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

1. 1

   Medical Verification of Death and the Necroscopic Certificate

   The first requirement is the medical verification of death and the official examination by the necroscopic physician (medico necroscopo) under Italy's Mortuary Police Regulations (Regolamento di polizia mortuaria, Presidential Decree D.P.R. No. 285/1990) [1][2]:

   • Death in a hospital or care facility (struttura sanitaria / RSA): The hospital's medical management (direzione sanitaria) handles the verification of death, completes the necroscopic certification, and transmits the formal notice of death (avviso di morte) to the Civil Status Officer (Ufficiale dello Stato Civile) of the municipality [1].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: If the death occurs in a private residence from known natural causes, contact the attending general practitioner (medico curante) or out-of-hours medical service (guardia medica, or emergency numbers 112 / 118) to issue the initial certificate of verification of death (certificato di constatazione del decesso) and the ISTAT cause-of-death statistical form (scheda ISTAT) [1][2]. Subsequently, the medico necroscopo appointed by the Local Health Authority (Azienda Sanitaria Locale - ASL) performs the official post-mortem examination - normally between 15 and 30 hours after death - and issues the necroscopic certificate (certificato necroscopico) [2]. In the event of a sudden death in a public place, or a suspicious or violent death, emergency services (112/118) and law enforcement notify the Public Prosecutor's Office (Procura della Repubblica); the body remains at the disposal of the Judicial Authority until a formal burial clearance (nulla osta alla sepoltura) is issued [1].
2. 2

   Check Insurance Coverage and Appoint an Authorized Funeral Provider

   Before entering into financial commitments, check whether the deceased person held a funeral expense insurance policy or a prepaid funeral contract (contratto di previdenza funeraria) [2][3]:

   • Selecting a licensed funeral company (impresa funebre autorizzata): The family grants a mandate to an authorized funeral operator, which can be identified through municipal registries or the main national trade associations such as the Federazione Nazionale Imprese Onoranze Funebri (National Federation of Funeral Directors - FENIOF) or the Federazione del Comparto Funerario Italiano (Federcofit) [2][3].
   • Statutory observation period and funeral coordination: As a rule, the coffin cannot be sealed and burial or cremation cannot take place until at least 24 hours have elapsed since death (48 hours in cases of sudden death, unless early instrumental verification is performed or the Judicial Authority directs otherwise) [1][2]. The funeral company coordinates preparation of the body, transport, and filing of the medical documents with the municipality (Comune) to obtain the required permits [1][2].
3. 3

   Registering the Death with the Civil Status Office and Obtaining Certificates

   Under Presidential Decree D.P.R. No. 396/2000, the formal declaration of death (dichiarazione di morte) must be filed within 24 hours of death with the Civil Status Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the municipality (Comune) where the death occurred, under the institutional oversight of the Ministero dell'Interno (Ministry of the Interior) [1].

   In standard practice, the declaration is submitted either by the hospital medical management (for hospital deaths) or by the funeral company expressly delegated by the family, enclosing the certificato necroscopico and the scheda ISTAT [1]. The Civil Status Officer draws up the death record (atto di morte) and issues:

   • The burial permit (permesso di seppellimento): Together with, where requested and authorized on the basis of the deceased's expressed wishes or family attestation, the cremation authorization (autorizzazione alla cremazione) [1].
   • The death certificate (certificato di morte) and summary extract (estratto per riassunto dell'atto di morte): Including, where cross-border procedures are required in other signatory states, the multilingual extract on Form C (Modello C) under the 1976 Vienna Convention, which is exempt from translation and apostille [1].

   Recording the death in Italy's National Resident Population Register (Anagrafe Nazionale della Popolazione Residente - ANPR) automatically updates municipal population records and notifies connected public agencies such as INPS and the Revenue Agency [1][4].

4. 4

   Claiming Survivor Pensions and Social Security Benefits

   Even though the municipality transmits the death notification electronically, eligible family members must submit a formal claim to the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (National Institute for Social Security - INPS) to receive survivor benefits [4]:

   • Survivor's pension (pensione ai superstiti - reversibilità or indiretta): Payable to the surviving spouse or civil union partner, minor children, dependent student or disabled children, and - under specific dependency conditions - grandchildren, parents, or siblings [4]. It is termed a pensione di reversibilità if the deceased was already drawing a pension, or a pensione indiretta if the deceased was an insured worker who met statutory contribution requirements [4].
   • Accrued and unpaid pension installments (ratei maturati e non riscossi): Any pension installments or thirteenth-month bonus (tredicesima) accrued by the deceased prior to death but not yet paid out [4].

   Applications are filed online via the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale portal using digital credentials (SPID, CIE, or CNS) or free of charge through an accredited Patronato assistance office [4].

5. 5

   Will Search, Bank Notifications, and the Inheritance Tax Return

   To administer the estate, handle bank accounts, and fulfill Italian tax obligations, complete the following steps:

   • Searching for a will (Registro Generale dei Testamenti): You can verify the existence of public, secret, or officially deposited holographic wills by requesting a certificate from the General Register of Wills (Registro Generale dei Testamenti) under the Ministero della Giustizia (Ministry of Justice - Central Office of Notarial Archives, Ufficio Centrale degli Archivi Notarili) or by consulting a notary through the Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (National Council of Notaries) [6][7].
   • Notifying banks and insurers: Inform banks and post offices (Poste Italiane) of the death by submitting the certificato di morte. Accounts held by the deceased are temporarily frozen pending hereditary documentation (an affidavit of heirship, atto di notorietà, or statutory substitute declaration, dichiarazione sostitutiva dell'atto di notorietà, identifying the heirs, together with proof that the inheritance tax return has been filed where required) [5][7].
   • Filing the inheritance tax return (dichiarazione di successione): Heirs, persons called to the estate, or legatees must file the electronic inheritance tax return (dichiarazione di successione telematica) with the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) within 12 months of the date the succession opens (the date of death) [5]. Only the surviving spouse and direct-line relatives (children, parents) are exempt from filing if the gross estate contains no real property or real property rights and its total value does not exceed 100,000 EUR [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Status Regulations (D.P.R. 396/2000) and official guidelines on death registration — Ministero dell'Interno
2. [2]
   National Federation of Funeral Directors (FENIOF): National legislation and funeral services — FENIOF
3. [3]
   Federation of the Italian Funeral Sector (Federcofit) — Federcofit
4. [4]
   Survivor's pension (pensione di reversibilità and pensione indiretta) — INPS
5. [5]
   Inheritance tax return (Dichiarazione di successione): deadlines and filing procedures — Agenzia delle Entrate
6. [6]
   General Register of Wills (Registro Generale dei Testamenti): certificates and how to apply — Ministero della Giustizia
7. [7]
   General Register of Wills and citizen's guide to inheritances — Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato