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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of the Cause of Death

   • Hospital deaths in Majuro or Ebeye: When a death occurs at Leroij Atama Zedkaia Memorial Hospital (Majuro Public Hospital) in Majuro or Leroij Kitlang Memorial Health Center in Ebeye (Kwajalein Atoll), the attending physician under the Ministry of Health and Human Services examines the deceased and issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death [1]. You should provide the deceased's Marshall Islands passport, birth certificate, or national identification card so personal details are recorded accurately [1] [2].
   • Deaths at home or on outer atolls: If your family member dies at a private residence or on an outer island or atoll served by a local health dispensary, the local health assistant and local government council notify the Ministry of Health and Human Services so a certifying medical officer can verify the circumstances of death and complete the medical death report [1].
   • Sudden, accidental, or unexplained deaths: When a death is unexpected, unattended by a physician, or involves suspected trauma or unnatural causes, the Marshall Islands Police Department (under the Ministry of Justice) must be notified immediately before the body is moved [1]. Police investigators and the medical examiner conduct a medico-legal inquiry and, where ordered by the Attorney General's Office or High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a post-mortem examination at the hospital mortuary before releasing the remains [1] [3].
2. 2

   Register the Death and Obtain Official Death Certificates

   • Filing with the Registrar General / Office of Vital Statistics: Under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (Title 26 of the Marshall Islands Revised Code), the medical certificate of death must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar General (Vital Statistics) in Majuro or the local government registrar in the municipality where the death occurred [1] [3]. Standard registration should be completed promptly following the death and prior to final disposition or export of remains [1].
   • Delayed registration of death through the court: If a death occurred on a remote outer atoll or was not recorded within the statutory period, the family must file a formal Petition for Delayed Registration of Death with the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands using the judiciary's official self-represented litigant forms and pay the prescribed court filing fee [3] [4].
   • Requesting certified copies of the Death Certificate: Once the death is entered in the civil register, obtain multiple certified copies of the official Republic of the Marshall Islands Death Certificate, as original sealed certificates are required for Marshall Islands Social Security Administration claims, bank closures, High Court probate petitions, and cross-border legal filings [1, 3, 5].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Mortuary Services, or International Repatriation

   • Hospital mortuary storage, local burial, and customary rites: Mortuary refrigeration and embalming services in the Marshall Islands are handled primarily through the public hospital morgues operated by the Ministry of Health and Human Services in Majuro and Ebeye [1]. Local burial takes place at designated community or family land plots with permission from the relevant municipal government and traditional landowners, accompanied by the medical certificate of death and burial permit [1]. Domestic cremation facilities are not available in the Marshall Islands [1].
   • International repatriation of remains: If the deceased is to be repatriated abroad (for example, to the United States or another Pacific or Asian jurisdiction), the Ministry of Health and Human Services prepares the body, performs arterial embalming, seals the casket in an airline-compliant hermetically sealed shipping container, and issues the Certificate of Embalming, Non-Contagious Disease Certificate, and export transit permit [1]. For deceased U.S. citizens, the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of the Marshall Islands issues the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad and disposition documentation [1].
   • Hague Apostille and consular coordination: The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. When an official Marshall Islands Death Certificate or court order must be used in another Apostille member state (such as the United States), obtain an Apostille certificate through the designated competent authority (Office of the Attorney General / Registrar); Marshallese families residing in the United States under the Compact of Free Association may also coordinate document verification guidance through the Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands [1] [2].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Pension, Tax, and Banking Authorities

   • Marshall Islands Social Security Administration survivor and lump-sum benefits: Notify the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (MISSA) in Majuro or Ebeye as soon as the Death Certificate is issued [5]. Under the Social Security Act, surviving spouses, dependent children, and eligible dependent parents of an insured worker may claim monthly survivor pensions as well as a statutory lump-sum burial/death benefit by submitting the official Death Certificate, marriage and birth certificates, and the deceased's MISSA number [5].
   • Workers' compensation and U.S. Social Security coordination: If the death was work-related, file a claim with the Workers' Compensation Division administered alongside the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration [5]. If the deceased also worked in the United States or received U.S. federal benefits, notify the U.S. Social Security Administration or the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of the Marshall Islands [1] [5].
   • Bank accounts, employers, and passport cancellation: Present certified Death Certificates to local banks (such as Bank of Marshall Islands or Bank of Guam in Majuro) to freeze individual accounts and request date-of-death balance letters for probate [3]. Notify the deceased's employer (or the Public Service Commission for civil servants) to process final accrued wages and life insurance, and surrender the deceased's passport for cancellation [2].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and File for Probate at the High Court

   • Filing a Probate Petition with the High Court: Estate administration in the Marshall Islands is governed by the Probate Code (Title 25 of the Marshall Islands Revised Code) and the Marshall Islands Rules of Civil Procedure before the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands [3] [6]. The executor or next-of-kin files a formal Probate Petition, Probate Notice Order, and Probate Announcement with the Clerk of Courts, attaching the original will (if any), the certified Death Certificate, an inventory of estate assets and debts, and the scheduled court filing fee [3, 4, 6].
   • Customary wills (Kalimur) and traditional land tenure: In the Marshall Islands, personal property, bank funds, and statutory death benefits are administered through High Court probate, whereas rights to customary land (bwidrej) are governed by Marshallese matrilineal custom and customary testamentary dispositions (kalimur) [3] [6]. When a probate dispute involves customary land titles or Iroij, Alap, and Senior Dri Jerbal interests, the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands may certify customary questions to the Traditional Rights Court for determination [6].
   • Court notice period, creditor claims, and cross-border assets: After the Probate Notice Order is published and the statutory notice period for creditors and interested heirs expires, the High Court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration authorizing distribution of the net estate [3] [6]. There is no separate national inheritance tax in the Marshall Islands, though outstanding debts and court fees must be paid before final distribution [4] [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Disposition of Remains Report - Republic of the Marshall Islands — U.S. Embassy in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
2. [2]
   Consular Services and Citizen Documentation — Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
3. [3]
   Court Forms for Self-Represented Litigants - Probate and Delayed Registration — Republic of the Marshall Islands Judiciary
4. [4]
   Schedule of Court Costs and Fees (General Order) — High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands
5. [5]
   Social Security Benefits and Disability Administration — Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (MISSA)
6. [6]
   Marshall Islands Rules of Civil Procedure — Republic of the Marshall Islands Judiciary