What to Do When Someone Dies in Republic of the Congo: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical certification of death and forensic clearance

   • Death in a hospital facility: When a death occurs in a public hospital (such as the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville or the Adolphe Sicé General Hospital in Pointe-Noire) or an accredited clinic supervised by the Ministry of Health and Population (Ministère de la Santé et de la Population), the attending physician verifies the death and issues the official medical certificate of cause of death [1][4]. This document records the identity of the deceased, the date and hour of death, and whether death resulted from natural causes [1][4].
   • Death occurring at home: If your family member dies at home, the family must contact a licensed physician from an integrated health center or public hospital under the Ministry of Health and Population so that the doctor can examine the body and issue the medical death certificate required for civil registration and admission to a municipal or hospital mortuary [1][4].
   • Forensic and judicial intervention: In cases of violent, accidental, unexplained, or public-road deaths, the judicial police officer and the Public Prosecutor at the competent High Court (Tribunal de Grande Instance) under the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples (Ministère de la Justice, des Droits Humains et de la Promotion des Peuples Autochtones) must be notified immediately [1][2]. Under the Congolese Family Code, the civil registrar cannot issue a burial permit until the police inquiry report and the prosecutor's formal authorization are completed [1][2].
2. 2

   Civil death registration and statutory deadlines

   • Competent civil registry and declarants: Under Law No. 073/84 of 17 October 1984 enacting the Family Code (articles governing death records), the declaration of death is made before the civil registrar (officier de l'état civil) of the commune, arrondissement, or district where the death occurred [1]. It is made by the surviving spouse, an ascendant or descendant, a close relative, or any person possessing the most accurate information regarding the deceased's civil status [1].
   • Statutory time limits and required documents: The Family Code stipulates that the death declaration must be filed within the statutory deadline of one month from the date of death, upon presentation of the medical death certificate, the deceased person's birth certificate or national identity card, the family record book (livret de famille), and the declarant's identity document [1].
   • Late declaration and supplementary judgment: If the one-month statutory period expires before registration, the civil registrar can no longer record the death on a simple administrative declaration [1][2]. The family must petition the Magistrate's Court or High Court supervised by the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples to obtain a supplementary court judgment of death (jugement supplétif d'acte de décès) [1][2]. Request several certified copies and extracts of the official death certificate upon registration [1].
3. 3

   Funeral arrangements, burial permits, and repatriation

   • Municipal burial permit: No burial may take place in the Republic of the Congo without an official burial permit (permis d'inhumer) issued free of charge by the municipal civil registrar of the place of death upon presentation of the medical death certificate and confirmation that no medico-legal impediment exists [1][4].
   • Mortuary services and burial: Preservation of the body in a mortuary facility, coffin sealing, and burial in an authorized municipal or community cemetery are carried out under the supervision of municipal hygiene services and in accordance with sanitary standards set by the Ministry of Health and Population [4].
   • Interdepartmental transport or international repatriation: When the remains must be transferred to another Congolese department or repatriated internationally (to or from the Republic of the Congo), the family must obtain an administrative body-transfer authorization, a medical certificate of non-contagion, an official sealing certificate in a hermetically sealed coffin, and the corresponding consular mortuary transit permit [1][4].
4. 4

   Social security, survivor pensions, banks, and insurance

   • Private-sector survivor pensions: If the deceased was a salaried worker covered by the Labor Code, surviving dependents must report the death to the National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale - CNSS) to claim a survivor pension (for the surviving spouse and dependent minor children) and any applicable funeral grant [3][5]. The application submitted to the National Social Security Fund requires the official death certificate, the medical certificate stating the cause or manner of death, the marriage certificate, birth certificates of minor children, and proof of heirship [3][5].
   • Civil servants and banking notifications: For state civil servants and military personnel, survivor pension claims are processed through the Civil Servants' Retirement Fund (Caisse de Retraite des Fonctionnaires - CRF) [3]. At the same time, provide certified copies of the death certificate to commercial banks and insurance companies to freeze individual accounts held by the deceased and claim contractual life insurance or death benefits [3][5].
5. 5

   Opening and settling the estate (succession)

   • Mandatory framework of the Family Code: In the Republic of the Congo, opening and settling an estate are governed by Title IX of Law No. 073/84 of 17 October 1984 enacting the Family Code [1]. Succession opens at the last domicile of the deceased, and the law expressly protects the surviving spouse and children against any unlawful customary dispossession of estate property [1][2].
   • Family council, estate administrator, and notary: The Family Code provides for convening the family council (conseil de famille) and appointing an estate administrator or liquidator, whose minutes are ratified by the competent court under the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples or recorded by authentic deed before a Congolese notary [1][2].
   • Inheritance tax declaration and cross-border coordination: Heirs must file the estate declaration with the tax authorities and complete land registry transfers for real property [1][2]. If an heir resides abroad or the estate includes assets outside the Republic of the Congo, a notarized power of attorney legalized through consular channels enables representation in Brazzaville or Pointe-Noire without immediate travel [1][2].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Law No. 073/84 of 17 October 1984 Enacting the Family Code (Civil Status and Successions) — Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement de la République du Congo
2. [2]
   Judicial Organization and Jurisdiction of Courts in the Republic of the Congo — Ministère de la Justice, des Droits Humains et de la Promotion des Peuples Autochtones
3. [3]
   National Social Security Fund (CNSS) - Responsibilities and Social Insurance Scheme — Ministère de la Fonction Publique, du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale (Congo)
4. [4]
   Official Portal of the Ministry of Health and Population — Ministère de la Santé et de la Population (République du Congo)
5. [5]
   Official Portal of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) — Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale de la République du Congo