What to Do When Someone Dies in Antigua and Barbuda: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death

   • Hospital or inpatient death: When a death occurs at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (formerly Mount St. John's Medical Centre) or a private clinic in Antigua and Barbuda, the attending medical practitioner issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death required under the statutory framework published by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Public Safety and Labour of Antigua and Barbuda [1] [3].
   • Death at home from natural causes: If your family member died at home, notify the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and the deceased's attending physician or district medical officer immediately [1] [3]. Where the person was under recent medical care for a diagnosed natural illness, the physician examines the deceased and issues the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death [1] [3].
   • Unexpected, sudden, or unexplained death: Where a death occurs suddenly, by accident, or without recent medical attendance, the police report the case to the Coroner's Office for a post-mortem examination (autopsy) by a government pathologist before the Coroner issues the certificate and burial or release order [1] [3].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Civil Registry

   • Competent civil registry authority: Civil registration of deaths in Antigua and Barbuda is administered by the Civil Registry at the Registrar General's Department on High Street, St. John's, operating under the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics framework published by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Public Safety and Labour of Antigua and Barbuda [1] [2] [3]. For deaths occurring on Barbuda, initial reporting may also be coordinated through the local island administration [1] [2].
   • Statutory deadline and informant duties: Under the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act, a death occurring in Antigua and Barbuda must be reported promptly to the Registrar (statutorily within five days of the death or the Coroner's finding), either by a surviving relative, a person present at the death, or an authorized funeral director via the Civil Registry Information System [1] [2] [3].
   • Required documents and certified extracts: Submit the original Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (or Coroner's Certificate), the deceased's passport or national identification card, and the informant's valid photo identification to the Civil Registry under the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to obtain the burial permit and official certified copies of the death certificate [1] [2] [3].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial or cremation: Appoint a licensed funeral home in Antigua and Barbuda to transfer your family member's remains, obtain the Registrar's burial order (or Coroner's cremation clearance), and schedule interment at a public or parish cemetery [1] [3]. Clarvia does not endorse or rank commercial funeral directors.
   • International repatriation of remains or ashes: If your family member's remains or cremated ashes must be repatriated abroad, the licensed funeral director coordinates an embalming certificate, a public health certificate of non-infectious disease from the Chief Medical Officer under the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, a hermetically sealed zinc-lined casket (for uncremated remains), and customs export clearance through V.C. Bird International Airport [2] [3].
   • Apostille legalization for foreign use: Because Antigua and Barbuda is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, any official death certificate or probate document needed in another Convention country should be legalized with a Hague Apostille issued by the Registrar of the High Court under the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court [3] [6].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Pension, Tax, and Banking Institutions

   • Social Security Funeral Grant: Under the Social Security Act, the person who has paid or assumed responsibility for the funeral expenses of an eligible insured contributor or pensioner may claim the statutory Funeral Grant (a lump-sum payment of 2,500 XCD) from the Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board by submitting the Funeral Grant claim form, the official death certificate, and itemized funeral receipts [4].
   • Survivor's Pension or Grant: Eligible surviving spouses (widows or widowers), dependent children under age 16 (or up to age 18/21 if in full-time education), or dependent parents of a deceased insured person may apply to the Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board for a monthly Survivor's Pension or lump-sum Survivor's Grant [5]. Claims should be filed within three months of death to prevent loss of retroactive benefit payments [5].
   • Medical Benefits Scheme, banks, and Inland Revenue: Present certified copies of the death certificate to the Medical Benefits Scheme, the Inland Revenue Department, the Electoral Commission, and local commercial banks in Antigua and Barbuda to cancel identification cards, settle final tax obligations, and freeze sole bank accounts pending probate [2] [6].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and High Court Probate

   • Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration: Under the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Non-Contentious Probate and Administration of Estates) Rules 2017, an executor named in a valid will must apply to the Probate Registry of the High Court of Justice (Antigua and Barbuda Circuit of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) for a Grant of Probate, whereas if the deceased died intestate (without a will), the next of kin applies for Letters of Administration [6].
   • Filing requirements and newspaper notice: Through an attorney-at-law admitted in Antigua and Barbuda, file the application, the original will (if any), the official death certificate, an oath of the executor or administrator, a declaration of the value of the estate, and proof of publication of the statutory notice to creditors and claimants in the Official Gazette and a local newspaper as required by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court [6].
   • Stamp duty and cross-border estate resealing: Antigua and Barbuda does not levy an inheritance or estate tax, though statutory court filing fees and stamp duties apply when transferring real property or registering estate instruments [1] [6]. If a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration was already issued by a court in the United Kingdom or another Commonwealth jurisdiction, an application may be made to the High Court of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court to reseal the foreign grant in Antigua and Barbuda, or via a notarized, apostilled Power of Attorney if the executor resides abroad [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act, 2020 (No. 6 of 2020) — Ministry of Legal Affairs, Public Safety and Labour of Antigua and Barbuda
2. [2]
   Government of Antigua and Barbuda Official Services Portal — Government of Antigua and Barbuda
3. [3]
   Guidance: What to Do After Someone Dies in Antigua and Barbuda — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
4. [4]
   Funeral Grant Benefit Guidelines — Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board
5. [5]
   Survivor's Benefits Eligibility and Claim Procedures — Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board
6. [6]
   Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Non-Contentious Probate and Administration of Estates) Rules 2017 — Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court