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

1. 1

   Medical Verification and Medical Death Certificate

   The first mandatory document is the Medical Death Certificate (Certificado de Defunción), regulated by the Secretaría de Salud (Ministry of Health), which certifies the medical causes and circumstances of death and is required to obtain the civil death record and any sanitary permit [1][2].

   • Death in a hospital or clinic: If the death occurred in a public or private medical facility, the attending licensed physician (médico tratante con cédula profesional) issues the Certificado de Defunción directly and free of charge after verifying the identity of the deceased person [1].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: If the deceased person was under medical supervision for a known chronic illness and died at home of natural causes, the attending physician can attend to certify the death [1]. If death occurred suddenly without an attending physician, in a hotel, in a public place, or from accidental or forensic causes, do not move the body: report the death immediately to the 911 emergency line so that the Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Público or state Fiscalía General de Justicia) and the Forensic Medical Service (Servicio Médico Forense - SEMEFO) can perform the statutory autopsy and issue the corresponding certificate [1].
   • Sanitary timeline: Under Mexican health regulations overseen by the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks - COFEPRIS), burial or cremation must generally take place between 12 and 48 hours after death, unless otherwise ordered by the health authority or the Public Prosecutor's Office [2].
2. 2

   Funeral Insurance and Appointing an Authorized Funeral Home

   Before contracting funeral services independently, check whether the deceased person held a funeral expense insurance policy, a pre-need funeral plan, or institutional funeral hall coverage (velatorios) through the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute - IMSS) or the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers - ISSSTE) [3][5].

   • Appointing a licensed funeral home: Select a legally established funeral agency (agencia funeraria) that holds an operating notice and sanitary authorization from the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios or the state health authority (COEPRIS) and whose service contracts are registered with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor - PROFECO) under the applicable official standard [2].
   • Operational coordination: Provide the funeral agency with the Certificado de Defunción and the deceased person's official identification so that its staff can transport the body, prepare the remains, and obtain the local sanitary permits for burial, cremation, or transport within the statutory 12-to-48-hour window [1][2].
3. 3

   Civil Registry Registration, Civil Death Certificate, and Sanitary Permits

   With the original Certificado de Defunción, the family or the authorized funeral representative must appear before the local Civil Registry Office (Oficialía o Juzgado del Registro Civil) of the relevant municipality or borough (alcaldía) to record the death officially [1].

   • Issuance of the Acta de Defunción and permits: The Civil Registry retains the medical certificate and issues the official Civil Death Certificate (Acta de Defunción) together with the official burial, cremation, or transit permit (boleta o permiso de inhumación, cremación o traslado) [1][2]. Request several certified copies of the Acta de Defunción, as they will be required for banks, insurers, pension funds, and notarial proceedings; certified digital copies can also be downloaded subsequently via the official Government of Mexico portal [1].
   • International cases or documents for use abroad: If the Acta de Defunción must take legal effect outside Mexico, you must obtain a Hague Apostille (Apostilla) from the State Ministry of Government (Secretaría de Gobierno de la entidad federativa) where the certificate was issued, or contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores - SRE) where consular representation is involved [1].
4. 4

   Funeral Expense Grants, Survivor Pensions, and AFORE Retirement Account Withdrawal

   Once you have obtained the Acta de Defunción and the original tax invoice (factura fiscal) for the funeral expenses, eligible beneficiaries or the person who paid for the funeral can claim social security death benefits:

   • IMSS insured persons and pensioners: The person who paid the funeral bill (holding an original invoice in their name) has up to one year to claim the funeral expense grant (ayuda para gastos de funeral, equal to twice the monthly value of the UMA) at the Family Medicine Unit (Unidad de Medicina Familiar) of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (helpline 800 623 23 23), provided the deceased insured person had at least 12 contributed weeks in the preceding nine months or was a current pensioner [3]. In addition, the surviving spouse or domestic partner (concubina o concubinario) and children under age 16 (or up to age 25 if studying) can apply for a widowhood or orphanhood pension (pensión de viudez o de orfandad) [3][4].
   • ISSSTE insured persons and pensioners: If the deceased person was a pensioner or retiree of the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, the person who paid the funeral expenses can claim the funeral grant (pago de marcha, equal to 120 days of pension) by presenting the death certificate and original invoice to the relevant pensions department, in addition to applying for survivor pensions for eligible family members [5][6].
   • Individual AFORE retirement account: Legal or substitute beneficiaries can apply to the relevant pension fund administrator (AFORE), regulated by the Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (National Commission for the Retirement Savings System - CONSAR), to withdraw retirement funds following death by submitting the Acta de Defunción, official identification, a bank statement showing a CLABE account number, and the pension grant (or denial) resolution issued by the social security institution [6].
5. 5

   Estate Succession, Will Search, Banks, and Tax Deregistration with the SAT

   To administer the deceased person's estate, bank accounts, and tax obligations, complete the following steps in order:

   • Will search and succession proceedings: Consult a notary public through the directory or state associations affiliated with the National College of Mexican Notaries (Colegio Nacional del Notariado Mexicano) or a family court judge with the Acta de Defunción so that they can request an official search of the National Registry of Will Notices (Registro Nacional de Avisos de Testamento - RENAT), coordinated by the Secretaría de Gobernación (Ministry of the Interior - SEGOB) [7]. The RENAT is not open to direct public lookup; only a notary or judge can verify whether a will exists and which testamentary instrument was the last executed [7]. If there is a valid will and agreement among adult heirs, testamentary succession can be completed before a notary public; if there is no will or a dispute exists, intestate probate proceedings (juicio sucesorio intestamentario) must be opened to appoint an estate executor (albacea).
   • Banks and insurance companies: Notify banks and insurers by presenting a certified copy of the Acta de Defunción to block unauthorized charges, claim life insurance payouts as a named beneficiary, or release account balances through the appointed executor (albacea).
   • Taxpayer registry (RFC) cancellation notice: The executor or any family member must file the notice of cancellation in the Federal Taxpayer Registry due to death (Aviso de cancelación en el RFC por defunción - Form RX) with the Servicio de Administración Tributaria (Tax Administration Service - SAT) within one month following the death, presenting a certified copy of the Acta de Defunción and official identification by prior appointment [8].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Medical Death Certificate and Civil Registration in Mexico (Certificado de Defunción y Registro Civil) — Gobierno de México / Secretaría de Salud
2. [2]
   Sanitary Requirements and Funeral Services in Mexico (Guía para la Familia) — Gobierno de México / COFEPRIS y PROFECO
3. [3]
   Application for Funeral Expense Grant and IMSS Funeral Halls (Ayuda para Gastos de Funeral y Velatorios IMSS) — Gobierno de México / Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)
4. [4]
   Social Security Rights and Survivor Benefits Upon the Death of a Family Member — Gobierno de México / PROFEDET e IMSS
5. [5]
   Funeral Grant (Pago de Marcha) and Funeral Expenses for ISSSTE Pensioners — Gobierno de México / ISSSTE
6. [6]
   Withdrawal of AFORE Funds Upon Death for Beneficiaries — Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (CONSAR)
7. [7]
   National Registry of Will Notices (Registro Nacional de Avisos de Testamento - RENAT) — Gobierno de México / Secretaría de Gobernación
8. [8]
   File the Notice of Cancellation in the RFC Taxpayer Registry Due to Death — Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT)