Apply for a death certificate

You need a death certificate if you want to prepare for the funeral, for example for the coffin or transfer, to settle the estate or to claim benefits from statutory or private insurance companies.

The death certificate contains

  • the first names and surname of the deceased,
  • birth names, if applicable,
  • Place and date of birth,
  • birth name, if applicable,
  • the last place of residence
  • the marital status,
  • the first names and surnames of the spouse or civil partner at the time of death. This also applies if the other spouse or civil partner has died beforehand. This does not apply if the marriage was divorced or the civil partnership dissolved during their lifetime.
  • the place of death and
  • the time of death.

The notarised printout from the death register shows the entries in the death register.

An International Death Certificate is a multilingual death certificate, so you do not need a translation for use abroad. It is valid in all countries that have signed up to the Convention of 8 September 1976 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records. You will find a list of the contracting states in the annex to the convention.

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

  • You are 16 years old.
  • You belong to the following group of people:
    • Wife or husband, partner of the deceased person
    • Parents, grandparents and great-grandparents as well as children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the deceased person
    • Siblings of the deceased person, if you can credibly demonstrate a legitimate interest
    • other persons who can credibly demonstrate a legal interest, for example by means of a letter from the probate court

Responsible department

the registry office of the place of death

Procedure

You can apply for the certificate in person at the registry office of the place of death and pay the fee immediately.

A written application is also possible. Some registry offices also offer the option of ordering certificates by fax, e-mail or telephone. In these cases, you must clarify with the registry office

  • whether the certificate should be sent to you or whether you should collect it and
  • how you can pay the fees.

Please note The certificate can only be issued immediately if you provide all the necessary documents.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

  • if appearing in person: identity card or passport
  • in case of representation: written power of attorney of the authorised person and identification of the authorised representative(s)
  • under certain circumstances: Indication of the date of death
  • The following may also be required
    • Proof of legal interest
    • Proof of legitimate interest (siblings)

Costs

  • Death certificate or certified printout from the death register: EUR 20.00 each
  • International death certificate: EUR 20.00 each

Copies of death certificates as proof of death are free of charge for

  • the health insurance fund
  • the statutory pension insurance and
  • the pension and social security office.

Miscellaneous

none

Appeal

Application for a court decision at the local court responsible for the registry office

Legal basis

Personenstandsgesetz - PStG:

  • § 60 Sterbeurkunde
  • § 62 Urkundenerteilung, Auskunft, Einsicht

Verordnung zur Ausführung des Personenstandgesetzes - PStV:

  • § 50 Mehrsprachiger Auszug aus dem Personenstandsregister

§ 5 der Verordnung des Innenministeriums zur Durchführung des Personenstandsgesetzes (PStG-DVO) (Erhebung von Gebühren und Auslagen)in Verbindung mitAnlage 1 (Gebührenverzeichnis)

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: 23.05.2024 Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg