When Death Occurs

From 29 May 2022, there is no need for the public to register a death at a physical counter. The death will be automatically registered once a doctor certifies a death online. 

Step 1: Download Digital Death Certificate

If the death occurs at home

Contact your family doctor who has been attending to the deceased. If you do not have a family doctor, or if the family doctor is not available, contact a neighbourhood doctor who is willing to make a house call.

After the death is certified by a doctor, the NOK will be able to receive a digital death certificate from the My Legacy portal. For further information, Next-of-Kin (NOK) can visit ICA’s website.

 

If the death occurs in a hospital

After the death is certified by a doctor, Next-of-Kin (NOK) will be able to receive a digital death certificate from the My Legacy portal. 

 

NOK are advised to download the digital death certificate as soon as they have received the digital death certificate number from the doctor or hospital staff. They will be given up to 30 days to download the digital death certificate. 

 

Once downloaded, the digital death certificate can be stored on the NOK’s personal devices.

 

If the doctor is unable to certify the death, they will call the police for the body to be sent to Mortuary @ HSA (located at Block 9, Singapore General Hospital) in a police hearse. The family will be notified by the police when to go to the Mortuary @ HSA (usually the next day).

 

If you are unable to contact a doctor, call the police. The body will be sent to the Mortuary @ HSA in a police hearse. The family will be notified by the police when to go to the Mortuary @ HSA (usually the next day).

 

Step 2: Engage a Funeral Director

After the digital death certificate has been downloaded, the family may engage a funeral director who will:
(i) collect the body from the home or hospital mortuary;
(ii) send the body for embalming if required; and
(iii) deliver the body to the location of the wake.

 

Step 3: Application for Permit to Bury/Cremate (this can be done concurrently with Step 2) 

With the digital death certificate, NOK may directly apply for a Permit to Bury/Cremate at the National Environment Agency (NEA)’s e-Services website – ePortal, or authorise a person (such as a Funeral Director) to do so. The Permit to Bury/Cremate is required before NOK can proceed with the Application for Burial/Cremation at government-managed after-death facilities and for cremation at private crematoria. 

 

More information on the application processes may be obtained via User Guide for NEA ePortal: After-death services.