Important next steps
When someone dies, it’s important to let the right people know as quickly as you can.
Get a doctor to check and confirm the cause of death
If the cause of death is known and from natural causes, the doctor will certify the death, then submit the information to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
Download the digital death certificate
Use the death certificate or a manual confirmation of death (mCOD) to apply for a cremation or burial permit. You can choose to do this yourself or engage a funeral director for help.
Certifying the death
The authorities you'll need to contact depend on where the death happened.
When death happens at hospital or home
Inform your hospital doctor or ward nurse.
If the cause of death is known and from natural causes, the doctor will certify the death, then submit the information to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
If the person had a regular family doctor, such as a neighbourhood GP, call them first to ask if they can verify the cause of death.
If not, you may either:
use GPGoWhere to find GP clinics or home care providers who offer death certification services
contact a funeral director who can connect you with a doctor
When the doctor arrives, share any relevant medical records such as, recent hospital discharge summary, doctor’s memo, or HealthHub records.
If the cause of death is unknown or from unnatural causes, the doctor will need to report the death to the police, who will then refer the case to the coroner.
If a coroner’s case is raisedGetting the death document number
After the doctor certifies the death, you'll receive a printout or printscreen with the death document number, deceased's ID number (used by doctors during death certification), and date of death.
If the death was certified outside of a hospital, the certifying doctor may send you these details through other means of communication like Whatsapp.
What is the death document number?
When the digital death certificate is ready for download: 6-digit number, followed by a letter (123456A)
When a temporary death document is issued: the letter D, followed by a 5-digit number (D12345)
You'll need the death document to apply for a cremation or burial permit and make funeral arrangements . You can choose to do this yourself, or engage a funeral director for help.