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

1. 1

   Medical examination of the body, death certificate, and police or prosecutor clearance in Germany

   • Death in a hospital or nursing home: When a death occurs in a hospital or care facility in Germany (for instance in Trier, Saarbrücken, Bitburg, Frankfurt am Main, or Berlin), the medical staff immediately arranges the medical post-mortem examination (ärztliche Leichenschau) and issues the official medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung / Totenschein) with a confidential and a non-confidential part [1][3]. Have the deceased person's Luxembourg identity card (carte d'identité) or passport (passeport) ready so that their personal details are recorded accurately [2][5].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: Immediately contact the emergency services via the emergency number 112 or the on-call medical service at 116 117 (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) so that a physician can perform the external examination on site and issue the Totenschein [3].
   • Unexplained or non-natural cause of death: If the physician records an unexplained or non-natural manner of death, the police and the public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft) are called in [1][3]. The body is then initially taken into custody for forensic examination; civil registration at the Standesamt, cremation, or repatriation to Luxembourg may only proceed once the public prosecutor's office has issued written clearance for burial [1][3].
2. 2

   Repatriation insurance, funeral directors in Germany and Luxembourg, and the Embassy of Luxembourg

   • Checking travel, repatriation, or health insurance coverage: Before commissioning a funeral provider yourself, check whether the deceased held private repatriation or travel health insurance, membership in a Luxembourg rescue or assistance organization, or inpatient treatment abroad pre-authorized by the Luxembourg National Health Fund (Caisse nationale de santé - CNS; in the latter case, the CNS also contributes to repatriation costs within the statutory lump-sum allowance) [3][6].
   • Appointing funeral directors in Germany and Luxembourg: For collection and administrative formalities at the German place of death, appoint a licensed funeral provider (Bestattungsunternehmen) via the German professional association (Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V., Federal Association of German Funeral Directors, telephone +49 211 16008-10, 24-hour emergency number +49 211 16008-86, email [email protected]) in compliance with the respective state funeral laws (Landesbestattungsgesetze) and the German statutory cemetery obligation (Friedhofszwang) [3]. The German provider coordinates the transfer seamlessly with an authorized receiving funeral director in Luxembourg (entreprise de pompes funèbres autorisée au Luxembourg), which can also handle all municipal cemetery and civil registry formalities in the Grand Duchy [5]. Clarvia lists professional associations and public portals solely for orientation and does not recommend, rate, or rank individual providers.
   • Contacting the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Germany: If consular assistance is needed, you can contact the Embassy of Luxembourg in Germany (Ambassade du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg à Berlin, Klingelhöferstraße 7, 10785 Berlin, telephone +49 30 26 39 57 0, email [email protected]) as well as Luxembourg's honorary consulates in the German federal states, or in urgent out-of-hours emergencies the central switchboard of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes in Luxembourg at +352 247-82300) [2].
3. 3

   Death notification at the German Standesamt (Form C) and registration for Luxembourg

   • Notification at the German Standesamt by the third following working day (§ 28 PStG): Under Section 28 of the German Civil Status Act (§ 28 Personenstandsgesetz - PStG), the death must be reported to the civil registry office (Standesamt des Sterbeortes) in Germany no later than the third working day following the death; for a death in a hospital, the hospital administration or the appointed funeral director usually handles this filing [1][3]. In addition to the German death certificate (Sterbeurkunde), request several multilingual extracts on Form C (Formblatt C / extrait plurilingue Formule C) under the 1976 Vienna CIEC Convention [1][5]. Because both Germany and Luxembourg are contracting states to the Vienna CIEC Convention and Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 also applies, the multilingual Form C is recognized directly in Luxembourg without a Hague Apostille or sworn translation [4][5].
   • Civil registry notification and transcription in Luxembourg (Guichet.lu): Whereas a death occurring within the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg must be declared within 24 hours to the civil registrar of the municipality of death (officier de l'état civil de la commune du lieu de décès dans les 24 heures, explained in detail on the official government citizen portal Guichet.lu) to obtain the Luxembourg death certificate (acte de décès) and multilingual extract (Formule C) [5], when a death occurs in Germany the relatives or the appointed Luxembourg funeral director present the German death certificate (Form C) to the civil registry office (bureau de l'état civil) of the Luxembourg municipality of residence or municipality of burial [5]. This records the death in the Luxembourg civil status register and the National Registry of Natural Persons (Registre national des personnes physiques - RNPP) and secures the municipal burial and transport permit [5].
4. 4

   Choosing between international repatriation to Luxembourg and local burial or cremation in Germany

   • International repatriation of the body in a coffin to Luxembourg: For cross-border transport from Germany to Luxembourg, the German funeral director applies to the competent authority at the German place of death (public health office or public order office) for the multilingual mortuary passport (Leichenpass) under the 1937 International Berlin Agreement or the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses, in accordance with the guidance of the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) [3][4]. The body is placed in accordance with regulations in a hermetically soldered zinc coffin (verlöteter Zinksarg) inside a wooden coffin [3][4]. For entry and onward transport into Luxembourg, the international transit papers (laissez-passer mortuaire) operate in conjunction with the requirements of the Luxembourg Ministry of Health / Health Directorate (Direction de la santé / Inspection sanitaire of the ministère de la Santé et de la Sécurité sociale), the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes), and the civil registry office of the Luxembourg municipality of burial [2][5][7].
   • Cremation in Germany and urn transfer to Luxembourg (Friedhofszwang): If cremation takes place in Germany (following the mandatory second medical post-mortem examination at the crematorium), note the statutory cemetery obligation (Friedhofszwang) applicable across all German federal states: German crematoria release the urn only against an urn requisition / certificate of acceptance (Urnenanforderung / Übernahmebescheinigung) from a cemetery or proof of cross-border transfer to a Luxembourg cemetery or authorized funeral provider, accompanied by the death certificate (Form C) and the cremation certificate [3][5].
   • Local burial or cremation in Germany: If interment takes place locally in Germany, the German Standesamt issues the burial permit (Bestattungsschein), and the deadlines and cemetery obligation of the respective German state funeral law (Landesbestattungsgesetz) apply [1][3].
5. 5

