In the first hours the order is short and strict: the doctor first, everything else after. Their certificate is the starting document of the entire chain, and without it neither the registry office nor the funeral director nor the bank will act.
The first hours: a doctor comes first
A doctor must certify the death — nothing proceeds without that certificate. Until then the body is not moved, and the deceased’s documents belong in one place.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
Nobody told me the medical certificate is the starting document. I lost half a day phoning the registry office when I simply needed to wait for the doctor.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Put the deceased’s papers into one folder straight away. Every office will ask for them, and searching the flat at that moment is the last thing you want.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who do I call first? ▾
A doctor. For an expected death at home, the family or on-call doctor; for a sudden or unexplained one, emergency services. The police become involved on their own if the doctor cannot establish a natural cause — you do not need to call them separately.
What is the medical death certificate for? ▾
The doctor issues it after examining the deceased. Without it the registry office issues no death certificate, the funeral director cannot act, and banks and insurers will accept nothing. Everything downstream rests on that sheet.
How much time is there for the first steps? ▾
The doctor is called immediately. After that the deadline for notifying the registry office runs, and it is very short — so waiting for the certificate is unwise even over a weekend.
What if the death happened abroad? ▾
The process differs: you will need the documents of the country where the death occurred, their translation and usually legalisation or an apostille. Contact the consular service and a funeral director experienced in repatriation.