Report a death
Has somebody died? The funeral director will report the death in the municipality where the person died. Family members are also allowed to make the report.
The municipality will draw up 2 documents and will give these to the person who reports the death:
- 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 person who died indicate that he or she wanted to donate the body to medical 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 is allowed to report the death. Usually this is the funeral director or undertaker. This person can make the report online with eHerkenning.
Are you a family member and do you want to report the death yourself? Then you can Begin link: make an appointment, end link. to do this.
You will need the following documents:
- A-form, this is the doctor’s statement
- B-envelope with the form from the doctor on the cause of death
- a valid form of identification (passport, identity card or driving licence) for the person who is reporting the death and for the person who died
- if applicable, the marriage booklet
- if the funeral or cremation needs to be postponed: Begin link: a permit, end link.
If the person died from a natural cause of death:
- certificate of death by natural causes (by a forensic expert)
If the person died from an unnatural cause of 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 donate his body to medical 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 person who died
- the date of death is not certain (discovery of corpse): an official police report
Report by funeral directors
Apply for Begin link: eHerkenning, end link. . You need eHerkenning with assurance level 3 (EH3) or higher.
- Log into eHerkenning using your user name and password. You can then make the report online. Fill in the ‘Kennisgeving Overlijden’ (‘notification of death’) form.
- You may submit a maximum of 5 death notifications at the same time for each form. You can of course always complete and send in multiple forms.
- You will pay the fees when you make the report online.
- You will get a confirmation of your report by email.
- You can send the original documents each week to:
Gemeente Den Haag
Unit Beheer & Verstrekkingen
Postbus 12620
2500 DL Den Haag - 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 other documents by post.
Make the report online (for funeral directors)
Login with eHerkenning.
Report by family members
Would you prefer to make the report yourself? Make an appointment.
- Copy of the death certificate
- € 17.10
- Authorisation for burial, cremation or dissection
- free
- Authorisation to hold the funeral earlier or later
- € 104
- Laissez-passer
- € 12.20
You report a death in the municipality where the person died. If the person who died was not registered in The Hague, the municipality will forward the information to the municipality where this person was living. The municipality where this person was living will record the death in the civil registry and the Personal Records Database (BRP).
Read more about this on the page Begin link: Report and register a stillborn child, end link. .
You can find more information on the page Begin link: Register foreign documents in the BRP., end link.
Was the person who died registered in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI)? Then you can report the death to the Begin external link: National Office for Identity Data (RvIG)(External link), end external link..
You need to have permission to do this from the municipality. Read more on the page Begin link: Laissez-passer to transport a deceased person abroad, end link. .
Also see: Overlijden: wat moet ik regelen (rijksoverheid.nl)