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

1. 1

   Medical Certification of Death and Issuance of the Medical Certificate

   • Death in a hospital or clinical facility: When a death occurs in a national university hospital (such as Ignace Deen National Hospital or Donka National Hospital in Conakry), a regional or prefectural hospital, or an accredited clinic under the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (Ministère de la Santé et de l'Hygiène Publique), the on-duty doctor or attending physician performs the clinical examination and immediately issues the medical certificate of cause of death (certificat médical de constatation de décès) [1] [3] [5]. This official medical document is required to authorize placement of the body in the mortuary and initiate civil registration [1] [5].
   • Death at home: If your family member dies at home, the family must call a licensed physician or the municipal health center operating under the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (Ministère de la Santé et de l'Hygiène Publique) to certify the death on site and issue the medical death certificate, supplemented where required by a neighborhood or sector chief's certificate confirming the identity and residence of the deceased person [1] [3] [5].
   • Death in a public place, accidental death, or suspicious circumstances: In the event of violent death, accident, or forensic suspicion, the judicial police or gendarmerie must be notified immediately [2] [3]. The Public Prosecutor (Procureur de la République) at the competent Court of First Instance (Tribunal de première instance), operating under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Ministère de la Justice et des Droits de l'Homme), orders a forensic medical examination; the body can only be released to the family for burial after express written authorization from the prosecutor's office [2] [3].
2. 2

   Civil Registration of the Death Before the Civil Registrar

   • Competent authority and statutory three-day deadline: Under the Guinean Civil Code and the administrative procedures published on the Official Portal of the Guinean Administration (Portail Officiel de l'Administration Guinéenne - Service Public Guinée), every death occurring on national territory must be declared before the civil registrar (officier de l'état civil) of the municipality (mairie) or sub-prefecture of the place of death within the statutory deadline of three days following the death [1] [2].
   • Late registration court order if the deadline is exceeded: If the declaration is not made within the statutory three-day period, the civil registrar can no longer record the death upon simple administrative declaration [1] [2]. The family must file a petition for a late registration court order (jugement supplétif d'acte de décès) before the Court of First Instance under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Ministère de la Justice et des Droits de l'Homme), which after a hearing orders the judicial transcription of the death into the civil registry [2] [3].
   • Required documents and obtaining official copies: For a timely declaration, the declarant presents the medical certificate of death, the birth certificate or national identity card of the deceased person, the declarant's own valid identity document, and, depending on the municipality, the statements of two adult witnesses [1]. Families should immediately request several certified full copies or extracts of the official death certificate [1].
3. 3

   Funeral Arrangements, Burial, and International Repatriation

   • Burial permit and public hygiene standards: No burial may take place without the burial permit (permis d'inhumer) issued by the municipal civil registrar after recording the death certificate and verifying the medical certificate confirming the absence of epidemic risk in accordance with the rules of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (Ministère de la Santé et de l'Hygiène Publique) [1] [3] [5]. Mortuary refrigeration, body preparation, and placement in the coffin must comply with municipal public health regulations [1] [5].
   • International repatriation of remains: If the remains of your family member must be transported out of the Republic of Guinea or repatriated from abroad into Guinea, an international mortuary laissez-passer is mandatory [1] [3]. The application file requires the official civil death certificate, a medical certificate of non-contagion, an embalming certificate (certificat de soins de conservation), an official report confirming placement in a hermetically sealed metal-lined coffin witnessed by health and police authorities, and consular authorization coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the public services listed on the Official Portal of the Guinean Administration (Portail Officiel de l'Administration Guinéenne - Service Public Guinée) [1] [3].
4. 4

   Social Security, Pensions, Banks, and Insurance Notifications

   • Private-sector survivor benefits: If the deceased person was an active or retired employee covered by the general social security scheme, surviving dependents must report the death to the National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale - CNSS) [4]. The National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale - CNSS) administers payment of the lump-sum death grant (capital décès) to eligible dependents, as well as survivor pensions (pension de réversion for the legally married surviving spouse and temporary orphan pensions for dependent children), upon submission of the death certificate, marriage certificate, children's birth certificates, and certificate of heirship [4].
   • Bank accounts, insurance policies, and final salary settlement: Submitting the death certificate to the employer triggers settlement of final salary arrears, accrued leave, and statutory severance, while Guinean banks place a protective freeze on individual accounts held by the deceased person until official hereditary and estate division documents are presented [1] [2] [4].
5. 5

   Opening and Settling the Estate in Guinea

   • Certificate of heirship and judicial or notarial jurisdiction: Under the Guinean Civil Code and the legal framework overseen by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Ministère de la Justice et des Droits de l'Homme), the estate opens at the last domicile of the deceased person [2] [3]. To establish the official list of legal or testamentary heirs, the family must obtain a court order or certificate of heirship (jugement ou certificat d'hérédité) from the competent Court of First Instance or have a certificate of heirship (acte de notoriété héréditaire) drawn up by a licensed notary [2] [3].
   • Asset liquidation and international coordination: The notary or court inventories movable assets and registered land titles (titres fonciers), settles estate liabilities, and oversees distribution among co-heirs [2] [3]. When an heir lives abroad or the estate includes assets outside Guinea, foreign notarial powers of attorney and civil status records must be legalized by Guinean diplomatic or consular missions before filing with the notary or court registry in Guinea [2] [3].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Issuance of a Death Certificate or Death Record in the Republic of Guinea — Service Public Guinée (Gouvernement de la République de Guinée)
2. [2]
   Application for a Late Registration Court Order for a Death Certificate Before the Court of First Instance — Service Public Guinée / Ministère de la Justice et des Droits de l'Homme
3. [3]
   Official Directory of Ministries of the Republic of Guinea (Health, Justice, Foreign Affairs) — Service Public Guinée (Gouvernement de la République de Guinée)
4. [4]
   Missions and Benefit Branches of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) of Guinea — Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS Guinée)
5. [5]
   Republic of Guinea Country Health Profile and Health System Overview — Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS)