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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital deaths: When a death occurs in a public facility managed by Government Hospitals (such as Salmaniya Medical Complex) or in a licensed private hospital in Bahrain, the attending physician confirms the death and electronically transmits the Medical Notification of Death to the civil registration system while issuing the family a medical death notice and burial permit [1][5]. You must present the deceased's original Bahraini Identity Card (CPR / Smart Card) and passport [1].
   • Deaths at home or outside a medical facility: If your family member died at home or outside a hospital, call the National Ambulance Service (999) or notify the local police directorate immediately [1]. Do not move the body prior to official examination. The attending emergency doctor or public security physician will inspect the deceased and transfer the body to the Salmaniya Medical Complex mortuary if further verification is needed [1][5].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: If the death was sudden, unattended, or unnatural, the police refer the case to the Public Prosecution and the Forensic Medicine Directorate for investigation [1][6]. The medical death notification and burial clearance are released only once the Public Prosecution issues formal authorization [1][6].
2. 2

   Register the Death and Obtain Official Death Certificates

   • Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA): Civil death registration in Bahrain is administered by the Births and Deaths Registration Unit of the Information & eGovernment Authority under Law No. 7 of 2019 on the Registration of Births and Deaths [1].
   • Statutory deadlines and online application: Deaths occurring inside Bahrain must be reported within 72 hours. Once the hospital or forensic authority uploads the electronic death notification, a first- or second-degree relative (or an authorized legal representative) can apply online via the National Portal (bahrain.bh) or the Information & eGovernment Authority Birth and Death Services portal to request official Death Certificates in Arabic and English [1][7].
   • Required documents and CPR deactivation: To complete registration and obtain certificates, submit the deceased's original Bahraini Identity Card (CPR) and passport (for expatriates, residency cancellation is coordinated with the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs authority) [1]. Registration automatically updates the central population registry and deactivates the deceased's CPR card [1].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial in Bahrain: Using the medical burial permit issued by the hospital or forensic authority, coordinate interment with the relevant cemetery committee. Muslim burials are coordinated through the Sunni or Jaafari Waqf (Endowments) Directorates and local cemetery committees, while Christian and other non-Muslim burials take place at designated cemeteries licensed by the municipality [1][3].
   • Cremation for eligible non-Muslim residents: Cremation facilities exist in Bahrain for non-Muslim foreign nationals whose faith practices cremation; this requires the Medical Notification of Death, a No Objection Certificate from the deceased's embassy, police clearance, and municipal authorization [1].
   • International repatriation of remains: To transport human remains abroad, obtain a mortuary embalming certificate and coffin-sealing certificate from Salmaniya Medical Complex (Government Hospitals), infectious-disease clearance from public health authorities, a consular No Objection Certificate from the deceased's embassy, and customs/airway clearance through Bahrain International Airport [1][5].
   • Apostille and consular legalization: The Kingdom of Bahrain is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. If a Bahraini Death Certificate or court order must be used in another Apostille convention country, obtain an official Apostille stamp from the Consular Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the National Portal (bahrain.bh) [4][7]. For countries outside the Apostille convention, full consular legalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the destination country's embassy is required [4].
4. 4

   Notify Social Insurance, Pensions, Banks, and Public Authorities

   • Social Insurance Organization (SIO): If the deceased was a Bahraini national or insured employee/retiree covered under the Public Sector (Civil Service) or Private Sector social insurance schemes, notify the Social Insurance Organization immediately [2]. Eligible family members can apply via the SIO Individual eServices portal (using eKey authentication) for the statutory lump-sum Death Grant (Minhat al-Wafat), funeral expenses allowance, and monthly Survivor Pensions distributed to qualifying widows, children, parents, or dependent siblings [2][7].
   • Bank account freezing and Central Bank rules: Commercial banks in Bahrain freeze sole bank accounts, debit/credit cards, and safe-deposit boxes as soon as a death is reported or circulated via judicial channels. Funds are released only upon presentation of the Official Death Certificate, the Sharia Determination of Heirs (Fariza Shar'iya), and court or heir distribution instructions [1][3].
   • Social welfare, utilities, and telecoms: Notify the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), telecommunications providers, and (where the deceased received social assistance or disability support) the Ministry of Social Development so household records and support benefits can be updated or transferred to surviving dependents [7].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Succession, and Probate (Fariza Shar'iya)

   • Determination of Heirs (Fariza Shar'iya): Estate administration in Bahrain is overseen by the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf via the National Portal (bahrain.bh) [3][7]. An heir or legal agent holding a notarized Power of Attorney files an electronic application before the Sharia Court (Sunni or Jaafari department, as applicable) with the Death Certificate, CPR cards of the deceased and all heirs, and two adult male witnesses to obtain the official Sharia Inheritance Certificate (Wathiqat al-Fariza al-Shar'iya), which establishes the legal heirs and their exact fractional shares [3][6].
   • Minors' Estate Directorate (Wilayat al-Amwal): If any surviving heir is a minor or person under legal incapacity, the Directorate of Minors' Funds (Idarat Amwal al-Qasirin) within the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf supervises the inventory and protection of the minor's inheritance share [3].
   • Taxation and asset transfers: Bahrain levies no inheritance tax, estate duty, or personal income tax. Once the Fariza Shar'iya is issued, heirs can settle estate debts, collect end-of-service indemnities, and register real estate title transfers with the Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) [3][7].
   • Non-Muslim and cross-border estates: For non-Muslim foreign nationals owning assets in Bahrain, Bahraini civil and conflict-of-laws rules permit the application of the law of the deceased's nationality or a registered will, subject to Arabic translation and Apostille or consular authentication through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [3][4].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Birth and Death Registration Services — Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) - Kingdom of Bahrain
2. [2]
   Individual Services - Pensions, Death Grants and Survivor Benefits — Social Insurance Organization (SIO) - Kingdom of Bahrain
3. [3]
   Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf - Official Portal — Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf
4. [4]
   Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Consular and Legalization Services — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain
5. [5]
   Government Hospitals - Kingdom of Bahrain (Salmaniya Medical Complex) — Government Hospitals - Kingdom of Bahrain
6. [6]
   Request to Submit a Power of Attorney and Judicial Representation — Public Prosecution - Kingdom of Bahrain
7. [7]
   Kingdom of Bahrain National Portal (bahrain.bh) - eGovernment Services — Information & eGovernment Authority