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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or clinical deaths: When a death occurs in a public or private hospital in Pakistan, the attending medical officer issues an official Hospital Death Certificate (Cause of Death Certificate) recording the deceased's full name, Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number, date and time of death, and clinical cause of death [1]. You should request multiple signed and stamped copies from the hospital administration desk before moving the deceased.
   • Deaths at home (natural causes): If your family member died at home from natural causes, a registered medical practitioner (MBBS physician) who treated the deceased or examined the body must issue a medical cause of death certificate [1]. Where no physician attended the deceased in rural or residential areas, local Union Council or Cantonment Board rules allow two adult witnesses or a graveyard management receipt to support local verification [1].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or suspicious deaths: If the death was sudden, accidental, or unattended, you must immediately notify the local police station. Under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police prepare an inquest report and transfer the body to a government hospital Police Surgeon or Medico-Legal Officer (MLO) for a post-mortem examination before issuing a Medico-Legal Certificate and police clearance for burial or transport [1].
2. 2

   Register the Death and Obtain Official NADRA Death Certificates

   • Where and when to register: Civil death registration in Pakistan is conducted at the local Union Council, Municipal Committee, Metropolitan Corporation, or Cantonment Board where the death occurred or where the deceased held permanent residence, feeding into the Civil Registration Management System (CRMS) maintained by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) [1]. Standard registration should be completed within 60 days of the death; late registration after the statutory window requires an affidavit, late fee, and administrative approval from the local municipal or district authority [1].
   • Required documents for registration: A close family member (applicant) must submit the original hospital death certificate or graveyard burial slip, copies of the deceased's CNIC, the applicant's valid CNIC, and an official registration application form [1].
   • CNIC cancellation and updated Family Registration Certificate (FRC): Once the local Union Council or Cantonment Board issues the computerized NADRA Death Registration Certificate, you must visit a NADRA Registration Center (or use the Pak ID platform) to formally cancel the deceased's CNIC and obtain an updated Family Registration Certificate (FRC) [1, 2]. Both the NADRA Death Certificate and the updated FRC are mandatory prerequisites for all banking, pension, and succession procedures in Pakistan [2].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial or cremation permits: In Pakistan, burial is arranged through municipal graveyards, Cantonment Board cemeteries, or community welfare organizations (such as Edhi Foundation or Chhipa Welfare Association), while minority communities arrange burial or cremation at designated municipal grounds [1]. The graveyard or crematorium supervisor requires the hospital cause of death certificate (and police No Objection Certificate in medico-legal cases) and issues a burial or cremation receipt needed for civil registration [1].
   • International repatriation of human remains: If the deceased is to be repatriated abroad, a licensed funeral and cargo provider must arrange embalming at an authorized hospital mortuary, a non-infectious disease and hermetically sealed coffin certificate, a police No Objection Certificate (NOC), and airport health and customs clearance [1, 3].
   • Apostille and consular legalization: If your family member was a foreign national, you must notify their embassy or high commission in Islamabad or Karachi to obtain a consular mortuary passport or NOC. For Pakistani NADRA death certificates that must be used abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) provides official document attestation and Hague Apostille certification through its camp offices and authorized courier desks [3].
4. 4

   Notify Pension, Social Security, Tax, and Banking Authorities

   • Private-sector survivor pension and grants (EOBI): If the deceased was an insured private-sector worker or pensioner registered with the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), eligible survivors can claim a monthly Survivor's Pension or an Old-Age Grant by submitting the NADRA Death Certificate, CNIC cancellation slip, and updated FRC to the regional EOBI office [4].
   • Federal and provincial civil service benefits: If the deceased was a serving or retired civil servant, the family should notify the parent department, the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), or the relevant provincial accounts office to claim the family pension, death gratuity, benevolent fund grant, and official Assistance Package for Families of Deceased Government Employees [2, 5].
   • Tax and banking notifications (FBR and commercial banks): You must notify all Pakistani banks where the deceased held accounts or lockers; banks freeze sole accounts upon death notification until a valid Succession Certificate is presented [1]. The legal representative should also notify the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to settle final income tax returns and update the deceased's tax registration status [5].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Succession Certificates, and Cross-Border Assets

   • Succession Certificates and Letters of Administration via NADRA: Under the Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Act, 2020, legal heirs in undisputed cases no longer need to file lengthy civil court petitions. Instead, heirs apply directly through a NADRA Succession Facilitation Unit for a Succession Certificate (covering movable assets such as bank accounts, shares, and saving schemes) or Letters of Administration (covering immovable real estate) [1, 3].
   • Biometric verification and 14-day public notice: The NADRA succession process requires submitting the NADRA Death Certificate, the updated FRC showing all legal heirs, asset ownership documents, a 14-day public newspaper notice to confirm no objections exist, and biometric verification of every legal heir [1, 3].
   • Overseas heirs and contested estates: If any legal heir resides outside Pakistan, biometric verification can be completed remotely through Pakistan Missions Abroad coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) or by executing a digital Power of Attorney [3]. If a dispute arises among heirs or if there is a contested will, NADRA refers the matter to the competent Civil or High Court for formal judicial probate or succession proceedings [1]. Pakistan does not currently levy a separate federal inheritance or estate duty on inherited assets, though municipal property transfer fees and capital value taxes may apply when mutating real estate titles [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Succession Certificates, Letters of Administration and Death Registration Requirements — National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)
2. [2]
   NADRA Civil Registration and Pensioner Verification Guidelines — National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)
3. [3]
   Issuance of Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates for Overseas Applicants — Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
4. [4]
   Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution - Survivor's Pension and Benefits Portal — Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI)
5. [5]
   Assistance Package and Financial Rules for Families of Deceased Employees — Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)