Checklist after a death Germany 2025 – every essential step

When someone dies in Germany, a doctor must first confirm the death and issue the medical death certificate. In an emergency call 112 or the family doctor. In a hospital, nursing home or hospice the staff take care of this step.

Take time to say goodbye – home viewings are usually possible for several hours. Inform the closest relatives, and only then contact a funeral director to arrange transport. Burial is mandatory in Germany; cemetery rules differ by state and municipality.

For the days ahead you will need several documents of the deceased:

• ID card and passport
• Birth and marriage certificate
• Divorce decree or spouse's death certificate
• Pension statement
• Health-insurance card
• Insurance policies (life, accident, funeral benefit)
• Will or inheritance contract
• Rental contract, bank statements, powers of attorney
• Memberships, subscriptions, contracts

The Wegbegleiter App helps you record and store all documents securely.

Funerals in Germany typically take place 4 to 10 days depending on the federal state. You can choose between burial, cremation, sea or woodland burial – follow the deceased's wishes (funeral directive, advance care plan). If possible obtain two or three quotes; costs are usually €4,000 to €10,000.

The funeral director generally handles the report to the registry office (Standesamt), the transport, the coffin, the ceremony and the burial. Decide early which type of ceremony and what religious support you would like.

In the first two weeks you should inform the following bodies:

• registry office (Standesamt) – report the death within 3 working days; order several death certificates
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung – stop pension payments, apply for survivor's pension
• Health insurance – terminate the membership
• Banks – accounts are frozen until heirs are confirmed; check powers of attorney
• Life and funeral insurance – claim the payout
• Employer, landlord, utilities, telecom, subscriptions – cancel or transfer in writing
• Tax authority – final tax return and any inheritance tax

Inheritance law in Germany allows you to renounce the estate – deadline: 6 weeks from knowledge (§ 1944 BGB). If there is a will, it must be opened at the competent authority. If the estate may be over-indebted, opt for a public inventory or acceptance with benefit of inventory.

To close accounts, transfer real estate and claim insurance benefits, you need a certificate of inheritance (Erbschein, certificat d'hérédité, certificato successorio or similar) issued by a notary or estate authority.

The overview below summarises the key deadlines after a death in Germany. Print it out or save it on your phone – even during grieving you will keep a clear plan of what to do, by when, and which office handles the next step.

• Immediately: call the doctor, emergency number 112, obtain the death certificate
• within 3 working days: report to the registry office (Standesamt)
• 4 to 10 days depending on the federal state: funeral
• 14 days: notify Deutsche Rentenversicherung, health insurer, banks and insurance companies
• 6 weeks from knowledge (§ 1944 BGB): accept or renounce the inheritance
• 12 months: tax return and any inheritance-tax filing

Grief is a long road. Accept professional support – your GP, pastoral care, bereavement groups or psychotherapy all help to process the loss. Practical help matters too: one relative handles the paperwork, another the home.

The Wegbegleiter App brings every task after a death in Germany into a single, clear interface: country-specific checklists, letter templates for the bank, Deutsche Rentenversicherung and insurance providers, deadline reminders and an encrypted emergency folder. That leaves time for what really matters – saying goodbye, mourning, remembering.

The overall cost of a funeral in Germany is usually €4,000 to €10,000. It is made up of several items: coffin or urn (around 800 to 3,000), transport, viewing and ceremony (1,500 to 4,000), cemetery or crematorium fees (500 to 4,000), gravestone and grave care, plus death notices and refreshments for mourners.

Several sources can offset part of these costs: funeral insurance, a life-insurance death benefit, survivor benefits from Deutsche Rentenversicherung, and social-welfare aid in cases of financial hardship. Always obtain two or three quotes and check the funeral director's written estimate before signing the contract.