What to Do When Someone Dies in Armenia: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or clinical deaths: When a death occurs in a licensed medical facility overseen by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia, the attending physician or hospital pathology unit records the death in the national electronic health system (ArMed) and issues an official Medical Certificate of Death [1] [2].
   • Deaths at home (natural causes): If your family member dies at home from a documented natural illness, immediately contact the emergency medical service (1-03) and the local territorial polyclinic where the deceased was registered under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia so a physician can confirm the death and issue the electronic and paper Medical Certificate of Death [1] [2].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: When a death occurs suddenly, outside medical supervision, or under unclear circumstances, the Police of the Republic of Armenia must be notified to inspect the scene and refer the body to the Scientific-Practical Center of Forensic Medicine for a mandatory forensic autopsy before a forensic medical death certificate is issued [1] [2].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Civil Status Registry

   • Competent civil registry authority: State registration of death is carried out by the Civil Status Acts Registration Agency operating under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, through unified public service offices (Hartak service centers), regional civil registry offices, or online via the electronic government portal [1] [3].
   • Statutory filing procedure and required documents: Under the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Acts of Civil Status (published on the Armenian Legal Information System), an application for state registration of death should be submitted promptly after the medical certificate is issued by presenting the Medical Certificate of Death, the deceased person's passport or identification card (which is retained for cancellation), and the applicant's identification document [1, 3, 4].
   • Official State Death Certificate: State registration of death and issuance of the official Death Certificate (delivered electronically with a verifiable QR code and in printed form) are free of state duty [1] [3].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial arrangements: Once the Civil Status Acts Registration Agency under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia issues the official State Death Certificate, the family or a licensed municipal funeral service provider uses that certificate to secure a cemetery plot permit and schedule interment [1] [3].
   • International repatriation of human remains: If your family member was a foreign citizen or if the remains must be repatriated abroad, a licensed international funeral director must obtain the official State Death Certificate, a sanitary-epidemiological and embalming certificate confirming that the remains have been hermetically sealed in a zinc-lined coffin, customs clearance, and consular transit authorization in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the destination country's embassy [1] [5].
   • Apostille and consular legalization: Because Armenia is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, official civil status certificates issued under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia can receive an electronic Apostille (e-Apostille) for use in other Apostille member states, or consular legalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia for non-member states [3] [5].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Pension, Tax, and Banking Authorities

   • Lump-sum funeral benefit and survivor pensions: Notify the Unified Social Service under the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to terminate the deceased person's ongoing pension and claim the statutory one-time funeral grant (Thaghman npast) if the deceased was a state pensioner or insured worker [6] [7]. Eligible dependents - such as minor children, full-time students up to age 23, or qualifying surviving spouses and parents - may also apply through any territorial center of the Unified Social Service for a survivor labor pension or social benefit for the loss of a breadwinner [6] [7].
   • Mandatory funded pension inheritance: Under the Law on Funded Pensions available on the Armenian Legal Information System, accumulated mandatory pension fund units held in the deceased person's individual pension account at the Central Depository of Armenia are inheritable and may be claimed once the notarial inheritance certificate is issued [4] [6].
   • Banks, tax authorities, and identity records: Civil registration automatically updates the State Register of Population, but families should present the State Death Certificate directly to commercial banks in Armenia to freeze individual accounts and obtain balance statements as of the date of death [1] [3].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and Notarial Succession

   • Strict 6-month statutory deadline to accept inheritance: Under the Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia (accessible via the Armenian Legal Information System), heirs by will or by law must formally accept the inheritance within 6 months from the date of death by filing a written declaration with a licensed notary operating under the oversight of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia [3] [4].
   • Certificate of Right to Inheritance: After verifying the death certificate, kinship records, will searches, and asset certificates (including real estate extracts from the Cadastre Committee), the notary issues the official Certificate of Right to Inheritance (Zharangutyan iravunki vkayakan) once the 6-month period closes [3] [4]. Armenia does not levy a separate inheritance or estate tax on inherited property, though standard notarial tariffs and Cadastre state registration fees apply [4].
   • Cross-border heirs and foreign powers of attorney: If an heir lives outside Armenia, they can execute a notarized Power of Attorney before the6-month deadline expires - either at an Armenian embassy or consulate under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, or before a foreign notary with an Apostille and certified Armenian translation - authorizing a local representative in Armenia to accept the inheritance and register inherited property on their behalf [3, 4, 5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   State Registration of Death - National Services Gateway (Hartak) — Government of the Republic of Armenia
2. [2]
   Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia - Official Portal — Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia
3. [3]
   Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia - Civil Status Acts and Notary Services — Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia
4. [4]
   Armenian Legal Information System (ARLIS) - Civil Code and Acts of Civil Status — Armenian Legal Information System
5. [5]
   Consular Civil Status Registration and Legalization Services — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
6. [6]
   Receiving a Pension and Survivor Benefits - Hartak Life Events Guide — Government of the Republic of Armenia
7. [7]
   Unified Social Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs — Unified Social Service