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Declaration of Death
Verified 07 December 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
Magistrate at the head of the public prosecutor's office (or public prosecutor's office). It is the recipient of complaints and reports. It conducts investigations, prosecutions and enforces the law.
A contract by which a person, the principal, empowers another person, the agent, to do one or more legal acts in his name and on his behalf
What applies to you ?
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1/ Within 24 hours (except Sunday and public holidays)
- Obtain a medical death certificate
At the hospital, nursing home, or doctor (if home visit)
- Make a declaration of death in the town hall of the place of death
Supporting documents: death certificate, identity documents of the deceased and of the declarant.
Request copies of the death certificate.
2/ Within 48 hours
- Check if there is a funeral contract
If the deceased had subscribed to one, notify the organization concerned.
- Choose the funeral home
List posted in town hall, health facilities, mortuary and funeral chambers
Free written quote required.
Free mortuary for the first 3 days after death in a health facility (public or private).
3/ Within 6 days (except Sunday and public holidays)
Conduct of funerals
Respecting the wishes of the deceased (cremation, burial)
If necessary, purchase of a concession in a cemetery (inquire at the town hall)
Namely: possibility to obtain up to 5,000 € from the bank that manages the accounts of the deceased, on presentation of the invoice paid.
4/ Within 10 days
Notifying paying agencies
· Employer if the deceased was an employee or public servant
· Pôle emploi if unemployed
· Pension funds if retired
· Health insurance if he was receiving a disability pension
· If they were receiving housing assistance or the SSA
· Department if receiving social assistance (e.g. personalized autonomy allowance)
5/ And then
· Bank (account freeze)
· Provident contracts (life insurance...)
· Notary (estate and other procedures)
· Tax Center (declaration of succession within 6 months, tax return within the normal period)
· Pension Funds (Surviving Spouse Reversal Application)
· Lessor (termination of lease) or trustee (settlement of condominium costs)
Death in hospital or nursing home
General case
A doctor records the death and issues the death certificate.
Please note
On an experimental basis, a nurse may, in the absence of a doctor, record the death and establish the death certificate in a Ehpad: titleContent of certain regions (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Center-Val de Loire, Ile-de-France, Occitanie, Reunion).
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.
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.
Death at home
General case
A doctor records the death and issues the death certificate.
Please note
On an experimental basis, a nurse may, in the absence of a doctor, record the death and establish the death certificate at home in certain regions (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Center-Val de Loire, Ile-de-France, Occitanie, Réunion).
Violent death
In case of violent death (for example, accidental death, suicide), you should alert the police or the national gendarmerie.
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.
Any person of age can declare death, preferably a relative. For example, a parent or person with vital statistics information.
Please note
if a funeral director declares the death (cost set by the contract), the funeral director must present a mandate.
To declare a death, you must go to the municipality of the municipality where the death occurred, regardless of the nationality of the deceased.
You must present yourself with the following documents:
- Your ID
- If possible, the death certificate issued by the doctor, police station, or gendarmerie
- Any document concerning the identity of the deceased (family record, identity document or birth certificate for example)
Who shall I contact
Following the declaration of death, the City Hall establishes a death certificate.
Death must be certain and established by examination of the body of the deceased.
In case of disappearance, you must go through a judicial declaration of death.
Who shall I contact
There's no reporting time.
You should do this as soon as possible to then perform the other death-related procedures.
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.
Deaths on public roads
General case
A doctor records the death and issues the death certificate.
Violent death
In case of violent death (for example, accidental death, suicide), you should alert the police or the national gendarmerie.
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.
After a doctor's report, any adult can declare the death, preferably a relative. For example, a parent or person with vital statistics information.
However, if the cause of death is suspicious, the police forces take care of the declaration of death.
FYI
specific rules apply in certain cases, for example at sea.
General case
To declare a death, you must go to the municipality of the municipality where the death occurred, regardless of the nationality of the deceased.
You must present yourself with the following documents:
- Your ID
- If possible, the death certificate issued by the doctor, police station, or gendarmerie
- Any document concerning the identity of the deceased (family record, identity document or birth certificate for example)
Suspicious death
The police officer shall transmit the information to the registrar of the place where the person died.
He writes the death certificate and informs the registrar of the residence of the deceased.
Following the declaration of death, the City Hall establishes a death certificate.
Death must be certain and established by examination of the body of the deceased.
In case of disappearance, you must go through a judicial declaration of death.
Who shall I contact
There's no reporting time.
You should do this as soon as possible to then perform the other death-related procedures.
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.
Death certificate
Post-death operations
Experiment in which a nurse can sign a death certificate
Areas where a nurse can sign a death certificate
FAQ
Ministry of Economy
