Death; Notification
The death of a person must be reported to the registry office with jurisdiction over the area where the person died. Funeral homes, hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, and other facilities are required to report such deaths.
Status: 05.08.2026. Link zum BayernPortal
Online Procedures
Death Certificate
As an organization, you can use this online form to report a death.
Convenient and digital: Simply fill out this online form directly in your web browser. In many cases, this saves you a trip to the government office.
Reporting a Death When There Are No (Caring) Relatives
In addition to the death certificate, use this form to report a death where there are no (responsible) next of kin—please still submit the death certificate mentioned above digitally!
Convenient and digital: Simply fill out this online form directly in your web browser. In many cases, this will save you a trip to the government office.
Submit Documents
With this online service, you can submit documents to the civil registry office regarding a death.
Convenient and digital: Simply fill out this online form directly in your web browser—whether you’re on the go or from the comfort of your own home.
A person’s death must be registered by the civil registry office in whose jurisdiction the person died. Therefore, such a death must be reported to the civil registry office.
Written Notification of Deaths in a Hospital or Nursing Home
In the case of deaths in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities, the facility’s operator (usually the administration) is required to report the death. To this end, the facility’s administration will collect information about the deceased and request that the next of kin provide the necessary documents and proof of identity.
Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that relatives of the deceased or a funeral home they have commissioned may need to visit the registry office again. This is particularly necessary if the registry office does not yet have all the data required for registration.
Verbal Notification
If a written report is not possible, the person’s death must be reported verbally to the civil registry office. This is the case, for example, if the death did not occur in a facility (hospital, nursing home, etc.).
The following persons are required to report the death:
- Any person who lived in the same household as the deceased.
- The person in whose home the death occurred.
- Any other person who was present at the time of death or who has personal knowledge of the death.
If a funeral home registered with a Chamber of Crafts or a Chamber of Industry and Commerce is commissioned to file the report, the report may also be submitted in writing.
Once a death has been reported, the civil registry office records the death in the death register. The following information about the deceased is entered:
- their first names and last name
- the date, time, and place of death
- place and date of birth
- their gender
- their marital status (e.g., married, divorced, in a registered partnership)
- his place of residence and, at the request of the person filing the report, his religious affiliation.
Upon request, the civil registry office issues a death certificate based on the death register, which includes key information from the death register (see “Civil Status Certificates; Application” under “Related Topics”). In addition, a certified printout from the death register (which is a verbatim reproduction of the death register’s contents) can also be issued.
- Birth certificate of the deceased
- Proof of last place of residence
- Medical Certificate of Death
- For individuals who were married or in a registered domestic partnership:
Instead of a birth certificate, you will need the marriage or civil partnership certificate from your most recent marriage or civil partnership and, if applicable, proof of its dissolution. - The civil registry office may request additional documents if they are needed to verify the information provided. The relevant civil registry office will be happy to advise you.