What to Do When a Citizen of Italy Dies in Germany: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Examination of the Body, Death Certificate, and Official Clearance in Germany

   At the place of death in Germany, the death must first be medically pronounced and officially certified before any further steps or transport can be initiated.

   • Death in a hospital or nursing home: The on-duty physician at the hospital performs the post-mortem examination (ärztliche Leichenschau) and issues the official medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung or Totenschein) [1][6].
   • Death at home or in a public space: Immediately notify the family doctor's practice, outside regular office hours the on-call medical service (Patientenservice 116117, phone 116 117), or in an acute emergency the rescue service via the emergency number 112 [1].
   • Unexplained or unnatural cause of death: If the physician finds indications of an unnatural death or an unexplained cause of death, the police and the public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft) are called in. In such cases, the deceased may only be buried or repatriated to Italy after written clearance has been granted by the competent public prosecutor's office (for example in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, or Berlin) [1][6].
2. 2

   Checking Insurance Coverage, Appointing Funeral Directors in Both Countries, and Contacting the Consulate

   Before commissioning services, check whether your family member held travel health insurance, repatriation coverage, or funeral expense insurance (Sterbegeldversicherung), as insurance companies often entrust their own contracted funeral directors with the entire process.

   • Licensed funeral director in Germany: Through the official directory of the German professional association, the Federal Association of German Funeral Directors (Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.), you can find a qualified funeral home (Bestattungsunternehmen) at the place of death [2]. Observing the applicable state burial law (Landesbestattungsgesetz) and Germany's compulsory cemetery requirement (Friedhofszwang), the funeral home handles hygienic preparation, administrative steps at the civil registry office, and transport documents [2]. Clarvia lists directories and associations solely for orientation and does not recommend, endorse, or rank individual providers.
   • Receiving funeral director in Italy: For repatriation to Italy, the German funeral home works with an authorized Italian funeral company (impresa funebre autorizzata), which can be identified through the Italian national federation of funeral directors (Federazione Nazionale Imprese Onoranze Funebri - FENIOF, or Federcofit) and coordinates local reception and cemetery arrangements in the Italian destination municipality [3].
   • Italian consular assistance in Germany: Contact the competent Italian diplomatic mission in Germany, for example the consular department of the Embassy of Italy in Berlin (Ambasciata d'Italia a Berlino, phone +49 30 25440-0, email [email protected]) or the locally competent Italian Consulate General (such as in Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Cologne, Hanover, or Dortmund), which operate under the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale - MAECI) [4][5].
3. 3

   Reporting the Death to the German Civil Registry and Document Recognition for Italy

   Civil registration of the death takes place at the German civil registry office (Standesamt) of the place of death and serves as the basis for registration in Italy.

   • Registration at the German civil registry office (Standesamt): Pursuant to § 28 of the German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG), the death must be reported to the Standesamt of the place of death no later than the third working day following the death [6]. For a death in a hospital, the hospital administration submits the written report; for a death outside a hospital, the appointed funeral home normally handles this by presenting the medical death certificate along with the deceased's Italian identity card (carta d'identità) or passport and civil status certificates [4][6].
   • Multilingual CIEC extract on Form C: In addition to the German death certificate (Sterbeurkunde), explicitly request several multilingual extracts from the death register on Form C (Formblatt C / Modello C) under the Vienna CIEC Convention of 8 September 1976 from the German Standesamt [4][6]. Because both Germany and Italy are contracting states to this Convention, this multilingual extract is completely exempt from an Apostille and certified translation in Italy [4].
   • Registration with the Italian municipal civil registry (Trascrizione dell'atto di morte): For Italian citizens (particularly those registered in the AIRE register of Italians residing abroad), the consular section of the Embassy (Ambasciata d'Italia a Berlino) or the competent Consulate General forwards the Form C death certificate to the Italian municipal civil status office (Ufficio di Stato Civile del Comune) of the last residence or AIRE municipality in Italy for transcription [4][5]. By comparison, when a death occurs directly in Italy, it must be reported to the Ufficio di Stato Civile del Comune italiano di decesso within 24 hours to obtain the atto di morte, burial permit (permesso di seppellimento), and multilingual extract (estratto di morte plurilingue su Modello C) [4].
4. 4

   Choosing Between International Repatriation to Italy and Local Burial in Germany

   Together with the funeral director, you can choose between repatriation to Italy (coffin or urn) and burial or cremation in Germany.

