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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Hospital or clinical deaths: When a death occurs at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara, a provincial hospital (such as Kilu'ufi Hospital in Malaita, Gizo Hospital in Western Province, or Kirakira Hospital in Makira-Ulawa), or an Area Health Centre operated by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), the attending medical practitioner examines the body and issues an official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) [1] [2]. We suggest requesting multiple signed copies from the hospital medical records office before moving the deceased from the mortuary.
   • Deaths at home or in rural and outer-island villages (natural causes): If your family member died at home or in a rural community from natural causes without a doctor present, notify the nearest Rural Health Clinic or Area Health Centre under the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) so a registered nurse or medical officer can issue a clinical death notification, supplemented by written confirmation from the village chief, catechist, or officiating church minister [1] [3].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: Under the Death and Fire Inquiries Act (Cap. 7) and court oversight linked with the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA), any sudden, violent, accidental, or unexplained death must be reported immediately to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) [4]. Police officers refer the matter to a Magistrate acting as Coroner, who may direct a forensic post-mortem examination at the National Referral Hospital mortuary before authorizing release of the body for burial [1] [4].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Ministry of Home Affairs

   • Statutory registration authority and deadline: Under the Births and Deaths (Registration) Act (Cap. 168), all deaths occurring in Solomon Islands must be registered with the Civil Registration Office (Office of the Registrar General of Births and Deaths) within the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Honiara or through designated provincial civil registration officers [2] [3]. Families should submit the death notification within the statutory two-month (60-day) reporting window so the entry is recorded in the National Civil Registration Database without late-registration formalities [2] [3].
   • Required documents for civil registration: To register the death and obtain an official Solomon Islands Death Certificate, an immediate relative or informant must present the completed Death Registration Form, the original Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (or rural health clinic and church/village leader verification for community deaths), the deceased's birth certificate, national voter ID, or passport, and valid photo identification of the informant [2] [3].
   • Late registration requirements: If a death is reported after twelve months from the date of death, the Registrar General at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) requires corroborating hospital or church burial registers, a statutory declaration explaining the delay, and payment of the prescribed late registration fee [2] [3].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial permits and customary burial: For burials in Honiara (such as at Kola'a Ridge Cemetery or Fulisango Cemetery), families obtain a burial permit through the Honiara City Council Environmental Health Division upon presenting the medical certificate of death from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) [1]. Many Solomon Islands families arrange domestic inter-island transport by ship or domestic aircraft to bury the deceased on ancestral customary land in their home province in accordance with local custom and public health sanitation rules [1] [2].
   • International repatriation of human remains: If the deceased was a foreign citizen or if remains must be repatriated abroad via Honiara International Airport (Henderson Field), the family and mortuary team at the National Referral Hospital must secure arterial embalming, a hermetically sealed zinc-lined shipping casket, a Certificate of Non-Contagious Disease and Embalming Certificate from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), an official Death Certificate from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and customs and biosecurity export clearance [1] [2].
   • Consular legalization (non-Apostille jurisdiction): If your family member was a foreign national, notify their High Commission, Embassy, or Honorary Consul in Honiara immediately to obtain a consular mortuary transit permit. Because Solomon Islands is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, Solomon Islands Death Certificates intended for legal use overseas must undergo diplomatic authentication through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade in Honiara followed by consular legalization by the destination country's diplomatic mission [2] [4].
4. 4

   Notify SINPF, Tax, and Banking Authorities

   • Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) death benefits: Under the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund Act (Cap. 109), if the deceased was an active or former contributor to the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF), surviving nominated beneficiaries or legal dependents should notify the SINPF head office in Honiara or a provincial branch office in Auki, Gizo, or Noro [5] [6]. Beneficiaries may claim the deceased member's full accumulated contribution balance together with the statutory Special Death Benefit grant by submitting the official Death Certificate, medical cause-of-death record, birth or marriage certificates proving relationship, and valid identification [5] [6].
   • Tax clearance and employer final settlements: Report the death to the Inland Revenue Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury in Honiara to close the deceased's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and reconcile any final salary, business tax, or public service gratuity entitlements [2] [5].
   • Commercial bank notifications: Provide certified copies of the Death Certificate to all commercial banks and credit institutions where the deceased held accounts (such as Bank South Pacific, ANZ Solomon Islands, Bred Bank Solomon, or Pan Oceanic Bank) so sole accounts are frozen pending estate administration [4] [5].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Probate, and Succession in Solomon Islands

   • Probate and Letters of Administration under the Wills, Probate and Administration Act (Cap. 33): Formal estate administration in Solomon Islands is governed by the Wills, Probate and Administration Act (Cap. 33) under the judicial framework connected with the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) [4]. Where the deceased left a valid written Will, the named executor petitions the High Court of Solomon Islands in Honiara for a Grant of Probate; where the deceased died intestate (without a will), the surviving spouse or next-of-kin applies to the High Court for Letters of Administration, or the estate may be administered by the Public Trustee [4].
   • Registered property vs. customary land succession: Under the Land and Titles Act (Cap. 133), only perpetual estates, fixed-term estates (such as registered urban land leases in Honiara or provincial centers), bank balances, shares, and personal property pass through High Court probate or statutory intestacy rules [4]. Customary land cannot be alienated by ordinary will to non-customary holders and devolves strictly in accordance with local clan and tribal custom, with disputes heard by local chiefs, Local Courts, and the Customary Land Appeal Court under the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) [4].
   • Summary table of key steps and authorities:

   Step	Deadline	Authority
   1. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death	Immediately after death	Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) / NRH
   2. Civil death registration	Within 60 days (2 months)	Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Civil Registration Office
   3. Burial permit or repatriation clearance	Before burial or flight	Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) / Honiara City Council
   4. Provident fund & tax notifications	Promptly after registration	Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) / IRD
   5. Grant of Probate / Letters of Administration	Before distributing estate assets	High Court of Solomon Islands / Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA)

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) - National Referral Hospital and Public Health Services — Solomon Islands Government Portal
2. [2]
   Ministry of Home Affairs - Civil Registration Division (Births, Deaths and Marriages) — Solomon Islands Government Portal
3. [3]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Country Profile: Solomon Islands — UNICEF Data / Pacific Civil Registrars Network
4. [4]
   Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (MJLA) - Courts, Public Solicitor, and Legal Administration — Solomon Islands Government Portal
5. [5]
   Member Benefits, Nominees, and Death Benefit Claims — Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF)
6. [6]
   Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific - Solomon Islands — U.S. Social Security Administration / ISSA