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

1. 1

   Obtaining the Medical Death Certificate and Medico-Legal Clearance

   • Death from natural causes in a hospital or clinic: When the deceased dies under medical care in a public hospital of the National Health Service network or in a private medical clinic in the Dominican Republic, the attending physician confirms the death and issues the official Medical Death Certificate (Certificado Médico de Defunción) free of charge on the form established by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, which is required to register the death and arrange the funeral [2][3].
   • Death at home from a known illness under medical supervision: If the death occurs at the family residence due to a previously diagnosed medical condition, the treating physician may attend to certify the natural cause of death and issue the corresponding Medical Death Certificate; if no treating physician is available, the local medico-legal examiner (médico legista) must be notified [1][3].
   • Sudden, violent, or unattended death, or international repatriation: In the event of an unexpected death at a home, hotel, or public place, or whenever there are signs of a violent or accidental cause, you must immediately call the 911 National Emergency and Security System or the National Police and refrain from moving the body [1]. Removal of the body requires the joint intervention of the Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Público) and the medico-legal examiner, who order transfer to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Forenses - INACIF) for a mandatory forensic autopsy (which is also required under Dominican law whenever a body is to be repatriated abroad) [1].
2. 2

   Registering the Death with the Civil Registry of the Central Electoral Board

   • Competent Civil Registry Office and statutory deadline: The death declaration must be filed at the Civil Registry Office (Oficialía del Estado Civil) of the Central Electoral Board (Junta Central Electoral - JCE) corresponding to the municipality or jurisdiction where the death occurred, or directly at the civil registry delegations operating inside major hospitals across the country [2]. Under Law No. 4-23 on Civil Status Acts, the ordinary statutory deadline to register a death is sixty (60) calendar days from the date of death [2].
   • Required documentation for registration: The declarant (a relative, legal representative, or duly authorized funeral agent) must present the original Medical Death Certificate (or the forensic certification issued by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences), the original Identity and Electoral Card (Cédula de Identidad y Electoral) or passport of the deceased, and the declarant's valid identity document [1][2].
   • Issuance of the unified Death Certificate and late declarations: Once recorded, the Civil Registry Office issues the official Death Certificate (Acta de Defunción), which pursuant to Resolution No. 9-2025 of the Central Electoral Board is now issued in a single standardized format that replaces the former distinction between short-form (en extracto) and long-form (in extensa) certificates and is valid for both domestic and international procedures [2]. If the 60-day period expires without registration, the family must complete the administrative late death declaration procedure before the Central Electoral Board followed by judicial ratification [2].
3. 3

   Licensed Funeral Services, Health Permits, and International Transfer

   • Appointing a funeral home and local burial permits: The family should appoint a licensed funeral home (funeraria) in the Dominican Republic to collect and prepare the body. Using the Medical Death Certificate and the Civil Registry filing before the Central Electoral Board, the funeral home obtains the municipal burial permit from the local city council (ayuntamiento or alcaldía) and coordinates interment at a municipal cemetery or private memorial park in compliance with the sanitary regulations of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance [2][3].
   • Requirements for cremation in the Dominican Republic: If the family chooses cremation, in addition to the official Death Certificate and Medical Death Certificate, written authorization from the next of kin with legal priority is required, and in the case of accidental, sudden, or investigated deaths, express clearance from the Public Prosecutor's Office and the National Institute of Forensic Sciences confirming that no further forensic examination is needed [1][3].
   • International repatriation of remains or ashes and Hague Apostille: When the deceased or heirs reside abroad and the body or cremated ashes must be transported internationally, or when Dominican civil documents must be presented in another country, the funeral home obtains the international sanitary corpse transit permit from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, the embalming certificate, and the hermetically sealed casket certificate (or cremation certificate for an urn of ashes) [1][3]. At the same time, the official Death Certificate must be validated at the headquarters of the Central Electoral Board and apostilled online through the digital portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores - MIREX) for legal recognition in Hague Apostille Convention countries [2][4].
4. 4

   Notifying Social Security, Pension Funds, Banks, and Insurers

   • Survivor pension, account balance return, and funeral grant (SIPEN / AFP): If your family member contributed to or received a pension under the Dominican Social Security System (Law No. 87-01), eligible beneficiaries must notify the relevant Pension Fund Administrator (Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones - AFP, or the General Directorate of State Retirements and Pensions if covered under the public pay-as-you-go scheme), regulated by the Superintendency of Pensions (Superintendencia de Pensiones - SIPEN) [5]. Depending on the contribution record and eligible dependents, family members may claim a survivor pension (pensión de sobrevivencia), a statutory funeral expenses grant, or the return of the accumulated individual capitalization account balance as part of the estate [5].
   • Health insurance cancellation and affiliate assistance: You should also notify the Health Risk Administrator (Administradora de Riesgos de Salud - ARS) supervised by the Superintendency of Health and Occupational Risks (and the Dominican Institute for the Prevention and Protection of Occupational Risks - IDOPPRIL if the death resulted from a work-related accident or occupational illness) [3][5]. Families can obtain free public guidance on social security benefits and deadlines from the General Directorate for Information and Defense of Social Security Affiliates (DIDA) [5].
   • Notifying banks and insurance companies: Present official copies of the Death Certificate to commercial banks, savings and loan associations, and credit cooperatives in the Dominican Republic where the deceased held accounts, financial certificates, or credit facilities in order to freeze individual accounts against unauthorized withdrawals, request official balance statements as of the date of death, and file claims under life insurance policies, mortgage protection policies, or prepaid funeral plans [2][6].
5. 5

   Estate Administration, Determination of Heirs, and Succession Tax Before the DGII

   • Determination of heirs and notarial documentation: To transfer estate assets in the Dominican Republic, the heirs must instruct a Dominican notary public (notario público) to execute a Notarial Act of Known Heirs (Acto de Notoriedad de Determinación de Herederos witnessed by seven qualified witnesses), gathering the official Death Certificate, the marriage certificate (if applicable), the heirs' birth certificates issued by the Central Electoral Board, any registered will, real estate Title Certificates (Certificados de Título), and official bank balance letters [2][6]. If minor heirs are involved or disputes arise among co-heirs, the estate partition must be submitted for approval before the Children and Adolescents Court or the Civil and Commercial Chamber of the competent Court of First Instance [6].
   • Sworn Succession Tax Return and statutory deadlines before the DGII: Under Law No. 2569 on Succession and Gift Tax, heirs, successors, or legatees must file the Sworn Succession Declaration (Declaración Jurada de Sucesiones, Form FSD-1 and schedules) with the General Directorate of Internal Taxes (Dirección General de Impuestos Internos - DGII) within ninety (90) calendar days following the date of death [6]. Prior to the expiration of that 90-day period, taxpayers may request a justified extension from the General Directorate of Internal Taxes of up to 105 additional days (granted in two segments of 60 and 45 days) when gathering domestic or foreign estate records requires additional time [6].
   • Payment of succession tax and cross-border coordination for foreign heirs: The Dominican succession tax is levied at a flat rate of 3% on the net taxable estate after deducting verified debts and documented medical and funeral expenses [6]. Under Dominican tax law, when beneficiaries are domiciled outside the Dominican Republic, a 50% surcharge applies to their share of the tax rate (resulting in an effective rate of 4.5% for heirs residing abroad), and heirs living abroad may act through a special power of attorney executed before a local notary or Dominican consulate and duly apostilled or legalized through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [4][6]. Only after the succession tax is paid and the General Directorate of Internal Taxes issues the tax clearance and liquidation receipt will Dominican banks release frozen funds and the Title Registry transfer real property to the heirs [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) - Forensic Services — Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana
2. [2]
   Unification of Civil Status Certificates and Death Registration (Resolution 9-2025) — Junta Central Electoral (JCE)
3. [3]
   Public Health Regulations and Sanitary Services — Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MISPAS)
4. [4]
   Online Apostille and Document Legalization Portal — Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MIREX)
5. [5]
   Survivor Pension and Death Benefits in the Dominican Social Security System — Superintendencia de Pensiones (SIPEN)
6. [6]
   Requirements Guide for the Sworn Succession Declaration (Form FSD-1) — Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII)