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

1. 1

   Medical Examination of the Deceased, Death Certificate, and Police or Prosecutor Clearance in Germany

   • Death in a hospital or nursing home: If the death occurs in a clinic or care facility (for example in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, or Munich), the medical staff immediately arranges the statutory post-mortem examination (ärztliche Leichenschau) and issues the official medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung or Totenschein), comprising a confidential medical section and a non-confidential section [1][4].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: Immediately contact the emergency medical services by dialing 112 or the on-call medical service (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) at 116 117 so that a physician can perform the Leichenschau and issue the Totenschein [4].
   • Unexplained or unnatural cause of death: If the examining physician records an unexplained or unnatural manner of death, the police and the public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft) are notified. The body is temporarily taken into custody and transferred to an institute of forensic medicine (Institut für Rechtsmedizin); registration at the civil registry office, cremation, or international repatriation may only proceed once the Staatsanwaltschaft issues written burial clearance (schriftliche Freigabe zur Bestattung) [1][4].
2. 2

   Repatriation Insurance, Funeral Directors in Germany and the United States, and U.S. Consular Support

   • Checking travel or repatriation insurance: Before commissioning a funeral home independently, verify whether the deceased person held travel health insurance, repatriation coverage, or an employer-sponsored policy. If coverage exists, contact the insurer's 24-hour emergency assistance center first, as it typically instructs the funeral providers directly and covers repatriation costs [4].
   • Appointing funeral directors in Germany and the United States: If no insurance coverage applies, appoint a licensed funeral home (Bestattungsunternehmen) in Germany via the national professional association Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V. (Federal Association of German Undertakers) or the consular lists maintained by the U.S. missions [3][4]. Because of German state burial laws (Landesbestattungsgesetze) and mandatory cemetery rules (Friedhofszwang), the German funeral director handles hygienic preparation, administrative permits, and air cargo booking [4]. For reception at the destination in the United States, select a licensed U.S. funeral home through the National Funeral Directors Association [6]. Under the consumer protection Funeral Rule enforced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, every U.S. funeral provider must give you an itemized General Price List over the phone and in person so that you book only the receiving and burial services actually needed [7].
   • Notification to the U.S. diplomatic mission: Report the death promptly to the US-Botschaft und Konsulate in Deutschland (U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Germany) in Berlin (phone +49 30 8305-0), Frankfurt am Main, or Munich [2][3]. The consulate assists family members with German formalities, safeguards personal effects if no relatives are present locally, and issues the U.S. consular death report; however, the U.S. government does not pay for funeral or repatriation costs [2][3].
3. 3

   Civil Death Registration at the German Standesamt, Apostille or Form C, and U.S. Consular Report (CRDA)

   • Registration at the civil registry (Standesamt) in Germany: Under Section 28 of the German Civil Status Act (§ 28 Personenstandsgesetz - PStG), the death must be reported to the civil registry office (Standesamt) of the place of death no later than the third working day following the death; for hospital deaths, the hospital administration or the appointed funeral director usually handles this filing [1]. Request several certified copies of the German death certificate (Sterbeurkunde) [1]. Although German registry offices also issue international multilingual extracts on Formblatt C (under the 1976 Vienna CIEC Convention), the United States is not a signatory to that convention; if a U.S. court or agency requires the German certificate in addition to the consular report, have the funeral director obtain a Hague Apostille (issued depending on the German federal state by the Regierungspräsidium, Bezirksregierung, or Landgericht) together with a certified English translation [5].
   • U.S. Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA): Submit the German Sterbeurkunde and the deceased person's U.S. passport to the US-Botschaft und Konsulate in Deutschland to obtain the electronic Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (Form DS-2060 / CRODA) [2][3]. This English-language document is recognized across the United States by Probate Courts, banks, insurance companies, and state Vital Records / Office of Vital Statistics offices as equivalent to a domestic death certificate [2][3].
4. 4

   International Repatriation of the Body or Urn to the United States vs. Local Burial in Germany

   • Repatriation of the body from Germany to the United States: For international transport of a body, the German funeral director obtains a multilingual corpse transit permit (Leichenpass, under the 1937 International Berlin Agreement and state burial laws) from the local public health or regulatory office (Gesundheitsamt or Ordnungsamt) at the place of death, along with consular transit documents in accordance with guidance from the Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office) [4][5]. The body is embalmed and hermetically sealed inside a soldered zinc liner within a transport coffin [4][8]. For entry into the United States, the regulations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (42 CFR 71.55) require a leak-proof container, direct consignment to a licensed U.S. funeral home or cemetery, and the official death certificate (or certification that no quarantinable communicable disease is present) [8]. At the U.S. arrival airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection clears the shipment and the receiving U.S. funeral home secures the state burial-transit permit.
   • Transport of an urn after cremation in Germany: If cremation (Feuerbestattung) takes place in Germany following a mandatory second medical examination by an official public health physician (Amtsarzt), note the German mandatory cemetery requirement (Friedhofszwang): many German crematoria release the urn only upon presentation of a cemetery acceptance certificate (Übernahmebescheinigung) or proof of international shipment handled by an authorized funeral director [4]. For entry into the United States, cremated human remains are exempt from a CDC import permit under 42 CFR 71.55 and may be transported in a tightly sealed, X-ray-transparent urn accompanied by the death certificate and cremation certificate (Einäscherungsbescheinigung) [3][8].
   • Local burial or cremation in Germany: If the family prefers burial or cremation in Germany without repatriation to the United States, the Standesamt issues the burial permit (Bestattungsschein) for the local cemetery or crematorium [1][4].
5. 5

   Deregistrations, Survivor Pensions, Taxes, and Probate in the United States and Germany

   • Social Security, veterans benefits, taxes, and probate in the United States: Report the death to the Social Security Administration by calling 1-800-772-1213 (within the United States) or via the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main to prevent overpayments (benefits paid for the month of death must be returned) and to apply for the USD 255 one-time lump-sum death payment or ongoing survivor benefits [3][12]. If the deceased person served in the U.S. armed forces, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding burial allowances (Form VA 21P-530EZ) or interment in a U.S. national cemetery [13]. The estate administrator or surviving relative must file the final federal income tax return (Form 1040 marked "DECEASED") with the Internal Revenue Service by the regular April deadline of the following year for income earned up to the date of death [14], and open probate proceedings for U.S. assets before the appropriate County Probate Court in the relevant U.S. state.
   • Pensions, health insurance, and probate court (Nachlassgericht) in Germany: If your family member received a German pension or had German social insurance periods, promptly notify the pension payment service Renten Service der Deutschen Post to stop ongoing payments or apply for the three-month transition payment (Sterbevierteljahr, an advance application due within 30 days of death), and file a claim for a widow's, widower's, or orphan's pension (Form R0500) with the statutory pension authority Deutsche Rentenversicherung [9][10]. Also notify the German statutory health insurance fund (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung). If assets or real estate were located in Germany, the Standesamt automatically notifies the Zentrales Testamentsregister (Central Register of Wills) of the Federal Chamber of Notaries (Bundesnotarkammer), which forwards any deposited testamentary dispositions to the competent probate court (Nachlassgericht beim Amtsgericht), where heirs may apply for a certificate of inheritance (Erbschein) or a European Certificate of Succession if needed [11].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG) Section 28: Reporting a Death to the Civil Registry Office — Bundesministerium der Justiz (Gesetze im Internet)
2. [2]
   Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad and Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA) — U.S. Department of State
3. [3]
   Death of a U.S. Citizen in Germany — U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Germany
4. [4]
   What to Do in the Event of a Death: Medical Examination, Civil Registry, and Repatriation — Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.
5. [5]
   Assistance in Consular Cases: Death and Repatriation — Auswärtiges Amt
6. [6]
   Funeral Service Resources and Directory — National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
7. [7]
   Shopping for Funeral Services: The FTC Funeral Rule — Federal Trade Commission
8. [8]
   Importation of Human Remains into the United States for Burial, Entombment, or Cremation (42 CFR 71.55) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
9. [9]
   Survivor Pensions: Widow's Pension, Widower's Pension, and Orphan's Pension — Deutsche Rentenversicherung
10. [10]
    Pension Service (Renten Service): Reporting a Death and Applying for the Three-Month Transition Payment (Sterbevierteljahr) — Deutsche Post Renten Service
11. [11]
    The Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister) in the Event of Death — Bundesnotarkammer
12. [12]
    What to Do When Someone Dies and Social Security Survivor Benefits — Social Security Administration
13. [13]
    Burial and Memorial Benefits — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
14. [14]
    File the Final Income Tax Returns of a Deceased Person — Internal Revenue Service