Issuing a death certificate

It is – usually by the person responsible – immediately, i.e. without culpable hesitation, to notify a doctor who carries out the above (post-mortem examination and issuing of the death certificate). If there are indications of a non-natural death, the doctor must immediately notify the police.

Please contact a doctor or an undertaker who calls a doctor or the police.

• Death of a human being.
• Immediate notification of a doctor by the person responsible (heir / relatives) or in the event of death in a company, home, school, hospital, etc. by the director or holder of the establishment.
• Death, time, type and cause of death are determined by a doctor (post-mortem).
• Issuing the death certificate by the doctor and handing it over to the person responsible. If an internal post-mortem has been carried out, an autopsy certificate will also be issued.
• In case of non-natural death, the police will be notified.

On the basis of the Rhineland-Palatinate Funeral Act (BestG), the State Ordinance for the Implementation of the Funeral Act provides for binding models/forms according to which the death certificate, which is divided into a confidential and a non-confidential part, and the provisional death certificate are to be issued.

The amount of the costs for the death certificate is based on the scale of fees for doctors (GOÄ).

The doctor who carries out the post-mortem examination and issues the death certificate must be notified immediately.

In the event of non-natural death, the doctor immediately informs the police or anyone who finds a dead person or is present at the time of death immediately informs the police.

• Appendix Schedule of Fees for Medical Services of the Scale of Fees for Doctors (GOÄ)
• Funeral Act (BestG)
• State Ordinance for the Implementation of the Funeral Act Rhineland-Palatinate (BestattGDV RP)

The death certificate must be submitted to the competent registry office. The non-confidential part of the death certificate usually remains with the local regulatory authority of the place of burial.

Anyone who, intentionally or negligently, does not immediately arrange for the post-mortem examination is acting in an irregular manner. The administrative offence is punishable by a fine.

• If applicable, doctors of the health authority within the framework of the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Humans (Infection Protection Act - IfSG)

01.10.2021

The service description serves as an initial overview of the legal situation in Rhineland-Palatinate and cannot replace any legal advice required in individual cases. According to the Act on Extrajudicial Legal Services, legal advice or legal advice is reserved, inter alia, to members of the legal profession.