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

1. 1

   Obtaining Medical Certification of Death and Public Prosecution Clearance

   • Death in a public or private hospital: When the deceased dies in an Egyptian hospital (for example, in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Luxor, Hurghada, or Sharm El-Sheikh), the attending hospital physician confirms the death and issues the initial Arabic Medical Death Notification (Ikhbar El-Wafah), recording the date, time, and clinical cause of death [1][6]. Provide the hospital administration with the deceased's Egyptian National ID card (Bitaqat El-Raqam El-Qawmi) or passport so that personal particulars are recorded accurately [1][6].
   • Death at home from natural causes: If the death occurs at a private residence from a known medical condition, notify the local Health Office (Maktab El-Seha, operating under the Ministry of Health and Population) serving that district [6]. The public health medical inspector (Mufattish El-Seha) examines the deceased to verify that death resulted from natural causes and signs the medical report required for civil registration and burial [6].
   • Sudden, accidental, unattended, or foreign-national death: If the death is sudden, occurs outside a hospital without recent medical attendance, or involves suspected accident or foul play, call the Egyptian Ambulance Service on 123 and the Police on 122 (or Tourist Police on 126) immediately and do not move the body [6]. The police file an official report (Mahdar Shorta) and refer the case to the Public Prosecution (El-Niyaba El-Amma), which decides whether an examination by the Forensic Medicine Authority (Maslahat El-Tibb El-Shar'i) is needed and issues a mandatory Public Prosecution No-Objection Permit before the body can be released for burial or international repatriation (this prosecutorial clearance is also mandatory whenever a foreign citizen dies in Egypt) [5][6].
2. 2

   Registering the Death with the Health Office and Civil Status Organization

   • Mandatory 24-hour reporting to the local Health Office (Maktab El-Seha): Under Egyptian civil status law, every death occurring in Egypt must be reported within twenty-four (24) hours to the local Health Office in the district where the death took place [1][6]. A relative or authorized funeral representative submits the hospital Medical Death Notification (plus the Public Prosecution release permit if applicable), the deceased's original National ID card or passport, and the declarant's identification [1][6].
   • Issuance of the burial permit and initial death record: Upon recording the death and retaining the deceased's National ID card for cancellation in the civil register, the local Health Office issues the initial Arabic death registration certificate and the mandatory Burial Permit (Tasreeh El-Dafn) free of charge [1][6]. If the 24-hour statutory window is missed, late registration requires an administrative investigation (Saqit Qayd Wafah) through the Civil Status Organization and local police station [1].
   • Obtaining computerised Egyptian Death Certificates (CSO): Once the local Health Office transmits the record to the central database, relatives can obtain multiple official computerised copies of the Egyptian Death Certificate (Shahadet El-Wafah El-Momaykana) from any civil registry branch or smart kiosk of the Civil Status Organization (Maslahat El-Ahwal El-Madaniya - الأحوال المدنية) operating under the Egyptian Ministry of Interior [1].
3. 3

   Arranging Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation and Legalization

   • Local burial in Egypt: Using the Burial Permit (Tasreeh El-Dafn) issued by the local Health Office (and the Public Prosecution clearance where required), the family or appointed funeral operator arranges ritual washing or mortuary preparation and transport in a licensed hearse to the family's private plot, religious community cemetery, or governorate cemetery [6]. Public crematoria in Egypt are extremely scarce, so cremation is rarely available domestically [6].
   • International repatriation of human remains: When human remains must be repatriated out of or into Egypt through a licensed international mortuary operator, five official clearances are required: (1) the computerised Egyptian Death Certificate issued via the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, (2) the Public Prosecution (Niyaba) no-objection permit for repatriation, (3) an official Embalming Certificate and Hermetic Coffin Sealing Certificate from the Ministry of Health and Population confirming the body is placed in a zinc-lined, hermetically sealed casket free of infectious disease, (4) a Consular Mortuary Certificate from the relevant embassy or Egyptian mission such as the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the UK, and (5) Airport Quarantine clearance at Cairo International Airport or the regional departure airport [5][6].
   • Consular legalization instead of Hague Apostille (MOFA): Egypt is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention [4][6]. Consequently, whenever an Egyptian Death Certificate or succession document must be used abroad (or when a foreign death certificate or power of attorney must be used in Egypt), the original computerised certificate must be authenticated at a ratification office (Maktab Tasdiqat) of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translated by an accredited translator, and legalized by the relevant foreign embassy in Cairo or an Egyptian consulate abroad such as the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the UK [4][5][6].
4. 4

