Choose a family coordinator and record the verified hospital, doctor, social-worker, or police contact and documents already received. The process depends on the circumstances of death, so do not assume every case can immediately use the same registration route. Share notification, paperwork, and funeral enquiries among relatives, preserving the person's wishes and allowing time to compare a long-term arrangement rather than deciding from an urgent sales conversation.
What to have ready
Before you start
For a natural death, Immigration generally requires the doctor's Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death, Form 18, and registration by the nearest relative or relevant informant within fourteen days. A Coroner-referred death follows a different process. FEHD's after-death guide covers cremation, burial, and ashes arrangements. Death registration, funeral permissions, and eventual ashes placement are distinct steps. Confirm which documents your case has reached before booking a service that depends on them.
What to do, step by step
- Ask the responsible institution about the current process and available documents, assign each step, and follow formal instructions when the cause remains under determination.
- Use the appropriate Immigration route, check names and identifiers carefully, and apply through the required process for any certified copies.
- Use FEHD guidance to compare burial, cremation, and ashes options, requesting itemised funeral charges, cancellation terms, and extras.
- Preserve certificates, permissions, confirmations, and payments; handle later bank, insurance, and other notifications through their authorisation and estate procedures.
Costs, timing, and things to check
A death certificate does not authorise every banking or estate action. Do not transact through the deceased's login; obtain suitable legal support for a dispute.
Check a private columbarium's licence and restrictions before purchasing interment rights. Explore temporary storage or green-burial options instead of accepting a limited-time sales claim.
A practical example
For a natural death, the family checks Form 18, both identity documents, and the registration particulars. One person handles registration while another obtains two itemised funeral quotations, asking what permissions and transport are included. Discuss ashes placement separately. Store a secure document copy and protect the originals so later enquiries do not require reconstructing what has already been completed.
Confirm the case's process, complete registration, funeral, and estate tasks in stages, and preserve records.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.