Registration of a cremation

• After the death has occurred, a death certificate is issued by a doctor. A death certificate is issued by the registry office on the basis of the death certificate. You must present this to the cemetery so that the burial can take place.
• In the case of cremation, a second post-mortem examination must be carried out by a doctor before cremation.
• The deceased person is then cremated in a crematorium.
• You do not necessarily have to hire a funeral home to carry out the funeral. However, it is advisable to do so, as they will also take care of all the formalities and paperwork for you.
• You can arrange the funeral individually, whereby the wishes of the deceased should be taken into account.
• If the deceased person has expressly decided against cremation, this is not permitted.

Please contact either a funeral home, which will usually take care of all the formalities when you place your order
or:
- a doctor to carry out the post-mortem examination and issue a death certificate,
- to the competent lower health authority (public health officer) for carrying out a (second) special official post-mortem examination due to cremation,
- for issuing the death certificate to the responsible registry office,
- for the burial, the use of the municipal cemetery, possibly the mortuary and the design of the grave to the cemetery administration of the place where the burial is to take place,
- for the transfer from the place of death/cremation to the cemetery/crematorium to a mortician.

Local cemetery administrations

• Cremation can only take place if the responsible crematorium has the necessary documents. This includes a declaration of intent from the deceased. This can be submitted before death or it can be taken over later by a so-called "person authorized to care for the dead" (usually a relative or friend). This ensures that cremation is in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.
• If no heir can be identified, the following persons are responsible for the funeral in the order listed, provided they have full legal capacity:

• The spouse/life partner,
• the children,
• the parents,
• the other legal guardian,
• the siblings,
• the grandparents,
• the grandchildren

• In addition, both a death certificate and a death certificate must be available.

Please contact the responsible cemetery or your funeral home to find out which documents and proof are required.

As a rule, these are

• Application for cremation with the required information
• Death certificate
• Death certificate (confidential part)
• Certificate of the special official post-mortem examination
• Burial permit for the place of burial
• Power of attorney
• Identity card
• Birth or marriage certificate of the deceased person
• Declaration of assumption of costs
• if available, the last will of the deceased person
• if applicable, a declaration of acceptance of the right to use the grave site
• confirmation of the choice of burial site, if applicable
• if applicable, burial release from the public prosecutor's office

The fees can be found in the respective fee statutes/fee regulations of the place of burial.

Cremation must always take place within ten days of death. In principle, it may not take place earlier than 48 hours after the death. For certain reasons, the regulatory authority may approve exceptions to the time limits.

• Burial Act Rhineland-Palatinate (BestG)
• State Ordinance on the Implementation of the Burial Act (BestattGDV RP)

First contact a funeral home. They will take care of the formalities and, at your request, plan the cremation and its procedure. Discuss with the funeral director which tasks you would like to carry out yourself and which you would like the funeral director to do.

You can request the following services from the funeral director:

• Organization of the crematorium,
• Transportation of the deceased,
• Formalities, especially obtaining the death certificate and arranging appointments,
• Advice on the choice of coffin and urn, headstone,
• Hygienic care, dressing and embedding of the deceased,
• laying out,
• Organization of the funeral service.

29.01.2025

The service description does not constitute legal advice. Legal advice or legal information is reserved for members of the legal professions, among others.