   Funeral grant, survivor pensions, taxes, and probate in Luxembourg and Germany

   • In Luxembourg (CNS, CNAP, AED, and Chambre des Notaires):
     • Flat-rate funeral grant (indemnité funéraire from the CNS): If your family member was covered by Luxembourg health insurance (as a resident or cross-border commuter / frontalier), the National Health Fund (Caisse nationale de santé - CNS, telephone +352 27 57-1) pays the flat-rate funeral grant (indemnité funéraire) upon presentation of the death certificate (acte de décès or Form C) and the receipted funeral director's invoices (factures acquittées) to the person or institution that advanced the funeral costs [6][7].
     • Luxembourg survivor's pension (pension de survie from the CNAP): Because survivor pensions in Luxembourg are not granted automatically, surviving spouses, registered partners (PACS), or orphans must formally apply to the National Pension Insurance Fund (Caisse nationale d'assurance pension - CNAP, telephone +352 22 41 41-1) for the survivor's pension (pension de survie or pension d'orphelin), enclosing the death certificate [8][9]. If the deceased completed insurance periods in both Luxembourg and Germany, these are coordinated under EU Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and No 987/2009 [8][9].
     • Inheritance declaration (AED) and notary in Luxembourg: With the Registration Duties, Estates and VAT Authority (Administration de l'enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA - AED, procedure explained on Guichet.lu), the heirs must file a written inheritance declaration (déclaration de succession) at the inheritance tax office of the deceased's last tax domicile in Luxembourg (or a declaration of transfer upon death, déclaration de mutation par décès, if the deceased was not domiciled in Luxembourg but owned real estate there) [10]. The statutory filing deadline is 6 months for a death in Luxembourg and 8 months when the death occurred in another European country such as Germany [10]. To obtain a notarial certificate of heirship (acte de notoriété), open a will, and settle the estate in Luxembourg, heirs can consult a notary through the Chamber of Notaries (Chambre des Notaires du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg) [10].
   • In Germany (Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Renten Service, health insurance, and Nachlassgericht):
     • German pensions and Sterbevierteljahr (within 30 days): If the deceased drew a German pension or had German insurance periods, report the death immediately to the pension payment service (Renten Service der Deutschen Post, telephone +49 221 569 2777) to stop overpayments and, for surviving spouses or registered partners, to apply within 30 days of the death for the advance payment of the three-month bereavement quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) [12]. Submit applications for a German widow's, widower's, or orphan's pension (Witwen-, Witwer- oder Waisenrente) to the German Statutory Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung, toll-free number 0800 1000 4800 in Germany or +49 30 865 0 from abroad) [11].
     • Statutory health insurance and German probate court: Where applicable, notify the German statutory health insurance fund (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung / Krankenkasse) [11]. If bank accounts or real estate were held in Germany, the German Standesamt automatically notifies the Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister) of the Federal Chamber of Notaries, which forwards testamentary dispositions held in official custody to the competent probate court (Nachlassgericht at the local court, Amtsgericht); heirs can apply there if needed for a German certificate of inheritance (Erbschein) or a European Certificate of Succession [13].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG) Section 28: Notification of Death at the Standesamt — Bundesministerium der Justiz (Gesetze im Internet)
2. [2]
   Luxembourg diplomatic and consular missions in Germany (Embassy in Berlin) — Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
3. [3]
   What to do in the event of death: Medical examination, Standesamt, cemetery obligation, and repatriation — Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.
4. [4]
   Consular assistance: Bereavement and international repatriation (Leichenpass) — Auswärtiges Amt
5. [5]
   Reporting a death (Déclaration de décès and transport permit in Luxembourg) — Guichet.lu - Verwaltungsleitfaden des luxemburgischen Staates
6. [6]
   Bereavement and funeral expenses (CNS indemnité funéraire and repatriation from abroad) — Caisse nationale de santé (CNS)
7. [7]
   End of life and reimbursement of funeral expenses — Portail Santé et Sécurité sociale (Ministère de la Santé et de la Sécurité sociale)
8. [8]
   Applying for a survivor's pension (Pension de survie) — Guichet.lu - Verwaltungsleitfaden des luxemburgischen Staates
9. [9]
   The survivor's pension (pension de survie) - Procedures and forms — Caisse nationale d'assurance pension (CNAP)
10. [10]
    Filing an inheritance declaration (Déclaration de succession with the AED and notary procedures) — Guichet.lu - Verwaltungsleitfaden des luxemburgischen Staates
11. [11]
    Survivor's pension: Widow's pension, widower's pension, and orphan's pension — Deutsche Rentenversicherung
12. [12]
    Renten Service der Deutschen Post: Reporting a death and applying for the Sterbevierteljahr — Deutsche Post AG - Renten Service
13. [13]
    The Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister) in the event of a death — Bundesnotarkammer