The institution must report the death within 24 hours.

Following the declaration of death, the City Hall establishes a death certificate.

Please note

The mortuary chamber of a health facility receives the deceased free of charge for 3 days (then at the daily rate). The reception in a private funeral room (or funeral home) is paid from the 1ster day. In addition, admission must be made within 48 hours of death. Conservation care is not mandatory.

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