   • Coffin repatriation to Italy (1937 Berlin Agreement): Germany and Italy are both contracting parties to the International Berlin Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses of 10 February 1937 [2][5]. Accordingly, the competent German civil registry, public health office, or public order office issues the international mortuary passport (Leichenpass); for the border crossing, the deceased must be transported in a double coffin with a hermetically soldered metal liner (doppia cassa con cofano metallico saldato) in accordance with the Agreement's provisions [2][5]. Conversely, when a repatriation takes place in the reverse direction out of Italy, the Italian municipality (Comune) issues the Passaporto Mortuario under the Berlin Agreement based on a certificate from the local health authority (ASL) [5].
   • Cremation and urn repatriation: Prior to cremation in Germany, state burial laws regularly require a second official medical post-mortem examination (zweite amtsärztliche Leichenschau) [2]. Due to Germany's compulsory cemetery requirement (Friedhofszwang), the German crematorium requires proof of acceptance from the foreign place of burial or handling through the appointed funeral director in coordination with the Italian destination municipality and, where applicable, the consular mission before releasing the urn for international transport [2][4][5].
   • Local burial in Germany: If earth burial or cremation is to take place in Germany, the German Standesamt issues the burial permit, and the funeral director arranges the interment at the chosen German cemetery [2][6].
5. 5

   Pension Claims, Inheritance Tax Return, and Estate Administration in Italy and Germany

   Once the death certificates are available, pension, tax, and succession matters must be settled in Italy and Germany.

   • Survivor's pension in Italy (Pensione ai superstiti / reversibilità): If the deceased held an Italian pension or Italian insurance periods, survivors must submit an application for the survivor's pension (pensione di reversibilità for pensioners or pensione indiretta for active insured workers) electronically or through a Patronato assistance office to the Italian National Social Security Institute (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale - INPS) [7].
   • Italian inheritance tax return (Dichiarazione di successione) and register of wills: Heirs,legatees, or estate representatives must generally file the electronic inheritance tax return (dichiarazione di successione) within 12 months of the date of death with the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate); this filing is also required for updating Italian land registry records (voltura catastale) and releasing Italian bank accounts [8]. To clarify testamentary dispositions in Italy, notaries provide assistance through the National Council of the Notariat (Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato) and the General Register of Wills (Registro Generale dei Testamenti) maintained at the Italian Ministry of Justice (Ministero della Giustizia, Ufficio Centrale degli Archivi Notarili) [9][10].
   • Pension notification and survivor's pension in Germany: If your family member received a German pension, report the death immediately through the pension payment service (Renten Service der Deutschen Post), where surviving spouses or registered civil partners can also apply within 30 days of the death for the advance payment on the three-month death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) [11][12]. Applications for a widow's, widower's, or orphan's pension (Witwen-, Witwer- oder Waisenrente) are filed with the German statutory pension insurance provider (Deutsche Rentenversicherung, toll-free service number 0800 1000 4800) [11]; the German statutory health insurance fund (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) must also be informed.
   • German probate court and register of wills: Upon registering the death, the German Standesamt automatically notifies the electronic Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister) of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, which alerts the competent probate court at the local district court (Nachlassgericht beim Amtsgericht) [13]. For assets located in Germany or if the deceased's last habitual residence was in Germany, the probate court issues a German Certificate of Inheritance (Erbschein) or a European Certificate of Succession upon application [13].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Patientenservice 116117 - On-call medical service (Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) — Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV)
2. [2]
   Funeral director directory - Qualified funeral homes in Germany (Bestattersuche) — Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.
3. [3]
   National Federation of Funeral Directors (Federazione Nazionale Imprese Onoranze Funebri - FENIOF) - Institutional documentation — Federazione Nazionale Imprese Onoranze Funebri (FENIOF)
4. [4]
   Consular services - Civil status and transcription of death records — Ambasciata d'Italia a Berlino
5. [5]
   Assistance to Italian citizens abroad and repatriation of remains — Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (MAECI)
6. [6]
   German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG) § 28 Reporting a death — Bundesministerium der Justiz - Gesetze im Internet
7. [7]
   Survivor's pension (indirect and reversionary pension - pensione ai superstiti) — Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS)
8. [8]
   Online inheritance declaration (Dichiarazione di successione web) - Guide and electronic service — Agenzia delle Entrate
9. [9]
   Successions and wills - Notarial guidance — Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato
10. [10]
    General Register of Wills (Registro Generale dei Testamenti) - Application for registration and certification — Ministero della Giustizia
11. [11]
    Pensions and death abroad - Information for survivors — Deutsche Rentenversicherung
12. [12]
    Reporting a death and advance payment for the death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) — Renten Service der Deutschen Post
13. [13]
    Information on bereavement and notification of the probate court (Nachlassgericht) — Zentrales Testamentsregister der Bundesnotarkammer