   Notifying Social Insurance (NOSI), Pension, Banking, and Tax Authorities

   • Funeral expenses grant and lump-sum death grant (NOSI): If your family member was an insured public-sector or private-sector contributor or pensioner under Egypt's Unified Social Insurance and Pensions Law No. 148 of 2019, notify the National Organization for Social Insurance (Al-Hay'a Al-Qawmiya Lil-Ta'min Al-Ijtima'i - الهيئة القومية للتأمين الاجتماعي, hotline 16217) [2][3]. Upon submitting the computerised Death Certificate, the National Organization for Social Insurance pays a statutory Funeral Expenses Grant (Nafaqat El-Janaza, equal to three months of pension, paid in order of priority to the surviving spouse, the eldest child, or the person who proves payment of funeral costs) as well as a Death Grant (Minhat El-Wafah, equal to three months of full wage or pension for the month of death and the two following months) [2][3].
   • Monthly survivor pension (Ma'ash El-Mostaheqeen): Eligible dependents (including the widow or widower, unmarried daughters, sons under age 21 or up to age 26 if full-time students or permanently disabled, parents, and dependent brothers or sisters meeting statutory criteria) should submit the survivor pension application form and civil status documents to the competent office of the National Organization for Social Insurance to receive monthly survivor pension payments from the month of death [2][3].
   • Notifying Egyptian banks, employers, and the Tax Authority: Present official copies of the computerised Death Certificate to all Egyptian commercial and state banks where the deceased held accounts or certificates of deposit; the bank will freeze individual accounts until the court inheritance declaration is presented [1][6]. Also notify the deceased's employer to release final salary, accrued leave, and end-of-service benefits, and notify the Egyptian Tax Authority (Maslahat El-Dara'eb El-Misriya) if the deceased held an active commercial or professional tax card.
5. 5

   Administering the Estate and Family Court Inheritance Declaration (I'lam El-Waratha)

   • Obtaining the Inheritance Declaration (I'lam El-Waratha) from the Family Court: To administer bank accounts, investments, or real property in Egypt, an heir (or their legal representative) must file a petition before the competent Egyptian Family Court (Mahkamat El-Osra) for an official Inheritance Declaration (I'lam El-Waratha - إعلام الوراثة) [1][6]. The applicant submits the computerised Death Certificate from the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, the applicant's National ID card, a formal notice of hearing to co-heirs, and the testimony of two male witnesses at a brief court session confirming the identity of all surviving legal heirs [1][6]. The court then issues the certified I'lam El-Waratha decree specifying each heir's statutory share under Egyptian succession law (Law No. 77 of 1943, or the applicable confessional/national law) [6].
   • Probate of wills, property registration, and absence of inheritance tax: Under Egyptian succession law, a bequest by will (Wasiyya, Law No. 71 of 1946) is valid up to one-third (1/3) of the net estate even in favor of an heir, while any bequest exceeding one-third requires the post-death consent of the remaining adult heirs. Egypt abolished general inheritance and estate tax under Law No. 227 of 1996, meaning estates are subject only to standard court fees and Real Estate Publicity Department (El-Shahr El-Aqari) registration fees when transferring property titles. If minor heirs are involved, the Family Court's Guardianship Prosecution (Niyabat El-Osra Lil-Mal) supervises the minors' shares until majority.
   • Cross-border coordination for foreign heirs or assets: Once the certified I'lam El-Waratha is issued, Egyptian banks distribute frozen funds directly according to the court-determined fractional shares. If an heir lives outside Egypt, they can empower a lawyer or co-heir in Egypt to file for I'lam El-Waratha and collect estate shares by executing an official Power of Attorney (Tawkil Rasmî for inheritance and banking matters) at an Egyptian consular mission abroad - such as the Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the UK - and having it ratified in Egypt by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs [4][5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Status Organization (CSO) Directory Services and Official Certificates — Egyptian Ministry of Interior (MOI)
2. [2]
   Pension, Death Grant, and Funeral Expenses Services — National Organization for Social Insurance (NOSI Egypt)
3. [3]
   Social Insurance Services and Survivor Entitlements — National Organization for Social Insurance (NOSI Egypt)
4. [4]
   Consular Services, Document Ratification, and Citizens Guidance — Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
5. [5]
   Consular Services: Death Certificate Registration, Repatriation, and Legalisation — Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the UK
6. [6]
   Egypt Bereavement Information Pack: Official Procedures When Someone Dies in Egypt — British Embassy Cairo / Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)