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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Cause of Death

   • Hospital or clinic deaths: When a death occurs at Seychelles Hospital on Mahe, Baie Ste Anne Hospital on Praslin, La Digue Hospital, or a private clinic overseen by the Ministry of Health, the attending medical practitioner examines the deceased and issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death [3]. Under current procedures, healthcare personnel also transmit an electronic death notification directly to the Civil Status Office to prepare the civil register entry [1] [2].
   • Deaths at home (expected or natural causes): If your family member passed away at home under ongoing medical supervision, contact the regional community health centre under the Ministry of Health or the treating physician so a doctor can verify the death and issue the medical certificate [2] [3].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: Where a medical certificate cannot be issued immediately - or if the death was sudden, accidental, or unattended by a physician - the informants must notify the Seychelles Police Force before any civil declaration takes place [1] [2]. Police authorities coordinate with the forensic pathologist and judicial authorities under the Supreme Court of Seychelles for an inquiry or post-mortem examination before releasing the body and issuing medical clearance for registration [1] [5].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Civil Status Office

   • Statutory 24-hour deadline: In Seychelles, a death must normally be declared and registered at the Civil Status Office (under the Division of Immigration and Civil Status) within 24 hours of the passing [1] [2]. The main office is located at Independence House in Victoria, Mahe, with branch civil status services available on Praslin and La Digue and weekend/public holiday standby hours for urgent burial clearances [1] [2].
   • Two informants required: Formal registration requires the physical presence of two adult informants (typically close relatives or next of kin who have knowledge of the deceased's civil particulars) [1] [2].
   • Required documentation: The two informants must present the original Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, the National Identity Card (or passport) of the deceased, the deceased's birth and marriage certificates if available, and the valid National Identity Cards of both informants [1] [2].
   • Issuance of certificates and burial permit: Upon completing the entry, the Civil Status Officer issues the initial official Death Certificate and the statutory Burial Permit [1] [2]. Additional certified copies of the death certificate can be ordered in person at the Civil Status Office or online through the Seychelles e-Government CertExpress service (typically SCR 50 per copy) for banking, pension, and succession filings [1] [2].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Mandatory permit before disposition: Under Seychelles law, no burial, cremation, or removal of human remains may take place until the Civil Status Office has registered the death and issued the official Burial Permit [1] [2].
   • Local burial or cremation: Once the Burial Permit is issued, the family coordinates with licensed funeral service providers, mortuary administration under the Ministry of Health, and the cemetery or crematorium authorities on Mahe, Praslin, or La Digue to schedule the funeral rites and grave allocation [1] [3].
   • International repatriation of remains: If the deceased was a foreign national or the family wishes to repatriate remains abroad, a licensed funeral director must obtain an embalming certificate and public health non-infection clearance from the Ministry of Health, an export permit and coffin sealing verification, and a laissez-passer for human remains from the relevant foreign embassy or consulate [1] [3].
   • Apostille and document legalisation: Because Seychelles is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, official Seychelles death certificates intended for use in another Apostille country must receive an Apostille stamp through the Foreign Affairs department or the registrar of the Supreme Court of Seychelles; for non-Apostille destinations, consular legalisation is required [1] [5].
4. 4

   Notify Pension, Social Security, Tax, and Banking Institutions

   • Seychelles Pension Fund (SPF) benefits: Notify the Seychelles Pension Fund promptly by submitting the certified Death Certificate, the deceased's National Identity Card, and claimant identity and civil status records [4]. Depending on contribution history and family status, the Seychelles Pension Fund administers the Surviving Spouse's Pension, Children's Pension for eligible minor or student dependents, or a pre-retirement or post-retirement death gratuity/lump-sum refund where no qualifying dependents survive [4].
   • Social welfare and funeral assistance: Where a household qualifies for statutory social assistance or funeral support, notify the Agency for Social Protection alongside the Civil Status Office funeral coordination unit [2] [4].
   • Banks, insurers, and tax authorities: Present certified copies of the Death Certificate to all commercial banks in Seychelles (where individual accounts are frozen pending executor or succession documentation), life and credit insurers, the Seychelles Revenue Commission to settle any outstanding tax obligations, and utility or telecommunications providers [2] [5].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and Succession Under the Civil Code

   • Governing succession law: Estate administration and inheritance in Seychelles are governed by Book III of the Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020 [5]. Seychelles law enforces forced heirship rules (the statutory reserve or reserve hereditaire), protecting reserved shares for surviving children and, where applicable, the surviving spouse, meaning a testator may freely dispose of only the disposable portion (quotite disponible) by will [5].
   • Testate vs. intestate procedures: If your family member left a valid authentic, mystic, or holographic will, it must be presented to a Seychelles notary or proved before the Supreme Court of Seychelles so the appointed testamentary executor can act [5]. If the deceased died intestate (without a will) and the estate includes immovable property (land or real estate in Seychelles) or contested claims, the heirs must petition the Supreme Court of Seychelles to appoint a fiduciary executor to administer and distribute the estate [5].
   • Fiduciary administration and property transfers: Under the Civil Code of Seychelles, co-heirs hold immovable property through a fiduciary mechanism rather than direct undivided co-ownership; the appointed executor or notary pays verified estate debts, settles stamp or registration duties at the Land Registrar, and transfers or distributes the net estate to the lawful heirs [5].
   • Cross-border heirs and foreign assets: Heirs residing outside Seychelles may execute a notarised power of attorney (legalised with a Hague Apostille) authorising a local legal practitioner or notary to represent them before the Supreme Court of Seychelles, while foreign assets generally require separate ancillary succession proceedings in the jurisdiction where those assets are located [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Civil Status - Death Registration Procedures and Requirements — Department of Immigration and Civil Status (Republic of Seychelles)
2. [2]
   MyCitizen - Death Registration and Civil Status Guide — Seychelles National e-Government Portal (eGov)
3. [3]
   Ministry of Health - Public Healthcare and Hospital Services — Ministry of Health (Republic of Seychelles)
4. [4]
   Seychelles Pension Fund - Survivor Pensions and Death Gratuities — Seychelles Pension Fund (SPF)
5. [5]
   Civil Code of Seychelles Act 2020 - Book III Succession and Wills — Judiciary of Seychelles