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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of the Cause of Death

   • Deaths at state hospitals in Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, or Kosrae: When a death occurs at a state hospital (such as Pohnpei State Hospital in Kolonia, Chuuk State Hospital in Weno, Yap State Hospital in Colonia, or Kosrae State Hospital in Tofol), the attending physician under the state Department of Health Services and the national Department of Health and Social Affairs examines the deceased and completes the official Certificate of Death [1] [2]. You should present the deceased's Federated States of Micronesia passport, birth certificate, or voter identification card so personal particulars are entered accurately [1] [2].
   • Deaths at home or on outer islands and atolls: If your family member died at a private residence or on a remote outer island served by a local health dispensary, the local health assistant and municipal chief or mayor notify the state hospital medical officer so the cause of death can be verified and certified [1].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unattended deaths: When a death is sudden, unnatural, or occurs without recent medical attendance, the State Police or FSM National Police must be notified immediately before the body is moved [1] [5]. Police officers and the state medical examiner conduct an investigation and, where directed by the State Attorney General or court, a medico-legal autopsy at the state hospital morgue before releasing the remains [1] [5].
2. 2

   Register the Death and Obtain Official Death Certificates

   • Filing with the State Court and Vital Statistics office: In the Federated States of Micronesia, civil registration of deaths is carried out collaboratively between the state Department of Health Services (which compiles medical vital statistics) and the Clerk of the State Court in Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, or Kosrae, which maintains the legal civil register and issues certified certificates [1]. The physician-signed Certificate of Death must be filed with the state vital statistics registrar and registered with the State Court prior to burial or off-island shipment [1] [2].
   • Late or outer-island death registration: If a death occurs on a distant outer atoll where immediate transport to the state capital is delayed, the municipal magistrate or dispensary officer records the declaration and transmits it to the State Court Clerk for formal entry; if the statutory registration window has elapsed, a petition for delayed registration of death must be approved by the State Court [1] [6].
   • Obtaining certified copies of the Death Certificate: Once the death record is sealed by the State Court registrar, it is advisable to request several certified copies of the official Certificate of Death, as original stamped certificates are required for claims with the Federated States of Micronesia Social Security Administration, bank account settlements, and probate filings [1] [3] [4].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Mortuary Services, or International Repatriation

   • Hospital mortuary facilities and local burial: Mortuary refrigeration and preparation in the Federated States of Micronesia are provided primarily through the four state hospital morgues in Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae [1] [2]. Local burial takes place on family, clan, or municipal cemetery land in accordance with state public health sanitation permits and municipal customs once the Certificate of Death and burial permit are issued [1] [2]. Domestic cremation facilities are generally not available across the four states [2].
   • International repatriation and shipping of human remains: When remains are transported internationally into or out of the country, strict public health and entry documentation enforced by the Department of Health and Social Affairs and the Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia applies [2]. Required documents accompanying human remains include a Certified Death Certificate, a Certified Burial-Transit Permit, a Certified Letter of Non-Contagious Disease from the public health authority, an Embalmer's Affidavit confirming arterial embalming and placement in a hermetically sealed casket container, a copy of the deceased's passport or birth certificate, and the airline airwaybill and itinerary [2].
   • Consular legalization and U.S. citizen procedures: The Federated States of Micronesia is not a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention; therefore, official civil and court documents destined for foreign jurisdictions require formal authentication through the Department of Justice / Department of Foreign Affairs in Palikir and consular legalization [2] [5]. If the deceased held U.S. citizenship, the U.S. Embassy in the Federated States of Micronesia in Kolonia assists next-of-kin with local disposition clearance and issues the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad [5].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Pension, Tax, and Banking Authorities

   • Survivor pensions and lump-sum death benefits: Under Title 53 of the FSM Code, the Federated States of Micronesia Social Security Administration administers retirement, disability, and survivor insurance from its national headquarters in Palikir (Pohnpei) and branch offices in Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae [3] [4]. Surviving spouses (aged 60 or older, or caring for eligible dependent children) and unmarried dependent children (under age 18, or up to age 22 if full-time students) may apply for monthly survivor pensions equal to 60% (spouse) and 15% (each child, up to family maximums) of the deceased insured worker's benefit, alongside a statutory lump-sum death benefit where applicable [3] [4].
   • Required claim documentation and U.S. federal benefits: To file a survivor claim with the Federated States of Micronesia Social Security Administration, submit the certified Certificate of Death, the deceased's social security number, certified marriage and birth certificates, and recent tax or wage statements [3]. If the deceased also accrued work credits in the United States or received U.S. federal benefits, notify the U.S. Embassy in the Federated States of Micronesia, which coordinates with the U.S. Social Security Administration Federal Benefits Unit in Manila [4] [5].
   • Banks, employers, and passport cancellation: Present certified Death Certificates to local commercial banks (such as Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia or Bank of Guam) to freeze sole-name accounts, stop automatic deductions, and obtain date-of-death balance confirmations [3] [6]. Notify the deceased's employer or the National/State Office of Personnel to claim final unpaid wages and group life insurance, and surrender the deceased's FSM passport to the Department of Justice Division of Immigration and Labor [5] [6].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and Succession Before the State and National Courts

   • Filing for probate in the relevant State Court: Probate of wills, appointment of estate administrators, and succession to personal property and real estate are governed primarily by the laws and Probate Divisions of the respective State Courts (Pohnpei State Supreme Court, Chuuk State Supreme Court, Yap State Court, and Kosrae State Court), while the Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia exercises national appellate and constitutional jurisdiction as well as jurisdiction over diversity disputes between citizens of different states or foreign citizens [6].
   • Customary inheritance and constitutional land restrictions: Under the FSM Constitution and state constitutions, ownership of land in the Federated States of Micronesia is restricted strictly to FSM citizens, and succession to family or clan land in Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae is heavily governed by state statutes and traditional customary law [6]. Even where a deceased person leaves a written will for bank accounts and personal assets, transfers of customary land titles must comply with state lineage, clan, or traditional leadership rules enforced by the state land courts [6].
   • Creditor notices, taxes, and cross-border heirs: The court-appointed executor or administrator inventories the estate, publishes notice to creditors as required by state probate rules, settles valid debts, and distributes the net estate under court supervision [6]. There is no separate national inheritance or estate tax in the Federated States of Micronesia, though foreign heirs who are non-citizens cannot hold title to FSM land directly and must address lease or proceeds arrangements under state law [4] [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Country Profile - Micronesia — UNICEF Data / FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs
2. [2]
   Requirements for Shipping Human Remains to the Federated States of Micronesia — Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia
3. [3]
   Social Security Benefits - Survivor, Disability, and Retirement Programs — Federated States of Micronesia Social Security Administration (FSMSSA)
4. [4]
   Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific - Micronesia — U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA)
5. [5]
   U.S. Citizen and Federal Benefits Services in Micronesia — U.S. Embassy in the Federated States of Micronesia
6. [6]
   Supreme Court and Judiciary of the Federated States of Micronesia — Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia