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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or clinical deaths: When a death occurs at Belau National Hospital in Koror or a community health center operated by the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the attending physician examines the deceased and completes the medical certification of cause of death on the official Certificate of Death form (34 PNC § 4005) [1] [2]. Keep the signed medical certification, as it is required both for mortuary disposition and for formal filing with the Clerk of Courts.
   • Deaths at home (natural causes): If your family member died at home in Koror, Babeldaob, or an outer state from natural causes without a physician present, contact Belau National Hospital under the Ministry of Health and Human Services immediately so a public health physician or medical officer can verify the death and sign the medical portion of the Certificate of Death [1] [2].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unattended deaths: If the death was sudden, accidental, or occurred under unexplained circumstances, notify the Bureau of Public Safety under the Ministry of Justice (911 or +680 488 1422) immediately before moving the body [1] [6]. Police officers and the Office of the Attorney General coordinate medico-legal clearance and, where warranted, a forensic post-mortem examination at Belau National Hospital before issuing a formal release of the remains [1] [6].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Vital Statistics Office and Clerk of Courts

   • Competent civil registry authorities: Civil registration of deaths in the Republic of Palau is governed by Title 34 of the Palau National Code (34 PNC, Division 5 on Vital Statistics) and administered jointly by the Medical Records and Vital Statistics Office of the Ministry of Health and Human Services (at Belau National Hospital) and the Office of the Clerk of Courts at the Palau Supreme Court [1] [2] [3].
   • Statutory 7-day registration deadline: Under 34 PNC § 4005, every death occurring in Palau must be reported and registered within one week (7 days) after the death and prior to burial, cremation, or removal of the body from the state or Republic [2]. Late registrations after the statutory window require supporting affidavits and verification before the Clerk of Courts [2] [3].
   • Required documents and certified copies: The family informant (closest adult relative, clan representative, or funeral coordinator) submits the physician-signed Certificate of Death together with the deceased's Palauan passport, birth certificate, or Social Security card, and the informant's government photo identification [1] [2]. Once filed with the Office of the Clerk of Courts at the Palau Supreme Court, request multiple certified copies of the official Certificate of Death for social security, banking, and probate filings [2] [3].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Customary Funeral Rites, or International Repatriation

   • Burial-transit permits and national mortuary services: Before interment at a family, state, or community cemetery in Palau, the family must obtain a burial-transit and disposition permit through the Division of Environmental Health and Sanitation of the Ministry of Health and Human Services upon filing the completed medical death certification [1] [2]. Belau National Hospital operates the primary public mortuary facility in Koror for preservation and embalming of remains [1].
   • International repatriation of remains: When a foreign national dies in Palau or a Palauan citizen's remains must be transported internationally by air (typically via Roman Tmetuchl International Airport in Airai), the family must obtain an official Certificate of Death, an Embalming Certificate and Non-Contagious Disease Certificate from the Ministry of Health and Human Services, a Hermetic Casket Sealing Certificate, and consular transit clearance coordinated with the Ministry of State and the relevant foreign embassy in Koror (such as the Embassy of the United States, the Embassy of Japan, or the Embassy of the Republic of China) [1] [5].
   • Apostille and consular legalization: Because the Republic of Palau is a contracting party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, official Palauan Death Certificates and court records intended for use in another Apostille country can be authenticated with an Apostille through the Ministry of State (Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade) or the Office of the Clerk of Courts at the Palau Supreme Court; documents destined for non-Apostille jurisdictions follow diplomatic consular legalization through the Ministry of State [3] [5].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Healthcare Fund, Tax, and Financial Institutions

   • Survivor pensions and lump-sum benefits: Report the death promptly to the Republic of Palau Social Security Administration in Koror, which administers both the national Social Security Retirement Fund (41 PNC) and the National Healthcare Financing Program [4]. Eligible survivors (a surviving spouse, unmarried dependent children under age 18 or up to age 22 if full-time students, or dependent parents) may apply for a monthly survivor pension (equal to 60 percent of the deceased contributor's primary monthly benefit for a surviving spouse, plus 15 percent per eligible child up to statutory family maximums) or a statutory lump-sum survivor benefit if the deceased had not yet completed the minimum contribution quarters for a monthly pension [4].
   • Medical Savings Account (MSA) and Civil Service Pension Plan: File a claim with the Republic of Palau Social Security Administration Healthcare Fund to settle final covered hospital expenses and close or disburse any remaining balance in the deceased's individual Medical Savings Account [4]. If the deceased was a current or retired government employee, notify the Civil Service Pension Plan in Koror to process survivor annuity or refund entitlements [4].
   • Tax, business licensing, and banking closure: Notify the Bureau of Revenue and Taxation under the Ministry of Finance in Koror to close any individual business license, employer tax identification account, or Gross Revenue Tax filing obligation [5]. Present a certified Certificate of Death to commercial banks operating in Palau to freeze sole accounts and verify payable-on-death beneficiaries or probate requirements [3].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Probate, and Customary Succession (Cheldecheduch)

   • Palau Supreme Court probate jurisdiction: Estate administration and succession in the Republic of Palau are governed by Title 25 of the Palau National Code (25 PNC, Decedents' Estates) together with recognized Palauan customary law (Siukang), and are adjudicated by the Trial Division of the Palau Supreme Court [3]. Small estates consisting solely of personal property or bank deposits below the statutory threshold may be settled through a simplified small-estate petition, whereas larger estates or formal wills require a Petition for Probate or Letters of Administration before the Palau Supreme Court [3].
   • Customary family settlement (Cheldecheduch) and land ownership rules: For Palauan citizens, customary funeral and post-burial clan meetings (Cheldecheduch) held by maternal and paternal lineage elders (Rubak) play an important legal role in determining the distribution of personal property, house rights, and lineage obligations (Eldecheduch), which the Palau Supreme Court recognizes unless superseded by a valid written will or statutory provision [3]. Under Article XIII, Section 8 of the Constitution of the Republic of Palau and Title 39 of the Palau National Code, only citizens of Palau may hold title to land in Palau; land succession claims and title determinations are heard by the Palau Supreme Court and the Land Court [3].
   • No separate inheritance tax and cross-border heirs: The Republic of Palau does not levy a separate estate or inheritance tax on property passing to heirs at death, though standard court filing fees and business revenue tax clearances at the Ministry of Finance apply where commercial assets are transferred [3] [5]. Heirs residing abroad (such as in Guam, Hawaii, or the mainland United States) may appoint a legal representative or attorney-in-fact in Palau using a notarized and Apostilled Power of Attorney filed with the Palau Supreme Court [3] [5].

   Step	Deadline	Authority
   1. Medical certification of death	Immediately / within 24-72 hours	Ministry of Health and Human Services (Belau National Hospital)
   2. Civil death registration	Within 7 days (and before burial or removal)	Ministry of Health and Human Services & Palau Supreme Court (Clerk of Courts)
   3. Burial permit or repatriation clearance	Prior to interment or international air transport	Ministry of Health and Human Services & Ministry of State
   4. Survivor pension and MSA claim	Promptly after receiving certified death certificate	Republic of Palau Social Security Administration
   5. Estate probate and land succession	Following funeral / Cheldecheduch settlement	Palau Supreme Court (Trial Division & Land Court)

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Health and Human Services - Belau National Hospital and Public Health Services — National Government of the Republic of Palau
2. [2]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Country Profile: Palau (34 PNC § 4005) — UNICEF Data / Pacific Civil Registrars Network
3. [3]
   Palau Supreme Court - Office of the Clerk of Courts and Trial Division Probate — Judiciary of the Republic of Palau
4. [4]
   Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific - Palau — U.S. Social Security Administration / International Social Security Association
5. [5]
   Ministry of State and Ministry of Finance - Executive Branch Directories — National Government of the Republic of Palau
6. [6]
   Ministry of Justice - Bureau of Public Safety and Office of the Attorney General — National Government of the Republic of Palau