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

1. 1

   Obtain the Medical Notification of Death

   • Hospital deaths: When a death occurs in a Hamad Medical Corporation facility (such as Hamad General Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital, or the National Center for Cancer Care and Research) or a licensed private hospital in Qatar, the attending physician records the cause of death electronically and issues the official Medical Death Notification, while the body is transferred to the Hamad General Hospital Central Morgue [1] [5].
   • Deaths at home or outside a hospital: If your family member died at home or outside a clinical facility, call emergency services (999) immediately without moving the body [1] [2]. Ambulance paramedics and the Ministry of Interior police attend the scene to verify the circumstances, and the deceased is transported to the Central Morgue at Hamad Medical Corporation [1] [5].
   • Police and Public Prosecution forensic clearance: For any death occurring outside a hospital, or where the cause of death is sudden, accidental, or unexplained, the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecution must issue a forensic medical examination report and a police no-objection clearance before civil registration, burial, or repatriation can proceed [1] [2].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Ministry of Public Health

   • Centralized registration at the Humanitarian Services Office: Official registration of deaths in Qatar is managed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) through the unified Humanitarian Services Office (located adjacent to the Hamad General Hospital Central Morgue in Doha) and online via the Hukoomi Government Portal [1] [2].
   • Statutory deadline and required documents: A death should be registered within seven (7) days of occurrence (and practically within 24 to 48 hours so burial or repatriation permits can be issued) [1] [2]. The informant (next-of-kin, employer/sponsor representative, or authorized embassy official) must present the electronic Medical Death Notification, the deceased's original Qatar ID (QID) and passport, the informant's Qatar ID, and police/Public Prosecution clearance if the death occurred outside a hospital [1] [2].
   • Official Death Certificate issuance: Once registered, the Ministry of Public Health issues the official Death Certificate in Arabic and English [1]. We advise requesting multiple certified copies (or applying for additional copies electronically through the Ministry of Public Health e-services on the Hukoomi Government Portal) for banking, pension, embassy, and court succession procedures [1] [2].
3. 3

   Arrange Local Burial or International Repatriation

   • Local burial in Qatar: No burial may take place in Qatar without an official Burial Permit issued at the Humanitarian Services Office after the Ministry of Public Health registers the death [1] [2]. Cremation facilities do not operate in Qatar; local interment takes place either at the Abu Hamour Muslim Cemetery (coordinated with the Ministry of Municipality and the Graveyard Committee, which provides ritual washing, shrouding, funeral prayer at the Mesaimeer Mosque, and burial free of charge) or at the designated Christian Cemetery in Mesaimeer [2].
   • International repatriation of remains: If your family member was an expatriate resident or visitor whose remains are to be repatriated abroad, the Humanitarian Services Office coordinates a single-window workflow: the relevant foreign embassy in Doha issues a Consular No-Objection Certificate and cancels the deceased's passport, the Ministry of Interior cancels the Qatar ID/residency permit and issues a cargo exit permit, and Hamad Medical Corporation completes embalming, sealing of the casket, and the Ministry of Public Health Certificate of Freedom from Contagious Disease [1] [2] [5]. Under Qatari labour law, the employer/sponsor of a deceased expatriate worker is legally responsible for covering the cost of repatriating the remains to the home country [2].
   • Document attestation: For Death Certificates to be used outside Qatar, have them attested by the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Doha and legalized by the destination country's embassy [2].
4. 4

   Notify Social Insurance, Employer, Residency, and Banking Authorities

   • Pensions and survivor shares (Qatari nationals): If your family member was a Qatari civil or military contributor or pensioner, notify the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) via the Hukoomi Government Portal [4]. Surviving spouses, children, parents, or eligible dependents can apply online for the calculation and disbursement of beneficiaries' shares of the retirement/survivor pension using the Death Certificate and the court's Determination of Heirs certificate [3] [4].
   • End-of-service gratuity and residency cancellation: Where the deceased was an employed resident, notify the employer to calculate unpaid wages and statutory end-of-service gratuity (which must be deposited with the court treasury or General Authority for Minors' Affairs if heirs are not immediately finalized), and ensure the Qatar ID is cancelled via the Metrash2 system [2] [3].
   • Bank accounts and Qatar Central Bank freezes: Upon notification of death, banks in Qatar freeze accounts held in the deceased's name (including joint accounts) until the Supreme Judiciary Council issues an official Determination of Heirs / Succession Certificate and distribution order [2] [3].
5. 5

   Obtain the Determination of Heirs Certificate and Administer the Estate

   • Determination of Heirs (Hasr Al-Waratha): To unlock bank accounts, end-of-service benefits, vehicles, or real estate in Qatar, the family must apply to the Family Court of the Supreme Judiciary Council (via the Al Mahakem digital portal) for an official Determination of Heirs and Succession Certificate (Hasr Al-Waratha), supported by the Death Certificate, family IDs, and two adult male witnesses confirming the legal heirs [2] [3] [6].
   • Minors' shares and estate inventory: If any heir is a minor or legally incapacitated, or if an expatriate dies without local heirs present, the General Authority for Minors' Affairs (GAMA) oversees the inventory, protection, and release of movable and immovable estate funds [2] [3].
   • Applicable inheritance law and real estate transfer: Qatar levies no inheritance or estate tax [2] [3]. By default, the Family Court applies Sharia inheritance shares unless a non-Muslim foreign national left an authenticated Will designating the law of their nationality under Qatari private international law (or registered a Will with the Qatar Financial Centre Wills Registry for QFC/local assets) [2] [3] [6]. Once the Succession Certificate is issued, heirs or their attorney holding a Power of Attorney authenticated by the Ministry of Justice (Sak portal) can transfer real estate titles and collect estate funds [2] [3].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Issue Death Certificate Service Details — Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Qatar
2. [2]
   Legal Affairs, Justice, and Civil Documentation Services — Hukoomi - Qatar e-Government Portal
3. [3]
   Supreme Judiciary Council Service on Determination of Heirs and Consensual Distribution of Inheritance — Hukoomi / Supreme Judiciary Council of Qatar
4. [4]
   General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) Pension Certificate and Beneficiary Services — Hukoomi - Qatar e-Government Portal
5. [5]
   Hamad Medical Corporation - Hospitals, Mortuary, and Patient Services — Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)
6. [6]
   Supreme Judiciary Council - Family Court and E-Services Portal — Supreme Judiciary Council of Qatar