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

1. 1

   Official medical examination (*lijkschouwing*) and issuance of the medical certificate of death

   After a death, a physician must always perform a formal post-mortem examination (lijkschouwing) to confirm the death and cause of death before the deceased may be moved or buried [1][3]:

   • Death in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home: The attending physician or on-duty hospital doctor performs the examination. If the physician is satisfied that the death was due to natural causes, they complete the A-verklaring (declaration of natural death for the municipality) and the B-verklaring (cause-of-death statistical form placed in a sealed envelope for Statistics Netherlands, Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek - CBS) [3].
   • Expected death at home: Contact the deceased's general practitioner (huisarts) or, outside office hours, the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) so the examining doctor can issue the A- and B-declarations at home [2][3].
   • Unexpected or non-natural death (at home or in a public place): In the event of a sudden death in a public place, an accident, or any doubt about a natural cause of death, call 112 immediately and do not move the body [3]. If the attending doctor is not convinced that the death was natural, they are legally required to call in the municipal forensic medical examiner (gemeentelijk lijkschouwer, a forensic doctor from the regional public health service, GGD) and the police [1][3]. In the case of a non-natural death, the public prosecutor (officier van justitie) issues a certificate of no objection (verklaring van geen bezwaar) for burial or cremation once the investigation is complete [1][3].
2. 2

   Check funeral insurance and appoint a funeral director (*uitvaartondernemer*)

   Check whether the deceased left a funeral insurance policy (uitvaartverzekering, either in-kind services or capital payout), a statement of wishes, or a codicil (codicil) specifying funeral arrangements, and engage a funeral director [2][4]:

   • Choosing a certified funeral director: You can call the funeral insurer's 24-hour assistance number directly or choose a funeral director independently, for example through the Branchevereniging Gecertificeerde Nederlandse Uitvaartondernemingen (Association of Certified Dutch Funeral Directors, BGNU, reachable by email at [email protected]) [4].
   • Statutory time window under the Wet op de lijkbezorging (36 hours to 6 working days): Under the Dutch Corpse Disposal Act (Wet op de lijkbezorging), burial or cremation may take place no earlier than 36 hours after death (to allow time for any criminal investigation if needed) and no later than the 6th working day after death (weekends and officially recognized public holidays do not count as working days) [1].
   • Exceptions to the statutory window: If you wish to hold the funeral within 36 hours (for example, for religious reasons), permission is required from both the public prosecutor (officier van justitie) and the mayor (burgemeester) of the municipality of death; for a postponement beyond the 6th working day (for instance, so relatives can travel from abroad), the funeral director applies for an exemption from the mayor [1].
3. 3

   Register the death with the municipality (*gemeente*) and automatic BRP notification

   The death must be registered with the Registrar of Civil Status (Burgerlijke Stand) of the Dutch municipality where the death occurred [1][2]:

   • Who registers the death and required documents: In practice, the funeral director usually submits the death registration (aangifte van overlijden) on behalf of the family (although a relative may also do so in person) [2][8]. This requires presenting the doctor's A-verklaring, the sealed B-verklaring envelope for the CBS, valid identification, and, where applicable, the family marriage booklet (trouwboekje) [2][3].
   • Death certificate and permit for burial or cremation: The municipality draws up the official death certificate (akte van overlijden), issues a certified extract (uittreksel) for your own records, and grants the mandatory permit for burial or cremation (verlof tot begraven of cremeren) [1][2].
   • Automatic notification via the Personal Records Database (BRP): If your family member was registered as a resident in a Dutch municipality, the municipality records the death in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) [2][8]. As a result, government bodies - including the Sociale Verzekeringsbank, the Belastingdienst, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), the CAK, and the Vehicle Authority (RDW) - are notified automatically [2][8]. For general questions about the national bereavement checklist, you can contact Informatie Rijksoverheid (Central Government Information Service) by calling 1400 [2].
4. 4

   Check for a will (CTR), accept or renounce the estate, and obtain a certificate of inheritance

   Before paying the deceased's bills out of your own funds or distributing or selling items from the estate, it is essential to clarify the legal position of the heirs [5][6][7]:

   • Consulting the Central Register of Wills (CTR): With a copy of the extract of the death certificate, you can inquire free of charge at the Centraal Testamentenregister (Central Register of Wills, CTR, or through any Dutch civil-law notary office) whether the deceased executed a will and which notary holds it [5]. For general notarial questions, you can contact the Koninklijke Notariële Beroepsorganisatie (Royal Dutch Association of Civil-Law Notaries, KNB) via the Notary Helpline (Notaristelefoon) at 0900 346 93 93 [5][6].
   • Three choices for heirs: Each heir can choose between (1) unconditional acceptance (zuiver aanvaarden, where you inherit all assets and become personally liable with your own private assets for any estate debts), (2) acceptance under benefit of inventory (beneficiair aanvaarden, which protects your personal assets against unexpected debts of the estate), or (3) renunciation (verwerpen, where you waive the inheritance entirely) [6][7]. Be aware that actions such as selling or removing belongings of the deceased or paying estate creditors can be treated by law as tacit unconditional acceptance (zuivere aanvaarding) [6][7]. To accept under benefit of inventory or renounce the estate, you file a declaration with the estate register (boedelregister) of de Rechtspraak (the Dutch Judiciary, at the district court of the deceased's last place of residence), either directly or through a notary [7].
   • Certificate of inheritance (verklaring van erfrecht): A civil-law notary can draw up a verklaring van erfrecht (or certificate of executorship, verklaring van executele) enabling heirs or the executor to prove their legal authority to banks and institutions [6].
5. 5

   Settle bank accounts, pensions, SVB (AOW/Anw), and Belastingdienst taxes

   • Bereavement desks (nabestaandendesk) of banks, insurers, and pension funds: Report the death directly to the bereavement desk (nabestaandendesk) of the deceased's bank(s), mortgage lender, health insurer, property/casualty insurers, and occupational pension fund (these private institutions do not receive automatic BRP notifications) [2]. Where there is a surviving spouse or registered partner, no diverging will, and a limited account balance, Dutch banks often waive a notarial verklaring van erfrecht; check with the bank first [2][6].
   • AOW and Anw benefits via the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB): Following the automatic BRP notification, the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB, Social Insurance Bank) stops the AOW state pension on the day after death, pays a one-off death grant (overlijdensuitkering, equal to 1 month of gross AOW plus holiday allowance) to an eligible surviving partner or minor children, and adjusts the AOW pension of a surviving AOW-entitled partner to the single-person rate [8]. Depending on family circumstances, a surviving partner who has not yet reached the AOW pension age (and who cares for a child under 18 or is at least 45% incapacitated for work) can apply directly to the Sociale Verzekeringsbank for an Anw survivor benefit (Anw-nabestaandenuitkering) [8].
   • Income tax (F-biljet) and inheritance tax (erfbelasting) with the Belastingdienst: After the death, the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax and Customs Administration) sends a letter to the survivors' correspondence address and adjusts any benefits (toeslagen) [9]. For the year of death, you file a final income tax return for the deceased (online using a survivor authorization or via the paper F-biljet form) [9]. In addition, an inheritance tax return (erfbelasting) must be filed (for deaths prior to 1 January 2026 within 8 months of death; for deaths on or after 1 January 2026 within 20 months of death) [9][10]. For questions or to request tax forms, call the toll-free BelastingTelefoon voor nabestaanden (Bereavement Tax Helpline) at 0800 235 83 54 [9].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   When may a deceased person be buried or cremated? (Wet op de lijkbezorging) — Rijksoverheid
2. [2]
   Bereavement - What do I need to arrange? (Checklist bij overlijden) — Rijksoverheid
3. [3]
   Post-mortem examination and medical certificate of death (Lijkschouw en verklaring van overlijden) — Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot bevordering der Geneeskunst (KNMG)
4. [4]
   Association of Certified Dutch Funeral Directors (Branchevereniging Gecertificeerde Nederlandse Uitvaartondernemingen - BGNU) — BGNU
5. [5]
   Central Register of Wills (Centraal Testamentenregister - CTR) — Koninklijke Notariële Beroepsorganisatie (Notaris.nl)
6. [6]
   Accepting or renouncing an inheritance and the certificate of inheritance (verklaring van erfrecht) — Koninklijke Notariële Beroepsorganisatie (Notaris.nl)
7. [7]
   Accepting or renouncing an inheritance at the district court (de Rechtspraak) — de Rechtspraak
8. [8]
   Someone has died - AOW state pension and Anw survivor benefit — Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB)
9. [9]
   Next of kin - What do you need to arrange for taxes? (Belastingdienst) — Belastingdienst
10. [10]
    When must I file an inheritance tax return (aangifte erfbelasting)? — Rijksoverheid