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

1. 1

   Medical certification of death and forensic clearance

   • Death in a hospital facility: When a death occurs in a public referral hospital, such as the El-Maarouf National University Hospital Center (Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire El-Maarouf) in Moroni, or a regional hospital in Mutsamudu or Fomboni, the attending physician examines the deceased and immediately issues the official medical certificate of death [1][5]. This medical certificate confirms the identity of the deceased, the date and hour of death, and whether death resulted from natural causes [1][5].
   • Death occurring at home: If your family member dies at home in a Comorian municipality, the family must call a licensed physician from the district health center or the El-Maarouf National University Hospital Center to examine the body and issue the medical certificate required for civil registration [1][5]. Where no physician is available in a remote locality, the civil registrar verifies the death in accordance with Law No. 84-10 of 15 May 1984 on Civil Status [1].
   • Forensic and judicial intervention: If there are signs or suspicions of violent, accidental, or unexplained death, the judicial police officer and the Public Prosecutor at the competent Court of First Instance (Tribunal de Première Instance) under the Ministry of Justice (Ministère de la Justice) must be notified immediately [1]. No burial permit or civil death record may be issued until the official inquiry report and the prosecutor's explicit authorization are completed [1].
2. 2

   Civil death registration and statutory deadlines

   • Competent civil registry and declarants: Under Law No. 84-10 of 15 May 1984 on Civil Status published by the Ministry of Justice, the declaration of death is made before the civil registrar (officier de l'état civil) of the town hall or municipal civil registration center where the death occurred [1]. The declaration is made by a relative of the deceased or by any person possessing the most accurate and complete information regarding the deceased's civil status [1].
   • Statutory time limits and supporting documents: The death declaration must be completed within the statutory period prescribed by Law No. 84-10 upon presentation of the medical death certificate, the deceased person's birth certificate or national identity card, the family record book (livret de famille), and the declarant's identity document [1].
   • Late declaration and court judgment: If the death is not declared within the statutory deadline at the town hall, the civil registrar cannot record the death in the civil registers without a court order [1]. The family must petition the Court of First Instance supervised by the Ministry of Justice to obtain a declaratory judgment of death (jugement déclaratif de décès) [1]. Request several certified copies of the official death certificate upon registration [1].
3. 3

   Funeral arrangements, burial permits, and repatriation

   • Municipal burial permit: Under Comorian civil status and sanitary regulations, no burial may take place without prior issuance of an official burial permit (permis d'inhumer) by the municipal civil registrar of the place of death, issued upon presentation of the medical certificate confirming the absence of any medico-legal impediment [1][5].
   • Funeral and cemetery procedures: In compliance with hospital hygiene standards and local practices supervised by municipal authorities and the El-Maarouf National University Hospital Center, mortuary preparation and burial take place in authorized municipal or family cemeteries [1][5].
   • Inter-island transport or international repatriation: When transferring remains between islands of the archipelago or repatriating the deceased internationally (to or from the Comoros), the family must obtain a mortuary transit permit (laissez-passer mortuaire), a medical certificate of non-contagion from the health authorities, an official sealing certificate in a hermetically sealed coffin, and the corresponding consular authorization [1][5].
4. 4

   Social security, survivor pensions, banks, and insurance

   • Survivor benefits and social security: If the deceased was a salaried worker registered with the national social security scheme, surviving dependents must report the death to the National Solidarity and Social Insurance Fund (Caisse Nationale de Solidarité et de Prévoyance Sociale - CNSPS) in Moroni to claim survivor benefits or death grants [3]. The claim filed with the National Solidarity and Social Insurance Fund requires the official death certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificates of dependent children, and the certificate of heirship [2][3].
   • Public-sector pensions and banking notifications: For civil servants, survivor pension applications are processed through the Comoros Retirement Fund (Caisse des Retraites des Comores) [3]. At the same time, submit certified copies of the death certificate to commercial banks, microfinance institutions, and insurers to freeze individual accounts held by the deceased and claim any death benefits [3][4].
5. 5

   Opening and settling the estate (succession)

   • Family Code framework and jurisdiction: In the Union of the Comoros, estate succession is governed by Law No. 05-012/AU of 3 June 2005 enacting the Family Code (Code de la famille) and applicable succession rules overseen by the competent civil court or Cadi court [2]. Engaging a notary registered with the National Chamber of Notaries of the Comoros (Chambre Nationale des Notaires des Comores) ensures authentic deeds for estate administration and partition [2][4].
   • Certificate of heirship and estate inventory: Heirs must obtain an official certificate of heirship (acte d'hérédité) establishing each beneficiary's legal status and share, prepare an inventory of movable and immovable property, and verify whether any will or bequest exists within the disposable portion (quotité disponible) permitted by the Family Code [2][4].
   • Property registration and diaspora coordination: Estate partition deeds and real estate transfers must be registered with the tax authorities and land registry with the assistance of the National Chamber of Notaries of the Comoros [4]. Where an heir resides abroad (such as in France or elsewhere in the Indian Ocean) or assets are located outside the archipelago, a legalized notarial power of attorney allows local representation in Moroni without immediate travel [2][4].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Law No. 84-10 of 15 May 1984 on Civil Status in the Union of the Comoros — Ministère de la Justice de l'Union des Comores
2. [2]
   Law No. 05-012/AU of 3 June 2005 Enacting the Family Code — Ministère de la Justice de l'Union des Comores
3. [3]
   National Solidarity and Social Insurance Fund (CNSPS) - Contact Details and Procedures — Portail officiel eRegulations Comores
4. [4]
   Areas of Expertise - Family Law, Authentic Deeds, and Successions — Chambre Nationale des Notaires des Comores
5. [5]
   Official Portal of the El-Maarouf National University Hospital Center in Moroni — CHU El-Maarouf (Union des Comores)