A death certificate proves the fact of death and establishes the identity of the deceased. This deed is required before the registrar can give permission for the transport and burial or cremation of the deceased.
Target Group
- Burger
Conditions
Under certain conditions, you can request a copy or extract of the death certificate:
- A transcript mentions the original details of the deed and the history of the state of the person to whom the deed relates.
- An extract , on the other hand, mentions only the current details of the deed, without mentioning the history of the state of the person to whom the deed relates. An extract therefore only shows the current state of the data.
Who can request a copy or extract?
For deeds of death, the right to a copy or extract is limited to:
- the surviving spouse or legal cohabitant
- the legal representative (e.g. parent, guardian, administrator)
- relatives in the ascending or descending line (not relatives and collaterals)
- the heirs
- special authorised representatives such as a notary or lawyer.
If the deed is more than 50 years old, everyone is entitled to a copy or extract.
Proof
If you collect the document yourself:
- your own identity card or residence permit.
If you request the document for someone else:
- a power of attorney from the person concerned and a copy of his or her identity card
- your own identity card.
Procedure
Procedure
The death certificate is drawn up in the municipality where the person died. The municipality in question then forwards the certificate to the municipality where the deceased lived.
You can request an extract or copy of the death certificate from the municipality where the person died. If you have an electronic identity card (eID), you can request a copy or extract of the deed online via that municipality's e-desk.
Since 1 January 2019, civil status deeds have only been registered digitally. If your deed dates from before 1 January 2019, it may not yet be available in digital form. Some municipalities are digitising old records as copies or extracts of deeds are requested or amendments are made.