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

1. 1

   Medical Verification and Electronic Death Certificate (SICO)

   In Portugal, medical certification of death is completed electronically through SICO (Sistema de Informação dos Certificados de Óbito - Death Certificate Information System), under the technical supervision of the Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral da Saúde - DGS) and managed by SPMS, which automatically transmits the medical record to the civil registry services [1][2]:

   • Death in a hospital, clinic, or care home: The institution's physician verifies the death and directly issues the electronic Death Certificate (Certificado de Óbito) in SICO, providing the family or appointed funeral agency with the reference slip containing the certificate number [1][2].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: If the death occurs outside a hospital from a known natural cause, contact the attending physician or call the European emergency number 112 so that a medical team or the local health authority (delegado de saúde) can verify the death [1][2]. If there is any suspicion of foul play, violent death, or an unknown cause, police authorities report the matter to the Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público), which orders the transfer of the body to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses - INMLCF) for a medico-legal autopsy (or formal waiver) before the certificate is issued in SICO and burial or cremation is authorized [1][2].
2. 2

   Checking Funeral Insurance and Appointing a Licensed Funeral Agency

   Before signing a service agreement, check whether the deceased held a funeral insurance policy (seguro de funeral), life insurance, or mutual association coverage:

   • Licensed funeral providers and Social Funeral (Funeral Social): The family selects and authorizes a funeral agency (agência funerária) legally registered with the Direção-Geral das Atividades Económicas (Directorate-General for Economic Activities - DGAE), which also publishes the statutory rules and maximum price cap for the standardized Social Funeral (Funeral Social) [3]. Licensed operators are also represented by sector associations such as the National Association of Funeral Companies (Associação Nacional de Empresas Lutuosas - ANEL) and the Funeral Agents Association of the Centre (Associação de Agentes Funerários do Centro - AAFC) [3].
   • Transport, sanitary timelines, and itemized quote: The appointed funeral agency handles the transport of the body, ensures compliance with statutory sanitary timeframes for burial (inumação) or cremation (cremação), and coordinates directly with the cemetery or crematorium; it must always provide a detailed itemized quote (orçamento discriminado) before performing the service [1][3].
3. 3

   Civil Death Registration Within 48 Hours and Obtaining the Death Record

   A death occurring in Portugal must be declared within 48 hours of the death, discovery of the body, or completion/waiver of an autopsy, before any Civil Registry Office (Conservatória do Registo Civil) of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (Institute of Registries and Notary - IRN), either in person or online via the Justice portal [1]:

   • Declaration by the funeral agency: In standard practice, the funeral agency appointed by the family submits the death declaration to the Civil Registry Office (Conservatória do Registo Civil), presenting the electronic certificate number issued in SICO along with the deceased person's identification documents (Cartão de Cidadão or passport, taxpayer number, and social security number) [1].
   • Official Death Certificate (Assento de Óbito) and Form C: Registration and the first certified copy of the death record (Assento de Óbito) are free of charge and serve as the legal basis for burial or cremation permits (guias de enterramento ou cremação) [1]. If there are assets, pensions, or administrative procedures in another European country, also request a multilingual death certificate (certidão de óbito em modelo plurilingue) under the 1976 Vienna Convention [1].
   • Inter-agency notification: The civil registry electronically notifies the National Health Service (SNS), Social Security, and the Tax Authority, although surviving family members must still actively file benefit claims and estate tax declarations [1][2].
4. 4

   Claiming Death Grant, Funeral Expense Reimbursement, and Survivor Pensions

   Eligible family members or the person who paid for the funeral should apply for statutory bereavement benefits through Segurança Social (Social Security, via Segurança Social Direta or in-person service desks) [4][5]:

   • Death Grant (Subsídio por Morte): A lump-sum benefit paid to eligible family members (surviving spouse or qualifying de facto partner, descendants, or dependent ascendants, according to statutory priority) to help reorganize family life; it must be claimed within 180 days from the date of death [4].
   • Reimbursement of Funeral Expenses (Reembolso de Despesas de Funeral): Payable to the person who proves payment of the funeral costs with the original invoice and receipt when there are no family members entitled to the Death Grant; under the general Social Security scheme, the claim must be filed within 6 months from the first day of the month following the death (note: if the deceased was covered by the public-sector Caixa Geral de Aposentações - CGA scheme, the specific filing deadline is 90 days) [4][5].
   • Survivor Pension (Pensão de Sobrevivência): A monthly pension paid to the surviving spouse/de facto partner, children (orphan's pension), or dependent ascendants, provided the deceased met the minimum contribution period [4]. If claimed within 6 months following the death, the pension is payable retroactively from the month following the death [4].
5. 5

   One-Stop Bereavement Desk, Inheritance Qualification, Banks, and Stamp Duty

   To settle the estate, bank accounts, and tax obligations, the head of the estate (cabeça-de-casal - the estate administrator, usually the surviving spouse or closest legal heir) must complete the following steps:

   • Tax notification and Stamp Duty (Imposto do Selo) by the end of the 3rd month: The cabeça-de-casal must report the death and file the schedule of assets (relação de bens, Stamp Duty Modelo 1) with the Tax and Customs Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira - AT) by the end of the 3rd month following the month in which the death occurred [6]. This filing is mandatory even when all heirs are a spouse, de facto partner, descendants, or ascendants who are exempt from paying inheritance Stamp Duty [6].
   • Qualification of heirs (Habilitação de herdeiros) and estate division: To establish legal proof of heirship (and check the central registry for any will), visit the Espaço Óbito (One-Stop Bereavement Desk) or the Balcão das Heranças (Inheritance Desk) of the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (or a notary's office) to execute the habilitação de herdeiros, with or without immediate property registration and division (partilha) [6][7].
   • Banks and insurers: Notify banks of the death (and request a central search of accounts and insurance policies via the Bank of Portugal - Banco de Portugal and ASF if needed) by presenting the Assento de Óbito. The deceased's share of accounts remains frozen until the heirs submit both the habilitação de herdeiros and proof of the Stamp Duty (Imposto do Selo) filing [6][7].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Declaring a death (Civil Registry Office - 48-hour deadline) — Justiça.gov.pt (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado)
2. [2]
   Death Certificate Information System (SICO) — Ministério da Saúde / SNS
3. [3]
   Funeral Activity and Social Funeral (Funeral Social) — Direção-Geral das Atividades Económicas (DGAE)
4. [4]
   Death Grant (Subsídio por Morte) and Survivor Pension (Pensão de Sobrevivência) — Segurança Social
5. [5]
   Reimbursement of Funeral Expenses (Reembolso das Despesas de Funeral) — Segurança Social
6. [6]
   Practical guide after death: reporting to the Tax Authority (Stamp Duty by the 3rd month) and inheritance — Justiça.gov.pt
7. [7]
   Espaço Óbito and Balcão das Heranças (Qualification of Heirs) — Justiça.gov.pt