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

1. 1

   Medical certification of death, necroscopic certificate, and judicial clearance in Italy (immediately)

   The first medical step in Italy depends on the location and circumstances of death, in accordance with the Italian Mortuary Police Regulations (Regolamento di Polizia Mortuaria, Presidential Decree D.P.R. no. 285/1990) [1]:

   • Death in a hospital, clinic, or healthcare facility: The facility's medical management (direzione sanitaria) certifies the death, completes the death notice (avviso di morte) and the ISTAT cause-of-death statistical form (scheda ISTAT delle cause di morte), and transmits the documentation to the Civil Registry Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the competent Italian municipality [1].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: Immediately contact a doctor or call the single European emergency number 112 (or medical emergency 118) for the initial medical verification of death (constatazione di decesso) and reporting of the cause of death within 24 hours [1]. Subsequently, the official medical examiner (medico necroscopo) appointed by the Local Health Authority (Azienda Sanitaria Locale - ASL or ATS) performs the mandatory necroscopic examination - normally between 15 and 30 hours after death - and issues the necroscopic certificate (certificato necroscopico), which is essential for authorizing burial, cremation, or international transport [1].
   • Sudden, violent, or suspicious death (Autorità Giudiziaria): If death occurs without medical attendance, in a public place, or from violent or unexplained causes, law enforcement intervenes and the body is placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office (Procura della Repubblica). No sealing of the coffin, cremation, burial, or repatriation to France may take place until the magistrate issues formal judicial burial clearance (nulla osta alla sepoltura) [1][2].
2. 2

   Checking insurance coverage, appointing funeral directors, and contacting the French Consulate in Italy

   Before signing a private funeral contract, immediately check whether the deceased person held travel or medical repatriation insurance, assistance coverage linked to a bank card or French supplementary health insurer (mutuelle), or a funeral pre-need policy (contrat d'assurance obsèques) that organizes and covers the transfer directly [2]:

   • Coordination between a licensed funeral director in Italy and an authorized operator in France: To handle municipal and public-health paperwork in Italy and any cross-border transport, the family authorizes a licensed funeral company in Italy (impresa funebre autorizzata), which coordinates with a funeral operator licensed by a French prefecture (opérateur funéraire habilité en préfecture) for reception and burial or cremation in the French destination municipality [1][2][7].
   • National professional federations (neutral references): Clarvia provides these contact details for neutral orientation only and does not recommend, endorse, or rank specific commercial providers. In Italy, you can locate a qualified funeral provider through FENIOF (Federazione Nazionale Imprese Onoranze Funebri, phone +39 051 6650285, email [email protected]) [4] or FederCoFIt (Federazione Comparto Funerario Italiano, phone +39 02 33403992, email [email protected]) [5]. In France, you can verify licensed operators via the official portal Service-Public.fr (phone 3939 from France or +33 1 73 60 39 39 from abroad) [6] or contact the Fédération Nationale du Funéraire (FNF, phone +33 1 55 43 30 00, email [email protected]) [8] and the Fédération Française des Pompes Funèbres (FFPF, phone +33 1 46 60 24 24) [9].
   • Consular assistance from France in Italy: Report the death to the territorially competent French consular network: the Ambasciata di Francia a Roma (Embassy of France in Rome - Civil Status Department for Central and Southern Italy, phone +39 06 96 74 80 49, France Consulaire service +39 02 38 59 40 17, email [email protected]) or the Consulate General of France in Milan (for Northern Italy, phone +39 02 38 59 40 17) [2][3]. French consular offices assist relatives with administrative procedures, issue any required consular authorizations, and handle French civil status registration [2][3].
3. 3

   Registering the death in Italy (within 24 hours), multilingual Form C extract, and transcription for France

   The declaration of death (dichiarazione di morte) must be filed within 24 hours of death at the Civil Registry Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the Italian municipality (Comune) where the death occurred (for example at the Comune di Milano, Roma Capitale, or another competent municipality) [1]:

   • Certificates issued by the Italian municipality: The appointed funeral company or hospital management submits the declaration to the Civil Registrar (Ufficiale di Stato Civile), who registers the death record and issues the burial permit (permesso di seppellimento) [1]. Immediately request from the Italian municipality several copies of the full literal copy of the death certificate (estratto per copia integrale dell'atto di morte) and several multilingual death certificate extracts on CIEC Form C (estratti di morte plurilingue su Modello C, under the Vienna CIEC Convention of 8 September 1976) [1][2][3].
   • Exemption from apostille and recognition in France: Because both Italy and France are parties to the 1976 Vienna Convention and apply Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, the multilingual extract on Form C (Modello C) is directly valid in France before town halls (mairies), banks, notaries, and social security bodies without needing an Apostille or a sworn translation [2][6].
   • Transcription in the French civil status registers: Whereas a death occurring on French soil is declared at the local mairie within 24 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays) according to Service-Public.fr [6], when a French citizen dies in Italy it is advisable to request the transcription of the Italian death certificate into the French consular civil status registers (at the Ambasciata di Francia a Roma or the Consulate General in Milan) [2][3]. Consular transcription by post requires the original copia integrale dell'atto di morte (full copy of the death record) issued by the Italian municipality (a simple multilingual extract is not sufficient for consular transcription), together with proof of the deceased person's French nationality (French national identity card or passport), birth certificate, and family record book (livret de famille) so that the French birth record can be updated in the margin [2][3].
4. 4

   Choosing between international repatriation to France and local burial or cremation in Italy

   The funeral company coordinates the public-health and administrative permits according to the family's choice:

