What to Do When Someone Dies in Papua New Guinea: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or clinical deaths: When a death occurs in a public or church-run hospital in Papua New Guinea (such as Port Moresby General Hospital or a Provincial Health Authority hospital overseen by the National Department of Health), the attending medical practitioner examines the deceased and issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) [1] [2] [6]. Keep the signed original and make certified copies, as the hospital mortuary, the civil registry, and superannuation funds require it.
   • Deaths at home or in a rural village (natural causes): If your family member died at home or in a rural community from natural causes without a doctor in attendance, notify the nearest health center or community health officer under the National Department of Health or the local ward recorder so a clinical or community death notification record can be completed for civil registration [1] [2] [6].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: If the death was sudden, accidental, or occurred under unclear circumstances, notify the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) immediately before moving the body [1] [2]. Police refer the case to the Coroner under the Coroners Act (Chapter 32), who directs a medico-legal post-mortem examination at an authorized hospital mortuary and issues a Coroner's Certificate for burial and release of the remains [1] [2] [6].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry (PNGCIR)

   • Competent civil registry authority: Vital events in Papua New Guinea are governed by the Civil Registration Act 1963 (Chapter 304), as amended by the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014, and administered by the Registrar-General at the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry (which also manages the National Identification NID project) in Port Moresby and provincial capitals [1] [2].
   • Statutory registration deadline and fees: Under the Civil Registration Act 1963 (Chapter 304), the nearest adult relative present at the death or attending during the last illness (or the occupier of the premises) must submit the Death Registration Form within 28 days of the date of death (extended up to 3 months in remote districts) [1] [2]. Death registration and the issuance of the initial official Death Certificate by the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry are free of statutory charge [2].
   • Required documents: Present the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (or Coroner's Certificate), the burial or mortuary slip, the deceased's National Identification (NID) card or birth certificate, and the informant's NID card or passport at the nearest Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry office to obtain official certified Death Certificates [1] [2].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Provincial Transfer, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial, cremation, or inter-provincial transfer (Haus Krai): To arrange burial at an urban cemetery (such as 9-Mile Cemetery in Port Moresby) or domestic air cargo transfer of the casket to a home province for customary funeral rites (Haus Krai), engage a licensed funeral director or the hospital mortuary and present the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (or Coroner's release order) together with mortuary clearance from the National Department of Health [1] [2] [6].
   • International repatriation of remains: If the deceased was a foreign national or a Papua New Guinean citizen whose remains must be repatriated abroad (typically via Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby), the licensed funeral provider must obtain an official Death Certificate, an Embalming Certificate, a Hermetic Coffin Sealing Certificate, a Public Health Quarantine Export Permit from the National Department of Health, customs export clearance, and a consular No-Objection Certificate from the relevant foreign High Commission or Embassy in Port Moresby [2] [6].
   • Document authentication and consular legalization: Because Papua New Guinea is not currently a contracting party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, official Papua New Guinean Death Certificates and National Court probate grants intended for use in foreign jurisdictions must be authenticated by the Protocol and Consular Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Port Moresby and legalized by the embassy or high commission of the destination country [1] [2].
4. 4

   Claim Mandatory Superannuation Survivor Benefits and Notify Financial Authorities

   • Mandatory superannuation death benefits (Nambawan Super and Nasfund): Under the Superannuation (General Provisions) Act 2000, formal-sector employees in Papua New Guinea contribute to an authorized mandatory superannuation fund, principally Nambawan Super Limited (covering public servants and private contributors) or the National Superannuation Fund (Nasfund) [4] [5]. Upon a member's death, surviving nominated beneficiaries (Section 89 Nominees) file a Death Claim with Nambawan Super Limited or Nasfund to receive a lump-sum payout of the deceased's accumulated member and employer contributions plus any applicable group life insurance death benefit [4] [5].
   • Workers' compensation and public service entitlements: If the death resulted from a work-related accident or occupational illness, notify the employer and the Office of Workers' Compensation to claim statutory survivor compensation [4]. For public servants, notify the employing government department and the Department of Personnel Management to process final salary, accrued leave, and state death gratuity entitlements [4] [5].
   • Tax and banking notifications: Present the official Death Certificate and NID records to commercial banks (BSP Financial Group, Kina Bank, or Westpac PNG) to freeze sole accounts and verify estate release procedures, and notify the Internal Revenue Commission if the deceased held an active business Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) [3] [4].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Probate, Public Curator, and Customary Succession (Kastom)

   • Probate and Letters of Administration before the National Court of Justice: Estate succession in Papua New Guinea is governed by the Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1966 (Chapter 291) [3]. Where the deceased left a valid formal will (Testate Estate), the executor applies to the National Court of Justice (Probate Jurisdiction) for a Grant of Probate [3]. Where a person dies without a written will (Intestate Estate) leaving non-customary assets (such as bank balances above small-estate limits, State land leases, or company shares), the surviving spouse or next of kin applies to the National Court of Justice for Letters of Administration, or the estate may be administered through the Office of the Public Curator [3].
   • Statutory distinction between modern assets and customary (Kastom) property: Under the Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1966 (Chapter 291), customary land and traditional property owned by a citizen of Papua New Guinea are excluded from statutory wills and intestacy distributions and instead devolve strictly according to local customary law (Kastom - matrilineal or patrilineal clan rules), with disputes resolved through Village Courts and Provincial Land Courts rather than National Court probate [3].
   • No formal inheritance tax and cross-border coordination: Papua New Guinea does not levy a separate estate or inheritance tax on property passing to heirs upon death, although stamp duties and tax clearances apply to transfers of State leaseholds or corporate shares [3] [4]. Heirs living abroad may authorize a lawyer in Papua New Guinea to apply for resealing of a foreign probate grant or Letters of Administration before the National Court of Justice using a notarized and consulate-legalized Power of Attorney [2] [3].

   Step	Deadline	Authority
   1. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)	Immediately upon death	National Department of Health (Hospital) or Coroner
   2. Civil death registration (NID / PNGCIR)	Within 28 days (up to 3 months in remote areas)	Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry
   3. Burial, provincial transfer, or repatriation	Prior to burial or domestic/international flight	National Department of Health & Department of Foreign Affairs
   4. Superannuation death claim	Promptly after obtaining Death Certificate & NID	Nambawan Super Limited / Nasfund
   5. Probate, Public Curator, or customary settlement	Following funeral / Haus Krai	National Court of Justice (Probate) & Office of the Public Curator

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Registration Act 1963 (Chapter 304) - Independent State of Papua New Guinea — Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII)
2. [2]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Country Profile: Papua New Guinea (PNGCIR) — UNICEF Data / Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry
3. [3]
   Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1966 (Chapter 291) - Independent State of Papua New Guinea — Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII)
4. [4]
   Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific - Papua New Guinea — U.S. Social Security Administration / International Social Security Association
5. [5]
   Nambawan Super Limited - Member Death Benefit and Beneficiary Claim Procedures — Nambawan Super Limited (Papua New Guinea)
6. [6]
   World Health Organization Country Profile: Papua New Guinea Health System — World Health Organization (WHO)