What to Do When a Citizen of Austria Dies in Turkey: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Death Certificate (ÖBS) and Forensic Clearance in Turkey

   The first step for official civil registration, local burial, or international repatriation is the issuance of an electronic Medical Death Certificate (Ölüm Belgesi / Defin Ruhsatı) by the authorized physician or judicial authority according to where the death occurred [1][2]:

   • Death in a hospital or healthcare facility: If the death occurred in a hospital from natural causes, the attending hospital physician issues the electronic Death Certificate via the Ministry of Health Death Notification System (Ölüm Bildirim Sistemi - ÖBS) [1]. Provide the deceased person's Austrian passport (Reisepass) or identity card (Personalausweis) - along with any Turkish foreigner identity number, T.C. Kimlik Kartı, or Mavi Kart - to the hospital administration so that personal details match Austrian records exactly [1][2].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: For deaths occurring outside a hospital, call the 112 Emergency Call Center (112 Acil Çağrı Merkezi) immediately or contact the relevant municipal physician (belediye tabibi) or community health center physician (toplum sağlığı merkezi hekimi) [1]. If the medical examination confirms natural causes, the physician issues the Death Certificate (Burial Permit) through the ÖBS system [1].
   • Suspicious, sudden, or forensic deaths: If the cause of death is unknown, sudden, or involves a traffic accident or suspicious circumstances, the Police (155 / 112) or Gendarmerie (156 / 112) are notified and the case is referred to the duty Public Prosecutor's Office (Cumhuriyet Savcılığı) [1][2]. Where deemed necessary by the prosecutor, an autopsy is performed by the Council of Forensic Medicine (Adli Tıp Kurumu); the body cannot be released or repatriated abroad until the prosecutor's office issues a written burial or transfer permit [1][2].
2. 2

   Travel Insurance, Appointing Funeral Directors, and Austrian Consular Support

   Before signing an individual funeral or air cargo contract, check whether an existing insurance policy or mutual aid fund covers the arrangements, and appoint licensed funeral service providers to coordinate between both countries [2][3]:

   • Checking travel insurance and funeral mutual aid funds (Cenaze Fonu): Check whether the deceased person held international travel health/assistance insurance (Auslandsreiseversicherung), automobile club coverage, or membership in a funeral mutual aid fund operating in Austria (such as Diyanet / ATİB or other Cenaze Fonu foundations cited as publicly known orientation examples) [2]. If an insurance assistance unit or funeral fund applies, it directly appoints its contracted funeral transfer provider in Turkey and Austria.
   • Selecting licensed funeral providers in Turkey and Austria: In Turkey, municipal funeral services (ALO 188, such as the Cemeteries Directorates of the Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, or Antalya Metropolitan Municipalities) handle local funeral procedures, while an international funeral repatriation company (uluslararası cenaze nakil firması) is appointed for air repatriation to Austria [1][3][5]. That provider coordinates with a licensed Austrian funeral director (konzessioniertes Bestattungsunternehmen) that will receive the coffin in Austria (for example in Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, or Innsbruck); licensed providers in Austria can be found through the official professional association Wirtschaftskammer Österreich - Bundesinnung der Rauchfangkehrer und Bestatter (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber - WKO Fachverband der persönlichen Dienstleister / Bestatter directory) [2][4]. Clarvia provides these directories and institutional references solely for guidance and does not endorse, recommend, or rank any commercial operator.
   • Austrian missions in Turkey and consular support: If the deceased person was an Austrian citizen, you may contact the Austrian Embassy in Ankara (Österreichische Botschaft Ankara, email [email protected]) or the Austrian Consulate General in Istanbul (Österreichisches Generalkonsulat Istanbul, email [email protected]) according to consular jurisdiction, as well as Austria's central Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs - BMEIA, Citizens' Service line +43 1 90115 3775, 24/7 emergency duty line +43 1 90115 4411) [2][6]. Consular offices provide guidance on local procedures and assist with passport cancellation and coordination of transfer documents, but do not pay funeral or repatriation expenses [2][6].
3. 3

   Civil Registration of the Death in Turkey (Form C) and Document Recognition in Austria

   Before burial, international transfer from Turkey, or official administrative steps in Austria can proceed, the death must first be registered in the civil registry in Turkey [1][3]:

