Death at home, in hospital or a care home in Germany

What needs to be done immediately after a relative dies depends on where the death occurred. At home the family decides everything; in a hospital or care home the institution takes care of much of it. Below are the three situations separately, a shared list of documents and what matters if the deceased is to be repatriated to their home country.

One rule for every case

A death in Germany must be registered with the registry office (Standesamt) at the place of death no later than the third working day afterwards. This is set out in Section 28 of the Civil Status Act (PStG). In practice the funeral director usually does this under a power of attorney from the family.

If the person died at home

Doctor. Call the family doctor or, outside surgery hours, the out-of-hours medical service on 116 117. If you are not sure the person has died, or the death was sudden, call 112. The doctor carries out the examination and issues the medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung). Nothing else can happen without it.
No need to rush. Once the doctor has been, the deceased may stay at home for a while so the family can say goodbye. How long depends on the burial law of the federal state, usually 24 to 36 hours.
Funeral director. We collect the deceased around the clock, including nights and weekends.
Registering the death. After a death at home, relatives are obliged to register it, first those who lived with the deceased (Section 29 PStG). You can ask us to do this.

If the doctor records the cause of death as unexplained, the police will attend. This is a routine check. What it means for timing is explained in “Why the body is not released”.

If the person died in hospital

The hospital will inform you. A hospital doctor issues the medical certificate of death and the deceased is moved to a refrigerated room.
The hospital notifies the registry office. For deaths in hospitals, care homes and hospices this is the institution’s duty (Section 30 PStG). The family does not need to go there.
Saying goodbye is possible. Ask on the ward where and when.
Name your funeral director. The hospital only releases the deceased to the funeral director chosen by the family. Ask how many days of storage are free of charge — hospital rules differ.
Collect personal belongings. They are usually handed to relatives against a signature.

If the person died in a care home

Staff call the doctor and inform the family. The institution notifies the registry office itself, as a hospital does.
Name a funeral director quickly. Many care homes have no refrigerated room of their own and ask for the deceased to be collected within a few hours.
Room and belongings. The date by which the room must be cleared is set out in the care home contract. It is best to take documents and valuables straight away.
If there is a funeral directive or a pre-arranged contract with a funeral director, it is often kept with the care home’s records. Ask the administration.

Which documents to have ready

To register the death, the registry office usually needs:

identity card or passport of the deceased;
birth certificate;
marriage certificate, if the deceased was married;
divorce decree or the spouse’s death certificate, if the marriage had ended;
the medical certificate of death.

For documents issued outside Germany, the registry office may require a translation by a sworn translator and sometimes an apostille. This is a common cause of delay, so find the originals early. Which additional documents are needed for repatriation abroad is covered in “Documents for international repatriation”.

If the funeral is to take place in the home country

Tell the funeral director on the very first call. The repatriation documents can then be prepared in parallel with registering the death, not afterwards. And if the family wishes to say goodbye, this is planned in good time: once the zinc-lined coffin has been soldered, it is no longer possible.

Frequently asked questions

Who do you call at night if someone has died at home?

The out-of-hours medical service on 116 117. If you are unsure whether the person has died, or the death was sudden, call 112. You can call the funeral director at any time after the doctor has been.

By when must the death be registered?

No later than the third working day after the death. If the death occurred in a hospital or care home, the institution does this; after a death at home, the relatives or the funeral director on their behalf.

Can the deceased stay at home so the family can say goodbye?

Yes, for a limited time after the doctor’s examination. The exact period depends on the burial law of the federal state, usually 24 to 36 hours.

Can the hospital choose the funeral director?

No. The choice is the family’s. The hospital releases the deceased to the funeral director named by the relatives.

What if the deceased’s documents were issued abroad?

The registry office may require a translation by a sworn translator and sometimes an apostille. Find the originals as early as possible — we will tell you exactly what the relevant registry office requires.

Call us — we are available around the clock

Tell us where the deceased is and where the funeral is planned. We will come, collect the deceased, register the death and handle all the documents, including those for repatriation. In English, German, Russian and Ukrainian.

Phone: +49 1511 7463888 · Request a call back

This article reflects the published regulations and does not replace legal advice. Deadlines and procedures may vary by federal state and institution.