Register a death
When a person dies, you report their death to the municipality in which it occurred. The municipality will register the death of this person in the civil registry and the Personal Records Database (BRP). If the deceased person was not a resident of The Hague, the information will be forwarded to the municipality where he or she was living.
The municipality will draw up 2 documents and will give these to you:
- a document in which it gives permission for the funeral: either the ‘verlof tot begraven’ (‘authorisation for burial’) or the ‘verlof tot cremeren’ (‘authorisation for cremation’). Did the deceased indicate that he or she wanted to donate his body to science? Then you will get a document with the ‘verlof tot ontleding’ (authorisation for dissection’).
- a copy of the death certificate
Anybody who has learned of the death may report the death. Usually this is the next of kin or the undertaker. Next of kin can report the death by email. Send the report including the attachments to: Begin link: overlijdensloket@denhaag.nl, end link. .
Undertakers can report a death by logging in with Begin link: eHerkenning, end link. . Undertakers can also use the email address if they do not yet have eHerkenning.
- A-form, this is the doctor’s statement on the cause of death
- B-envelope with the doctor’s statement on the cause of death
- a valid form of identification (passport, identity card or driving licence) for the person who is registering the death and for the deceased person
- if applicable, the marriage booklet
- if the funeral or cremation needs to be postponed, Begin link: a permit, end link.
If the person died a natural death:
- certificate of death by natural causes (by a forensic expert)
If the person died an unnatural death:
- certificate of death by unnatural causes (by a forensic expert)
- statement of no objection to the funeral or cremation (by the Public Prosecutor)
Extra documents are required if:
- someone wants to be buried or cremated outside of the Netherlands: a casket declaration with a medical statement
- someone wants to be buried or cremated within 36 hours or after 6 working days: a request with a statement of no objection from the GGD, within 36 hours together with a statement by the Public Prosecutor
- someone wants to give his body to science: a testament
- when the deceased is not registered in the Netherlands or the citizen service number (BSN) is not known: a valid form of identification for the deceased
- the date of death is not known (discovery of the body): an official police report
To report a death online the municipality needs the original doctor’s statement and any other original documents. You can send them by post. You pay the fees when you make the report online. You will receive the authorisation, the copy of the death certificate and any other documents by email the same (or the next) working day. You will receive the original documents by post.
Step 1:
Apply for Begin link: eHerkenning, end link. . You need eHerkenning with assurance level 3 (EH3) or higher.
Step 2:
- You can use your user name and password for eHerkenning to report a death. Use the ‘Kennisgeving Overlijden’ (‘notification of death’) form.
- You may submit a maximum of 5 death notifications per form. You may of course complete and send multiple forms.
- You will receive an email confirmation of your notification.
- You send the original documents on a weekly basis to:
Gemeente Den Haag
Unit Beheer & Verstrekkingen
Postbus 12620
2500 DL Den Haag
- Copy of the death certificate: € 17.10
- Authorisation for burial, cremation or dissection: free
- Authorisation to expedite or postpone funeral: € 104
- Laissez-passer: € 12.20
- In exceptional cases the municipality will also draw up a death certificate, for example for a stillborn baby or for a child who died shortly after birth. Read more about this registration on the Begin external link: website of the Government of the Netherlands(External link), end external link. (in Dutch). You will then get a list of the things you need to arrange.
- Did somebody die abroad? You can find more information on the Begin external link: register foreign documents in the BRP(External link), end external link..
- Did a family member die abroad and was the deceased person registered in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI)? Then you can report the death to the National Office for Identity Data (RvIG). See the Begin external link: website of the Government of the Netherlands(External link), end external link..
- Would you like to have a deceased person transported abroad? Read more on the page Begin link: Laissez-passer to transport a deceased person abroad, end link. .
- Are you going to arrange affairs on behalf of the deceased person? For example, you will register the death, arrange the funeral or take care of the paperwork. You can find a personal checklist at Begin external link: www.rijksoverheid.nl/overlijden(External link), end external link. (in Dutch). Here you will see what you need to arrange and where you can do this.
- You can make a safe copy of your identity document with your mobile telephone or tablet using the KopieID app. Read more on the Begin external link: website of the Government of the Netherlands(External link), end external link..
Also see: What do I do with the passport of somebody who has died?