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

1. 1

   Medical verification of death and issuance of the medical death certificate

   • Death occurring in a healthcare facility: When a death occurs in a central, provincial, or district hospital or in a private clinic supervised by the Ministry of Health of Mozambique (Ministério da Saúde de Moçambique), the attending physician verifies the death and issues the medical death certificate (certificado médico de óbito) free of charge, recording the identity of the deceased person and the clinical cause of death [1] [6].
   • Death occurring at home: If the death took place at home under medical supervision, the family must obtain the clinical declaration from the local health facility as well as an administrative confirmation from the neighborhood or local administrative authority confirming the identity and place of death [1] [6].
   • Unattended death or suspicious circumstances: In cases of sudden death without medical attendance, accident, or suspected foul play, it is mandatory to notify the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (Polícia da República de Mozambique - PRM) or the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) and the Public Prosecutor's Office so that the Forensic Medicine Service can carry out an autopsy before releasing the body [6].
2. 2

   Official death registration at the civil registry office

   • Where to declare and statutory deadlines: The death must be declared at a Civil Registry Office (Conservatória) or Civil Registry Post covering the place of death or the deceased person's last habitual residence, operating under the National Directorate of Registries and Notary (Direcção Nacional dos Registos e Notariado) within the Ministry of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs, which runs the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (SiRCEV). Under the Civil Registry Code, the declaration should be made immediately (and within the statutory 90-day period to avoid special administrative justification proceedings) [1] [2].
   • Who may declare and required documents: The declaration is made by the closest present relative, a legal representative, or an authorized funeral agency. You must present the original medical death certificate, the National Identity Card (Bilhete de Identidade), passport, or Foreign Resident Identification Document (DIRE) of the deceased person, and the declarant's identification document [1] [2].
   • Death certificate and burial permit: Once the death entry (assento de óbito) is recorded at the registry office or initiated via the User Portal of the National Directorate of Registries and Notary, the office issues the burial permit (boletim de óbito / guia de enterramento) and the official death certificate (certidão de óbito). It is advisable to request several certified copies of the death certificate for banks, social security, and notary offices [1] [2].
3. 3

   Funeral arrangements, burial or cremation, and international repatriation

   • Municipal burial or cremation permits: Burial in a municipal cemetery (such as in Maputo, Matola, Beira, or Nampula) or cremation at an authorized crematorium requires presenting the burial permit issued by the civil registry office and paying the applicable municipal cemetery fees to the relevant Municipal Council [1] [2].
   • International repatriation of mortal remains: If the family wishes to repatriate the body or ashes to another country, or bring home the remains of a Mozambican citizen who died abroad, it is mandatory to obtain public health clearance from the Ministry of Health of Mozambique, an embalming certificate, placement in a hermetically sealed metal-lined coffin, and a mortuary laissez-passer (livre-trânsito mortuário) coordinated through consular channels [1] [6].
   • Authentication and legalization of foreign documents: Death certificates or powers of attorney issued abroad or intended for legal use outside Mozambique must undergo consular authentication and legalization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation before being submitted to Mozambican registries or courts [1] [2].
4. 4

   Notifying social security, banks, and insurance companies

   • Funeral grant and death grant: When the deceased person was an insured worker or pensioner under the Mandatory Social Security scheme, surviving relatives should notify the National Social Security Institute (Instituto Nacional de Segurança Social) to claim the funeral grant (subsídio de funeral, which reimburses documented burial costs) and the death grant (subsídio por morte, a single lump-sum payment awarded to the surviving spouse, recognized de facto partner, eligible children, or ascendants) [4] [5].
   • Survivor pension: The surviving spouse (or recognized de facto partner) and minor, student, or permanently disabled children may apply to the National Social Security Institute for a monthly survivor pension (pensão de sobrevivência), submitting the death certificate, beneficiary card, marriage or de facto union certificate, children's birth certificates, and Bank Identification Number (NIB) [3].
   • Bank accounts and insurance policies: Heirs must notify commercial banks where the deceased person held accounts or loans and contact insurance companies to file claims under life or personal accident policies, enclosing a certified copy of the death certificate [2] [3].
5. 5

   Declaration of heirs, estate inventory, and inheritance division

   • Notarial deed of declaration of heirs: To establish formally who the legal successors of the deceased person are, the head of the estate (cabeça-de-casal) must request a declaration of heirs (habilitação de herdeiros) at a Notarial Office supervised by the National Directorate of Registries and Notary, submitting the death certificate, identification documents, marriage and birth certificates of the heirs, and a search for any will [1] [2].
   • Extrajudicial division or judicial inventory: If all heirs are adults with full legal capacity and agree on how to divide the estate, the partition may be executed by public deed at a notarial office; if there are minor heirs, incapacitated persons, or disagreement among heirs, a mandatory judicial inventory (processo de inventário) must proceed before the competent Judicial Court [1] [2].
   • Inheritance tax and cross-border coordination: The head of the estate must declare the gratuitous transfer of assets to the Mozambique Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária de Moçambique) and update land and vehicle registry records. Heirs residing abroad may execute a duly legalized public power of attorney to be represented in the declaration of heirs and division of the estate [1] [2].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (SiRCEV) - Death Registration Guide — Direcção Nacional dos Registos e Notariado (MJCR)
2. [2]
   User Portal for Registry and Notary Services — Ministério da Justiça, Assuntos Constitucionais e Religiosos (MJCR)
3. [3]
   Survivor Pension - Eligibility Conditions and Required Documents — Instituto Nacional de Segurança Social de Moçambique (INSS)
4. [4]
   Death Grant - Beneficiaries and Requirements — Instituto Nacional de Segurança Social de Moçambique (INSS)
5. [5]
   Funeral Grant - Application Procedure and Expense Reimbursement — Instituto Nacional de Segurança Social de Moçambique (INSS)
6. [6]
   Official Portal of the Ministry of Health of Mozambique (MISAU) — Ministério da Saúde de Moçambique