What to Do When a Citizen of Turkey Dies in Austria: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Post-Mortem Examination (*Totenbeschau*) and Notification of Death in Austria

   Before any transfer or burial can take place in Austria, an official medical post-mortem examination (Totenbeschau) must by law be carried out by an authorized physician and the official notification of death (Anzeige des Todes, including the medical death certificate) must be issued [1]:

   • Death in a hospital or care home: The medical management of the Austrian hospital arranges the Totenbeschau directly within the facility and transmits the Anzeige des Todes to the civil registry office (Standesamt) [1]. Have the deceased person's Turkish passport, national identity card (T.C. Kimlik Kartı or Mavi Kart), and any Austrian residence permit ready [1][3].
   • Death at home, in accommodation, or in a public place: Immediately notify the ambulance service on emergency number 144 (or the European emergency number 112) as well as the local municipality or city magistrate (Gemeinde / Magistrat) [1]. Depending on the Austrian federal state (Bundesland), the district or municipal physician (Sprengel- or Gemeindearzt) - or in Vienna, Municipal Department 15 - Public Health Services of the City of Vienna (MA 15) - performs the Totenbeschau and releases the body for collection by a funeral director [1].
   • Unnatural or unclear cause of death: In the event of an accident, sudden unexpected death, or indications of third-party involvement, the Austrian Police (emergency number 133) must be called in immediately [1]. In such cases, the body may neither be transferred nor buried until the police and public health investigations - or a judicial autopsy ordered by the public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft) - have been completed [1][3].
2. 2

   Checking Insurance and Funeral Mutual Aid Funds, Appointing Funeral Directors, and Contacting the Turkish Consulate

   Before commissioning a funeral provider independently, check whether insurance or mutual aid coverage is already in place for the deceased person [2][3]:

   • Funeral mutual aid fund (Cenaze Fonu) or travel insurance: If the deceased person held international travel health or repatriation insurance, or membership in a Turkish funeral mutual aid association (Cenaze Fonu or support foundation such as ATİB, DİTİB, or IGMG UKBA as publicly known orientation examples), contact their 24-hour emergency helpline first; these organizations directly appoint their contracted funeral provider and manage the repatriation to Turkey or local burial.
   • Licensed funeral director in Austria and receiving services in Turkey: If no such coverage applies, appoint a licensed funeral director in Austria (konzessioniertes Bestattungsunternehmen) listed through the statutory professional body (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich - Bundesinnung der Rauchfangkehrer und Bestatter, within the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber WKO Fachverband der persönlichen Dienstleister / Bestatter) [2]. In Turkey, the Austrian funeral director or international funeral transport company (uluslararası cenaze nakil firması) coordinates collection at the destination airport as well as the municipal funeral services of the relevant city administration (belediye cenaze hizmetleri, reachable nationwide via ALO 188, for example in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, or Antalya) [3][4]. Clarvia provides these directories solely for orientation and does not recommend, endorse, or rank individual commercial providers.
   • Contacting the Embassy or Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Austria: For consular death registration and the mortuary transit permit, the funeral director or family members contact the Turkish diplomatic or consular mission in Austria responsible for the place of death (Consulates General in Vienna, Salzburg, or Bregenz, or the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Vienna), operating under the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı, 24-hour Consular Call Center Konsolosluk Çağrı Merkezi at +90 312 292 29 29) [3].
3. 3

   Registration at the Austrian Civil Registry (*Standesamt* / ZPR / CIEC Form C) and Registration for Turkey

   • Civil Registry Office of the place of death in Austria (Zentrales Personenstandsregister - ZPR): The death is reported on the next working day to the Standesamt (Personenstandsbehörde) (Civil Registry Office) of the place of death in Austria (e.g., in Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, or Bregenz) and recorded in the Central Civil Status Register (ZPR), as detailed on the official Austrian government portal (oesterreich.gv.at) [1]. In practice, the appointed Austrian funeral director submits the medical Anzeige des Todes, the passport or identity card (T.C. Kimlik Kartı), and birth and, where applicable, marriage certificates [1][3].
   • Multilingual CIEC Form C (1976 Vienna Convention): Alongside the standard Austrian death certificate (Sterbeurkunde), explicitly request several multilingual extracts from the death register on Form C (CIEC-Formblatt C / Çok Dilli Ölüm Belgesi - Formül C) under the 1976 Vienna CIEC Convention from the Austrian Standesamt [1][4]. Because both Austria and Turkey are contracting states to this Convention, the multilingual Form C is recognized directly by Turkish consulates, civil registries, courts, and social security institutions without an Apostille and without additional translation [3][4].
   • Civil status registration in Turkey (MERNİS / ÖBS): To record the death in the Turkish civil registry maintained by the central Directorate General of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü, telephone Alo 199 or +90 312 591 21 00 from abroad), the death is either reported through the competent Turkish Consulate General in Austria or registered in Turkey within 10 days at the District Civil Registry Directorate (İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü, complementing electronic registration in the ÖBS reporting system) upon presentation of Form C [3][4].
4. 4

   Choosing Between International Repatriation to Turkey and Local Burial in Austria

   • Coffin repatriation from Austria to Turkey (österreichischer Leichenpass and Cenaze Nakil Belgesi): For cross-border transport, the competent Austrian district administrative authority (Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde - the Bezirkshauptmannschaft or, in statutory cities such as Vienna, Graz, or Salzburg, the Magistrat) issues an Austrian mortuary passport (österreichischer Leichenpass) upon application by the funeral director [1][5]. This requires a medical certificate of freedom from contagious disease, an embalming certificate (tahnit raporu), and placement in a hermetically soldered zinc coffin (lehimli çinko tabut) inside a transport coffin [3][5]. Using these documents, the funeral director obtains the consular mortuary transit permit (Cenaze Nakil Belgesi / Laissez-Passer) from the Turkish Consulate General in Austria [3]. General consular guidance is also published by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten - BMEIA, Citizens' Service +43 1 90115 3775, 24-hour emergency line +43 1 90115 4411) [5][6]. Upon arrival at the destination airport in Turkey, the Turkish Directorate General of Health for Borders and Coasts (Türkiye Hudut ve Sahiller Sağlık Genel Müdürlüğü - THSSGM) inspects the accompanying documents for import clearance, while the municipal cemetery or health authority (belediye / sağlık müdürlüğü, ALO 188) issues the domestic road transport permit (Yol İzin Belgesi) to the burial location [3][7].
   • Cremation and urn transport: If cremation takes place in Austria and the urn is transported, the death certificate (Form C), the cremation certificate, and the transport documents must accompany the urn [1][5].
   • Local burial in Austria: If the family wishes to arrange burial in Austria, the Austrian funeral director organizes the interment in accordance with the funeral law of the relevant Austrian federal state (many municipal cemeteries in Austria, such as in Vienna, Graz, Linz, or Salzburg, maintain dedicated Islamic burial sections) [1][2].
5. 5

   Survivor Pensions, Funeral Grants, Taxes, and Estate Administration in Turkey and Austria

   With the Austrian death certificate and the multilingual CIEC Form C, you can initiate social security, tax, and inheritance procedures in both countries:

   • Benefits and estate administration in Turkey:
     • SGK funeral grant and survivor pension: If the deceased person held social security coverage or received a pension in Turkey (including under the bilateral Austro-Turkish Social Security Agreement), eligible beneficiaries can claim the lump-sum funeral grant (cenaze ödeneği) and survivor pension (ölüm aylığı / dul-yetim aylığı) from the Turkish Social Security Institution (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu - SGK, information line ALO 170); applications can also be submitted online via the official Turkish e-Government portal (e-Devlet Kapısı) [8][9].
     • Certificate of Inheritance (Mirasçılık Belgesi) and inheritance tax return (4 months): For bank accounts and real estate (Tapu) in Turkey, heirs require a Turkish Certificate of Inheritance (Mirasçılık Belgesi / Veraset İlamı), requested from a Turkish Civil Court of Peace (Sulh Hukuk Mahkemesi) or - where no foreign element or will requires court jurisdiction - from a Turkish notary office via the Union of Notaries of Turkey (Türkiye Noterler Birliği, telephone +90 312 218 80 00) (the deadline to renounce an inheritance in Turkey, reddi miras, is 3 months) [10]. For assets in Turkey, an Inheritance and Transfer Tax return (Veraset ve İntikal Vergisi beyannamesi) must be filed with the competent Tax Office (Vergi Dairesi) of the Turkish Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı, helpline ALO 189) (standard deadline 4 months; for a death occurring abroad such as in Austria, statutory deadlines of 4, 6, or 8 months apply under Law No. 7338 depending on the heirs' place of residence) [11].
   • Benefits and automatic probate proceedings (Verlassenschaftsverfahren) in Austria:
     • Austrian survivor pensions (PVA / ÖGK): If the deceased person held health or pension insurance in Austria (e.g., with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund - ÖGK), survivors should check entitlement to widow, widower, or orphan pensions or lump-sum payments with the Austrian Pension Insurance Institution (Pensionsversicherungsanstalt - PVA, telephone +43 50303; if claimed within 6 months of the date of death, the pension is awarded retroactively from the day after death) [12].
     • Automatic probate procedure (Verlassenschaftsverfahren) through the court commissioner: The Austrian Standesamt automatically forwards every death certificate to the competent Austrian district court (Bezirksgericht), which initiates probate proceedings (Verlassenschaftsverfahren) ex officio and appoints a competent notary as court commissioner (Gerichtskommissär, organized under the Österreichische Notariatskammer, the Austrian Chamber of Civil-Law Notaries) to record the death (Todesfallaufnahme) and administer the estate [1][13].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Death in Austria - Notification of Death, Post-Mortem Examination (Totenbeschau), Standesamt (ZPR), and Death Certificate — oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt Österreich)
2. [2]
   Federal Guild of Chimney Sweeps and Funeral Directors (Association of Personal Service Providers) — Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (WKO)
3. [3]
   Funeral Repatriation Procedures (Consular Repatriation of Remains to Turkey) — T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı
4. [4]
   Death Procedures and Multilingual Death Certificate (Form C) — T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü (NVİ)
5. [5]
   Death and Repatriation - Legal and Consular Information — oesterreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA)
6. [6]
   Citizens' Service and Consular Emergency Helpline of the BMEIA — oesterreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA)
7. [7]
   Directive on Funeral Procedures for Remains Brought from Abroad (Border Health Inspection of Remains) — T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı Türkiye Hudut ve Sahiller Sağlık Genel Müdürlüğü (THSSGM)
8. [8]
   Funeral Grant (Cenaze Ödeneği) and Survivor Pension (Ölüm Aylığı / Widow-Orphan Pension) — Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (SGK)
9. [9]
   Submission of Income, Pension, and Allowance Claim Form (Death Grant and Widow/Orphan Pension) — e-Devlet Kapısı (turkiye.gov.tr)
10. [10]
    Procedures for Issuing Certificates of Inheritance (Mirasçılık Belgesi / Veraset İlamı) — Türkiye Noterler Birliği (TNB)
11. [11]
    Inheritance and Transfer Tax Law No. 7338 and Filing Deadlines — Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı (GİB)
12. [12]
    Survivor Pensions - Widow, Widower, and Orphan Pensions — Pensionsversicherungsanstalt (PVA)
13. [13]
    Probate Procedure (Verlassenschaftsverfahren) - Process, Death Record by the Court Commissioner, and Estate Transfer — oesterreich.gv.at (Bundesministerium für Justiz)