   • Option A - International repatriation of the body or ashes from Italy to France:
     • Municipal Mortuary Passport (Passaporto Mortuario) and sanitary requirements: Both Italy and France are parties to the International Berlin Agreement of 10 February 1937 concerning the Conveyance of Corpses (while France also applies the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement and the prefectural mortuary transit permit / arrêté préfectoral de laissez-passer mortuaire for departures from French territory) [1][7]. For repatriation from Italy to France, the funeral company applies to the Civil Registry / Mortuary Police Office of the Italian municipality of death for the Mortuary Passport (Passaporto Mortuario) [1]. Health regulations require an ASL certificate confirming the absence of contagious diseases and compliance with hygiene rules (antiputrefactive / embalming treatment where prescribed) as well as sealing in a double coffin (doppia cassa: an outer wooden coffin and a hermetically soldered inner zinc metal liner) [1][7].
     • Entry into France without a duplicate transit permit: Under the Berlin Agreement overseen by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale - MAECI) and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères - MEAE / France Diplomatie), the Mortuary Passport issued by the Italian municipality allows border crossing and entry into France to the French municipality of burial or cremation [1][2][7].
     • Repatriation of cremated ashes: If cremation takes place in Italy (following authorization by the Italian Civil Registrar based on the expressed wishes of the deceased or next of kin), transport of the sealed cinerary urn to France is accompanied by the municipal authorization to transport ashes and, where required, French consular authorization [1][2][7].
   • Option B - Local burial or cremation in Italy: If the funeral takes place in Italy, earth burial (inumazione), entombment in a niche (tumulazione), or cremation is carried out at the Italian municipal cemetery under the burial permit (permesso di seppellimento) issued by the Civil Registry Office after the necroscopic doctor's examination [1].
5. 5

   Survivor pensions, death grant, taxes, and succession in France and Italy

   With the multilingual Form C death extracts and the transcribed French death record, initiate the social security, tax, and estate procedures in both countries:

   • Procedures in France:
     • Assurance Maladie and French pension funds: Notify Assurance Maladie (CPAM / ameli.fr, phone 3646 from France or +33 1 84 90 36 46 from abroad) to close health insurance coverage and claim a potential lump-sum death grant (capital décès, if the deceased was insured as an employee or in an equivalent status in France) [10]. Report the death to Assurance Retraite (CNAV, phone 3960 or +33 9 71 10 39 60 from abroad) and the supplementary pension scheme Agirc-Arrco to apply for a survivor pension (pension de réversion) [11].
     • French notary and inheritance tax return in France: If the deceased had their tax domicile or owned real estate or bank accounts in France, contact a French notary through the official network Notaires de France (phone +33 1 44 90 30 00) to draw up the proof of heirship (acte de notoriété), query the French Central Register of Last Wills (FCDDV), and file the inheritance tax return (déclaration de succession) with the French tax authorities (within 6 months for a death in metropolitan France, extended to 12 months when death occurs outside France, such as in Italy) [12][13].
   • Procedures in Italy (if the deceased resided, worked, or held assets in Italy):
     • INPS and survivor benefits: If your family member received an Italian pension or paid contributions to the National Social Security Institute (INPS - Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale), check entitlement to an Italian survivor pension (pensione ai superstiti) (pensione di reversibilità for a pensioner or pensione indiretta for an insured worker) by submitting an online claim to INPS (or via a Patronato assistance office) [14].
     • Agenzia delle Entrate and Italian Notarial Council: If the deceased resided in Italy or owned real estate or assets in Italy, the heirs must file the Italian inheritance tax return (dichiarazione di successione) electronically with the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) within 12 months of the date of death (unless exempt because the estate passes to the spouse and direct-line relatives, does not exceed EUR 100,000 in value, and includes no real estate) [15]. To check for wills executed or deposited in Italy or abroad and arrange the formal publication of any holographic wills, you can consult an Italian notary and the guides of the National Council of Notaries (Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato, as well as the General Register of Wills / Registro Generale dei Testamenti at the Ministry of Justice) [16].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Funeral services, death declaration within 24 hours, and municipal Mortuary Passport — Comune di Milano
2. [2]
   Declaration and transcription of a death certificate in Italy for a French citizen — Ambasciata di Francia in Italia (it.diplomatie.gouv.fr)
3. [3]
   Checklist of documents for requesting transcription of an Italian death certificate into French registers — Ambasciata di Francia a Roma - Servizio dello Stato Civile
4. [4]
   International funeral transport and contacts - National Federation of Funeral Directors (FENIOF) — FENIOF
5. [5]
   Contacts - Italian Funeral Sector Federation (FederCoFIt) — FederCoFIt
6. [6]
   Death declaration, medical certificate, and initial formalities in France (F16507) — Service-Public.fr
7. [7]
   International transport of a body or ashes and prefectural mortuary transit permit in France (F35706) — Service-Public.fr
8. [8]
   Legal notice and contact details - Fédération Nationale du Funéraire (FNF) — Fédération Nationale du Funéraire
9. [9]
   Contact the Fédération Française des Pompes Funèbres (FFPF) — Fédération Française des Pompes Funèbres
10. [10]
    Declaring the death of a relative and claiming the death grant (capital décès) in France — L'Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr)
11. [11]
    Reporting the death of a pensioner and claiming a survivor pension in France — Assurance Retraite (CNAV)
12. [12]
    Estate settlement and the role of the notary in France — Conseil supérieur du notariat (Notaires de France)
13. [13]
    Inheritance tax return in France and filing deadlines (6 months or 12 months from abroad) — Direction générale des Finances publiques (impots.gouv.fr)
14. [14]
    Survivor pension (pensione di reversibilità and pensione indiretta) in Italy — Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS)
15. [15]
    Inheritance tax return for citizens - Deadlines (12 months) and electronic filing — Agenzia delle Entrate
16. [16]
    Guide to estate succession and searching the General Register of Wills in Italy — Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato