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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or health facility deaths: If your family member died in a state hospital or private clinic under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the attending medical practitioner examines the deceased and issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death along with the Notification of Death form [1] [6].
   • Deaths at home from natural causes: If the death occurred at home and your family member was under recent medical care for a known illness, contact the treating physician or the nearest state clinic to confirm the death. If no doctor can immediately certify natural causes at home, notify the Namibian Police Force (NAMPOL) so officers can inspect the scene and authorize removal to a state mortuary [1].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: Under Namibia's Inquests Act, any sudden, unnatural, or accidental death must be reported immediately to the Namibian Police Force. Police forensic pathology services transport the deceased to a state mortuary for a medico-legal post-mortem examination and issue an official police report and mortuary clearance before civil registration can proceed [1].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Civil Registry

   • Competent authority and statutory deadline: All deaths occurring in Namibia must be registered under the Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration Act with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security [1] [2]. When a death occurs in an urban area, notice should be given within 24 to 72 hours (or up to 14 days in rural districts) and always before burial takes place [1].
   • Required documents for registration: A surviving relative or authorized informant must visit a regional civil registration office or hospital sub-office of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security and present: (a) the completed Notification of Death form and medical report from the certifying doctor (or the police report and forensic post-mortem clearance if the death occurred outside a hospital or under unnatural circumstances), (b) the original Namibian National Identity Card, full birth certificate, or passport of the deceased, and (c) the original identity document or passport of the family member registering the death [1] [2].
   • Issuance of the Death Certificate and Burial Order: Initial registration and issuance of the official Death Certificate and Burial Order are free of charge [1]. It is advisable to consider requesting several certified copies of the full Death Certificate at the time of registration, as banks, pension funds, and the court require certified originals [1] [2].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial or cremation: Engage a licensed funeral undertaker in Namibia to transfer your family member to a mortuary and coordinate with the municipal cemetery or traditional authority. A cemetery or crematorium cannot proceed without the official Burial Order issued upon civil registration [1].
   • International repatriation of remains: If your family member was a foreign national or if the remains must be transported outside Namibia, the funeral director must obtain: (a) a certified Death Certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security [1], (b) an embalming and non-infectious disease certificate plus an export/removal permit from the environmental health division of the Ministry of Health and Social Services [6], (c) a sealing certificate confirming the body is enclosed in a hermetically sealed zinc-lined coffin, and (d) consular clearance or a laissez-passer from the destination country's embassy or high commission.
   • Apostille and document legalization: Because Namibia is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, Namibian Death Certificates and estate records intended for use in another Apostille country should be authenticated with an Apostille through the Ministry of Justice or the Registrar of the High Court [3]. For non-Apostille countries, documents require diplomatic or consular legalization.
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Pension, Tax, and Financial Authorities

   • Social Security Commission claims: If the deceased was employed in Namibia and registered under the Maternity, Sick, and Death (MSD) Fund or the Funeral Benefit Scheme, eligible dependents or the person who paid funeral expenses can claim a death and funeral benefit from the Social Security Commission [5]. Claims must be submitted on the prescribed MSD claim forms with certified copies of the Death Certificate, deceased's ID, claimant's ID, and marriage or birth certificates proving dependency [5].
   • Government Institutions Pension Fund benefits: If your family member was a civil servant, public sector employee, or state retiree, notify the human resources department of the participating employer and submit funeral benefit, spouse's pension, and child's pension claims to the Government Institutions Pension Fund [4]. Required documents include certified copies of the Death Certificate, National IDs, full birth certificates of minor or student children, marriage certificate, and a bank confirmation letter [4].
   • Old-age social grant, tax, and banking notifications: If the deceased received a state old-age or disability social grant, notify the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare immediately to stop overpayments. Notify the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) for final income tax assessment, and present the Death Certificate to Namibian commercial banks so individual accounts are frozen pending estate administration [3].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and Succession

   • Reporting the estate to the Master of the High Court: Under the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965, every deceased estate in Namibia with assets must be reported within 14 days of death to the Master of the High Court (under the Ministry of Justice) in Windhoek or Oshakati, or to the local Magistrate's Court for smaller regional estates [3].
   • Required probate filings: The surviving family or nominated executor must lodge a Death Notice (Form D1), the original Last Will and Testament (if the deceased left a will), a Next-of-Kin Affidavit (if intestate), a preliminary Inventory of all movable and immovable assets, and a nomination for the appointment of an executor [3].
   • Letters of Executorship vs. Letters of Authority: For estates exceeding the statutory small-estate threshold, the Master of the High Court issues formal Letters of Executorship, requiring the executor (assisted by a Namibian legal practitioner, trust company, or auditor) to publish notices to creditors in the Government Gazette and a local newspaper and lodge a Liquidation and Distribution Account [3]. For smaller estates below the statutory threshold, the Master issues simplified Letters of Authority under Section 18(3) of the Act [3].
   • Taxation and cross-border coordination: Namibia does not levy a separate statutory estate duty or inheritance tax on beneficiaries, though estate administration fees, Master's fees, and deeds registry transfer fees apply [3]. If an heir resides abroad or if the deceased held foreign assets, a foreign grant of probate can be resealed by the Master of the High Court in Namibia, or an heir living outside Namibia can execute a special Power of Attorney (authenticated by Apostille) authorizing a Namibian attorney to represent their succession share [3].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Marriage and Death Registration Information — Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS)
2. [2]
   E-Services Portal - Civil Registration Services — Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS)
3. [3]
   Master of the High Court - Administration of Deceased Estates — Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
4. [4]
   Member Benefits - Funeral, Death, and Survivor Benefits — Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF)
5. [5]
   Funeral Benefit Scheme and MSD Fund — Social Security Commission (SSC)
6. [6]
   Official Health Policy Documents and Public Health Services — Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS)