What to Do When Someone Dies in Côte d'Ivoire: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical certification of death and issuance of the medical certificate

   • Death occurring in a hospital facility: When a death occurs in a University Hospital Centre (CHU), Regional Hospital Centre (CHR), general hospital, or private clinic in Côte d'Ivoire, the attending physician clinically certifies the death and issues the medical certificate of death [1] [2]. This official medical document is required for admitting the body to a hospital or funeral mortuary (such as IVOSEP) and for civil registration [1].
   • Death occurring at home: If your relative passes away at home, the family must contact a sworn physician or the competent local public health centre to obtain a medical certificate confirming natural death [1] [2]. In rural areas far from a medical facility, the certification may be recorded with the assistance of the local administrative or customary authority for submission to the sub-prefecture [1] [2].
   • Forensic or judicial intervention: In the event of a suspicious, violent, or accidental death, or a death occurring in a public place, relatives must immediately notify the police station or gendarmerie brigade as well as the public prosecutor's office at the competent Court of First Instance (Tribunal de première instance) [2] [5]. The body may not be moved or buried before a forensic examination is performed and a burial permit is issued by the Public Prosecutor [2] [5].
2. 2

   Civil registration of death and obtaining official death certificates

   • Competent civil registry office and fifteen-day statutory deadline: Under Law No. 2018-862 on civil status in Côte d'Ivoire, every death must be declared within fifteen days of its occurrence before the civil registrar at the town hall (mairie) or sub-prefecture (sous-préfecture) of the place of death [1] [2]. Application rules and extract requests are detailed on the Portail Officiel des Services Publics de Côte d'Ivoire [1] [2].
   • Authorised declarants and required documents: The declaration is made by a relative of the deceased or by any person holding accurate information regarding the deceased's civil status [1] [2]. The declarant must submit the medical certificate of death (or official verification report), the National Identity Card (CNI) or birth extract of the deceased, the family record book where applicable, and their own identity document [1] [2].
   • Late registration judgment after the statutory deadline: If the declaration was not made within the fifteen-day statutory period, the civil registrar can no longer record the death on a simple declaration [2]. The family must then file a petition with the President of the Court of First Instance of the place of death (accompanied by the medical certificate of death and a certificate of non-registration issued by the town hall or sub-prefecture) to obtain a late registration judgment (jugement supplétif d'acte de décès) [2].
3. 3

   Funeral arrangements, burial permits, and repatriation

   • Municipal burial or cremation authorisation: No burial in a municipal or community cemetery may take place without a burial permit issued by the civil registrar upon presentation of the civil death certificate and medical certificate [1]. Coffining, embalming, and funeral transfers are carried out by licensed funeral operators in compliance with public health standards [1].
   • Transporting remains between municipalities: Where the burial takes place in a municipality or sub-prefecture different from the place of death or mortuary, an administrative body transport authorisation and a sanitary certificate of non-contagion are required [1] [2].
   • International repatriation: If the deceased resided abroad or if the remains must be transferred out of Côte d'Ivoire, the funeral service provider compiles a file containing the official death certificate, medical certificate of non-epidemic status, embalming certificate (thanatopraxie), official record of sealing the hermetic coffin, and a mortuary transit pass (laissez-passer mortuaire) issued with the approval of prefectural and consular authorities [1] [5].
4. 4

   Social security, pension funds, banks, and insurance

   • Private-sector employees and retirees: If your relative contributed to the general scheme for salaried workers, eligible survivors must submit a claim for survivor pensions (widow or widower pension and orphan pensions) to the Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale [3]. The claim file includes the original death certificate, marriage certificate, children's birth extracts, certificate of heirship (acte d'hérédité), and proof of social security registration [3].
   • Civil servants and state employees: For civil and military state employees, claims for survivor pensions (pension de réversion) and lump-sum death benefits are filed with the Caisse Générale de Retraite des Agents de l'État [4]. The surviving spouse and minor or student orphans must provide the death certificate, certificate of heirship, and career service records of the deceased [4].
   • Bank accounts, employer, and insurance companies: Presenting the death certificate to Ivorian banks freezes the deceased's individual accounts until the certificate of heirship and estate settlement documents are produced [3] [5]. Relatives should also notify the last employer to collect final salary balances and statutory death indemnities under the Labour Code, as well as insurance companies for life insurance or death benefit payouts [3].
5. 5

   Opening and settling the estate in Côte d'Ivoire

   • Obtaining the certificate of heirship (acte d'hérédité): Under Law No. 2019-573 on successions, proof of heirship is established by a certificate of heirship (acte d'hérédité or acte de notoriété) issued by the Court of First Instance or detached court section of the deceased's last domicile (specifically before the civil and administrative chamber) or by notarial deed [3] [5]. The application requires the original death certificate, marriage certificate, heirs' birth certificates, and the testimony of two adult witnesses [3] [5].
   • Statutory order of succession, forced share, and notary involvement: Ivorian succession law places the deceased's children and descendants together with the surviving spouse in the first order of succession, protecting a statutory forced share (réserve héréditaire) equal to three-quarters of the estate where the deceased leaves descendants [5]. Engaging an Ivorian notary is mandatory whenever the estate includes registered real estate (land title certificate or ACD), a will, or minor heirs [5].
   • Inheritance tax declaration and cross-border coordination: The heirs or appointed notary must file the estate tax declaration with the Directorate General of Taxes (Direction Générale des Impôts - DGI) within the statutory six-month period when the death occurred in Côte d'Ivoire (or twelve months if the death occurred abroad) [5]. Any heir residing abroad may grant an authentic power of attorney executed before a notary or legalised by the consulate of Côte d'Ivoire in their country of residence [1] [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Status Certificate Requests and Administrative Formalities — Portail Officiel des Services Publics de Côte d'Ivoire
2. [2]
   Late Death Registration Judgment (Jugement supplétif d'acte de décès) - Procedure and Required Documents — Portail Officiel des Services Publics de Côte d'Ivoire
3. [3]
   Required Documents for Pension and Survivor Benefit Claims — Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale (IPS-CNPS)
4. [4]
   Survivor Pensions and Benefits for Dependents of State Employees — Caisse Générale de Retraite des Agents de l'État (IPS-CGRAE)
5. [5]
   Judicial Services and Digital Issuance of Court Records in Côte d'Ivoire — Portail Officiel du Gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire