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

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death or Police Coroner Clearance

   • Hospital or health facility deaths: When a death occurs in a national referral hospital (such as Muhimbili National Hospital), regional referral hospital, district hospital, or licensed private clinic overseen by the Ministry of Health and supported by the World Health Organization Country Office for Tanzania [5], the attending medical practitioner examines the deceased and issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Notification of Death form) [1] [4].
   • Deaths at home or in the community: If your family member died at home from natural causes in Mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar, notify the local village or street executive officer (Mtendaji wa Mtaa / Kijiji) or Sheha (in Zanzibar) and report the death to the nearest government health facility and local police station so a medical officer can confirm the death and issue the official death notification [1] [4].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained deaths: Under Tanzania's Inquests Act (Cap. 24), any sudden, violent, accidental, or unnatural death must be reported immediately to the Tanzania Police Force [6]. Police officers inspect the scene, transfer the body to a designated public hospital mortuary for a forensic post-mortem examination, and issue Police Form 99 (PF 99) and a coroner's burial or release order once the examination is complete [6].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency

   • Competent civil registry authority: In Mainland Tanzania, compulsory registration of deaths is governed by the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap. 108) and administered by the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency [1] [4]. (If the death occurred in Zanzibar, civil registration is handled by the Zanzibar Civil Status Registration Agency under its corresponding statute.)
   • Statutory deadline and required documents: A death occurring in Tanzania must be registered within 30 days of occurrence [4]. A surviving spouse, adult relative, or authorized informant submits the application at the District Registrar's office or via the eRITA online portal of the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency, presenting: (a) the hospital Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (or Police Form 99 and post-mortem report for non-hospital/unnatural deaths), (b) a confirmation letter from the local Ward or Street Executive Officer (Mtendaji wa Kata/Mtaa) for community deaths, (c) the deceased's National Identification Authority (NIDA) ID card, passport, or voter ID, and (d) the informant's valid identity document [1] [4].
   • Official Death Certificate issuance: Upon verification and payment of the modest statutory fee, the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency issues the official Death Certificate (Cheti cha Kifo) and Burial Permit [1] [4]. Request multiple certified copies of the Death Certificate, as banks, pension funds, and probate courts require certified originals [1].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Local burial or cremation permits: Municipal cemeteries, crematoria (such as Hindu Mandal crematoria in Dar es Salaam and major cities), and community burial grounds require the official Burial Permit issued by the hospital mortuary, municipal health officer, or civil registrar before interment or cremation can take place [1] [6].
   • Mortuary preparation and international repatriation: If your family member was a foreign citizen or if remains must be repatriated abroad, engage a licensed funeral home or hospital mortuary service in Tanzania [6]. You must obtain: (a) a certified Death Certificate from the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency [1], (b) an official Embalming Certificate and a Non-Infectious Disease / Export Permit from the Ministry of Health (Port Health Services) [5] [6], (c) a coffin-sealing certificate inspected by health and customs officers at Julius Nyerere International Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport, and (d) a consular mortuary transit permit (laissez-passer) from the destination country's high commission or embassy [6].
   • Document legalization (non-Hague Apostille jurisdiction): Tanzania is not a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Consequently, Tanzanian Death Certificates, medical certificates, and court probate orders intended for use abroad must be verified by the issuing agency, authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation in Dar es Salaam or Dodoma, and legalized by the foreign embassy or high commission of the destination country (such as the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania or relevant diplomatic mission) [6].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security Funds, Tax, Banking, and Identity Authorities

   • Private-sector survivor and funeral benefits (NSSF): If the deceased was employed in the private or non-governmental sector, notify the National Social Security Fund under the National Social Security Fund Act (Cap. 50) [2] [3]. Eligible survivors (widow or widower, dependent children under age 18 or up to age 21 in full-time education, or dependent parents) can claim the Funeral Grant (reimbursing immediate burial expenses upon presenting the Death Certificate and burial permit) as well as the monthly Survivor's Pension or special lump-sum grant from the National Social Security Fund [2] [3].
   • Public-sector survivor benefits (PSSSF): If your family member was a civil servant or public-sector employee, notify the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF) under the Public Service Social Security Fund Act 2018 to claim the statutory funeral grant, death gratuity, and survivor pension benefits [3].
   • Tax, identity, and bank notifications: Notify the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to settle any final personal income tax or business TIN obligations, surrender the deceased's passport to the Immigration Department and NIDA card for cancellation, and present the certified Death Certificate to Tanzanian commercial banks so sole accounts are frozen pending court appointment of an estate administrator [1] [6].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Probate, and Cross-Border Succession

   • Applicable succession regime and court jurisdiction: Estate administration in Mainland Tanzania is governed by the Probate and Administration of Estates Act (Cap. 352) and supervised by the Judiciary of Tanzania (High Court of Tanzania, District Courts, or Primary Courts depending on estate value and applicable personal law - statutory, customary, or Islamic law) [1]. Alternatively, families may appoint the Administrator-General within the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency to administer complex or contested estates [1].
   • Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration: No commercial bank, land registry, or social security fund in Tanzania will release estate funds to heirs without a formal court grant plus confirmed Minutes of the Family Meeting (Muhtasari wa Kikao cha Familia) [1] [2]. If the deceased left a valid Will, the executor petitions the court for a Grant of Probate; if intestate, the family holds a formal family meeting to nominate an administrator, files the petition with the court, publishes a statutory citation to creditors and heirs in the Government Gazette or local newspaper, and obtains Letters of Administration [1].
   • Estate inventory, taxes, and cross-border coordination: Tanzania abolished standalone estate duty, though court filing fees, capital gains or stamp duty on property transfers, and outstanding Tanzania Revenue Authority tax liabilities must be cleared before final distribution. The appointed executor or administrator must file a complete Estate Inventory within six months and a final Administration Account with the court [1]. Foreign grants of probate from Commonwealth or reciprocating jurisdictions may be resealed by the High Court of Tanzania, and heirs living abroad may execute a notarized and consulate-legalized Power of Attorney appointing a Tanzanian advocate to act on their behalf [1] [6].

   Step	Deadline	Authority
   1. Medical Death Certificate / PF 99	Immediately upon death	Attending Hospital Physician / Tanzania Police Force
   2. Civil Death Registration	Within 30 days of death	Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA)
   3. Burial or Repatriation Permit	Prior to interment or international flight	Municipal Health Office / Ministry of Health Port Health / Embassy
   4. Funeral Grant & Survivor Pension	Promptly after obtaining Death Certificate	National Social Security Fund (NSSF) / PSSSF
   5. Probate / Letters of Administration	Petition before asset release; inventory within 6 months	Judiciary of Tanzania (High Court / District / Primary Court) or RITA

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA) - Death Registration, Wills, and Deceased Estates — Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs)
2. [2]
   National Social Security Fund (NSSF) - Survivor and Funeral Benefit Schemes — National Social Security Fund (United Republic of Tanzania)
3. [3]
   Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Africa - Tanzania — U.S. Social Security Administration / International Social Security Association (ISSA)
4. [4]
   Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Country Profile - United Republic of Tanzania — UNICEF Data / Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency
5. [5]
   United Republic of Tanzania Country Health Portal — World Health Organization (WHO)
6. [6]
   Death of a Citizen in Tanzania - Local Procedures, Autopsies, and Repatriation — U.S. Embassy in Tanzania