   • District Civil Registry notification and Multilingual Death Certificate (Formül C): Under Population Services Law No. 5490, the death certificate issued via ÖBS is recorded within 10 days at the District Civil Registry Directorate (İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü) of the place of death, under the central authority Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü (Directorate General of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs, domestic call center ALO 199, international telephone +90 312 591 21 00) [1]. The authorized funeral company or family member should request multiple wet-signed originals of the multilingual death extract under the 1976 Vienna CIEC Convention (Çok Dilli Ölüm Belgesi - Formül C) from the İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü [1][3]. Information on Turkish consular procedures is also available 24/7 from the Dışişleri Bakanlığı Konsolosluk Çağrı Merkezi (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Call Center, telephone +90 312 292 29 29) [3].
   • Recognition of Formül C in Austria and Standesamt (ZPR) registration: Because both Turkey and Austria are party to the 1976 Vienna CIEC Convention, the Multilingual Death Certificate (Formül C) issued in Turkey is directly valid in Austria without an Apostille or additional translation [1][2][7]. Whereas deaths occurring inside Austria must be reported by the next working day to the local civil registry office (Standesamt / Personenstandesbehörde) for entry in the Central Civil Status Register (Zentrales Personenstandsregister - ZPR, as explained on the official government portal oesterreich.gv.at) and issuance of the Austrian death certificate (Sterbeurkunde and CIEC-Formblatt C), the death of an Austrian citizen in Turkey is likewise recorded in the ZPR system by presenting the Formül C certificate to the competent Austrian Standesamt or Austrian diplomatic mission [2][7].
4. 4

   International Repatriation from Turkey to Austria or Local Burial in Turkey

   Depending on the family's decision, the deceased person may be repatriated to Austria or buried locally in Turkey [2][5]:

   • Coffin repatriation from Turkey to Austria (Sargüberführung): The international funeral provider arranges mandatory embalming (tahnit / Einbalsamierung) in Turkey and obtains the embalming report, places the body in a hermetically sealed soldered zinc liner (lehimli çinko tabut) inside an outer wooden transport coffin meeting international air transport and Berlin/Strasbourg treaty standards, obtains the municipal or provincial/district health directorate Road Transit Permit (Yol İzin Belgesi), and completes the international Mortuary Laissez-Passer (Cenaze Nakil Belgesi) clearance through the border health inspection unit at the departure airport under the Türkiye Hudut ve Sahiller Sağlık Genel Müdürlüğü (Directorate General of Health for Borders and Coasts - THSSGM) [3][5].
   • Entry into Austria, Leichenpass, and cremation/urn rules: Under the rules of the Austrian authorities (the relevant district administrative authority, Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde / Magistrat, and the Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten), the coffin is transported to the destination municipality in Austria accompanied by the international mortuary laissez-passer (Leichenpass / Laissez-Passer) and the Formül C death certificate [2][6][7]. (For transfers in the reverse direction from Austria or when shipping a cinerary urn, Urnenversand, after cremation in a third country, the Austrian district authority Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde / Magistrat requires an österreichischer Leichenpass and cremation certificate [2][7].)
   • Local burial in Turkey and cremation availability: If local burial in Turkey is chosen, grave allocation and interment are carried out through the municipal cemeteries directorate (ALO 188) using the ÖBS burial permit [1]. Because there is no operating crematorium in Turkey, if cremation (Feuerbestattung) is desired, the body must be repatriated to Austria [2].
5. 5

   Survivor Pensions, Funeral Grants, Taxes, and Probate (*Verlassenschaftsverfahren*) in Austria and Turkey

   Once the multilingual Formül C death certificate has been obtained, social security, tax, and inheritance procedures are initiated in both countries:

   • Pension notifications (PVA / ÖGK) and automatic probate (Verlassenschaftsverfahren) in Austria:
     • Austrian pension and health insurance: If the deceased person was insured or received a pension in Austria, notify the Austrian Pension Insurance Institution Pensionsversicherungsanstalt (PVA, telephone +43 50303) and the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse - ÖGK) to apply for survivor pensions (Hinterbliebenenpensionen: widow/widower pension Witwen-/Witwerpension or orphan pension Waisenpension; if claimed within 6 months of death, the pension is payable retroactively from the day following the date of death) [8].
     • Automatic Austrian probate procedure (Verlassenschaftsverfahren): Under Austrian law, estate proceedings are conducted ex officio under court supervision [9]. Once the death is recorded in the Austrian civil register (ZPR) or assets in Austria are reported, the competent district court (Bezirksgericht) assigns the file to the competent notary acting as court commissioner (Gerichtskommissär, organized under the official chamber Österreichische Notariatskammer, the Austrian Chamber of Civil-Law Notaries); the notary conducts the initial death record (Todesfallaufnahme) and the formal transfer of the estate (Einantwortung) [9].
   • SGK entitlements, certificate of inheritance, and inheritance tax in Turkey:
     • SGK funeral grant and survivor pension: If the deceased person had social security coverage or pension rights in Turkey, eligible family members may apply to the provincial/central directorates of the Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (Social Security Institution - SGK, helpline ALO 170) or online via the official government portal e-Devlet Kapısı for the lump-sum funeral grant (cenaze ödeneği) and survivor pension (ölüm aylığı / widow-orphan pension) [10][11].
     • Certificate of Inheritance (Mirasçılık Belgesi / Veraset İlamı) and Inheritance Tax (4 months): For bank accounts or real estate (Tapu) located in Turkey, heirs must obtain a Certificate of Inheritance (Mirasçılık Belgesi / Veraset İlamı) from a Civil Court of Peace (Sulh Hukuk Mahkemesi) or from a notary office under the Türkiye Noterler Birliği (Union of Notaries of Turkey, telephone +90 312 218 80 00) (where foreign citizenship or a will is involved, the certificate must be obtained from the Sulh Hukuk Mahkemesi) [12]. In addition, for assets in Turkey, an Inheritance and Transfer Tax return (Veraset ve İntikal Vergisi beyannamesi) must be filed with the competent Tax Office (Vergi Dairesi) of the Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı (Turkish Revenue Administration, helpline ALO 189) within 4 months following the date of death (or within the extended statutory deadlines under Law No. 7338 where heirs reside in Austria) [13].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Death Procedures, Death Notification System (ÖBS), and Multilingual Death Certificate (Form C) — T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü (NVİ)
2. [2]
   Death Abroad and Repatriation (Todesfall im Ausland - Consular Support and Transfer) — oesterreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA)
3. [3]
   Funeral Repatriation Procedures and Consular Guide — T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı
4. [4]
   Austrian Association of Licensed Funeral Service Providers (Bundesinnung der Rauchfangkehrer und Bestatter) — Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (WKO)
5. [5]
   Directive on International Funeral Repatriation Procedures and Mortuary Laissez-Passer (Cenaze Nakil Belgesi) — T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı Türkiye Hudut ve Sahiller Sağlık Genel Müdürlüğü (THSSGM)
6. [6]
   Consular Citizens' Services and Emergency Support Abroad (Bürgerservice - BMEIA) — oesterreich.gv.at / Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (BMEIA)
7. [7]
   Death Notification in Austria, Standesamt (ZPR), Death Certificate (Sterbeurkunde), and Mortuary Passport (Leichenpass) — oesterreich.gv.at (Bundeskanzleramt Österreich)
8. [8]
   Austrian Survivor Pensions (Hinterbliebenenpensionen - Widow and Widower Pensions) — Pensionsversicherungsanstalt (PVA)
9. [9]
   Austrian Probate and Estate Procedure (Verlassenschaftsverfahren and Gerichtskommissär) — oesterreich.gv.at (Bundesministerium für Justiz)
10. [10]
    Application Guide for Funeral Grant (Cenaze Ödeneği) and Survivor Pension (Ölüm Aylığı) — Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (SGK)
11. [11]
    Submission of Income, Pension, and Allowance Claim Form (Death Grant and Widow/Orphan Pension) — e-Devlet Kapısı (turkiye.gov.tr)
12. [12]
    Issuance of Certificates of Inheritance (Mirasçılık Belgesi / Veraset İlamı) at Notary Offices — Türkiye Noterler Birliği (TNB)
13. [13]
    Inheritance and Transfer Tax Law No. 7338 and Filing Deadlines — Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı (GİB)