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When a death occurs, the family will have to obtain a Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD). With the CCOD, the family’s require to register the loved one. This will have to be done within 24 hours of the death. Upon registration of the loved one, the CCOD will kept by the death registration centre and a Death Certificate will be issued to the family members. You need this Death Certificate to place an obituary in the papers, engage a professional funeral director, and when you make an arrangements for cremation or burial.
The law requires all deaths (regardless of citizenship) happening in Singapore to be registered within 24 hours of occurrence.
Free of charge.
More information on Death Registration is available here.
Depending on where the death occurred, the following section lists the steps to take to register a death.
The Certificate of the Cause of Death (CCOD) will be issued immediately by the attending doctor at the hospital if cause of death known & natural. The Certificate of the Cause of Death (CCOD) can only collected upon after producing the NRIC of the deceased.
If the doctor is unable to examine the cause of death, or a death has been confirmed with the result or has been due to by unforeseen natural events, see Coroner Case.
Upon to registration of death, the family should determine whether the body will be cremated or buried as this information is obligated when registering the death.
The family will have to register the death at:
Working hours:
8:00am – 5:00pm(Monday to Friday)
8:00am – 1:00pm (Saturday)
If the body is referred to the Mortuary@HSA, the death will be registered at the Mortuary@HSA.
What to bring to Register a Death:
When a death occurs, a doctor at the hospital can certify the cause of death if the cause of death is known and the cause is natural. He will then fill up the CCOD and hand it to the ward nurse. The family can obtain the CCOD from the ward nurse by producing the identity card of the deceased.
If the doctor is unable to determine the cause of death, or a death has been the result of or has been contributed by an unnatural event (e.g. surgical complication, a fall prior to admission), the doctor is under the requirement of law (Criminal Procedures Code) to refer the case to the police/Coroner. In such cases, the body will be sent to the Mortuary@HSA (located at Block 9 Singapore General Hospital) in a Police Hearse. The hospital will arrange for this to be done. The family will be told by the Police when to go down to the Mortuary@HSA (this is usually on the next day).
What to bring to Mortuary@HSA
At the Mortuary@HSA
The Coroner will review the case and determine if an autopsy is required.
Mortuary@HSA operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 8:00am to 4:30pm
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 8:00am to 12:30pm
After the Certificate of Cause of Death has been obtained, the family may engage a funeral director who will
rior to registration, the family should decide whether the body will be cremated or buried as this information is required when registering the death.
The family will have to register the death at
3rdfloor, ICA Building
10 Kallang Road (S) 208718
Tel: 6391 6100
Working hours:
8:00am – 5:00pm(Monday to Friday)
8:00am – 1:00pm (Saturday)
If the body is referred to the Mortuary@HSA, the death will be registered at the Mortuary@HSA.
What to bring to register a death:
Upon to registration of death, the family should determine whether the body will be cremated or buried as this information is obligated when registering the death.
The family will have to register the death at:
Working hours:
8:00am – 5:00pm(Monday to Friday)
8:00am – 1:00pm (Saturday)
If the body is referred to the Mortuary@HSA, the death will be registered at the Mortuary@HSA.
What to bring to Register a Death:
Contact your family doctor who has been attending to the deceased. If you do not have a family doctor or if the family doctor us not available, contact any of the neighbourhood doctor who is willing to make a house call.
If the doctor is able to certify the death, he will issue the CCOD on the spot. If he is unable to certify the death, call the Police for the body to be sent to Mortuary@HSA (located at Block 9 Singapore General Hospital) in a Police Hearse. The family will be told by the Police when to go down to the Mortuary@HSA (usually on the next day).
What to bring to Mortuary@HSA:
At the Mortuary@HSA
Mortuary@HSA operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 8:00am to 4:30pm
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 8:00am to 12:30pm
After the Certificate of Cause of Death has been obtained, the family may engage a funeral director who will
The family will have to register the death at
3rd floor, ICA Building
10 Kallang Road (S) 208718
Tel: 6391 6100
Working hours:
8:00am – 5:00pm (Monday to Friday)
8:00am – 1:00pm (Saturday)
If the body is referred to the Mortuary@HSA, the death will be registered at the Mortuary@HSA.
What to bring to register a death:
The body of a Singapore Citizen/ Permanent Resident may intended to bring back from Oversea to Singapore for cremation or burial. In any event, a Coffin (Import) Permit is required to import a body into Singapore. A funeral director should require to assist you in the whole process & procedures.
You may apply for a coffin permit at any time from the following offices:
| Contact Details | Coffin Permit Fees | |
| Port Health office 4545 Jalan Bukit Merah Singapore 159466 Tel: 6222 2585 Fax: 6222 8543 Open 24 hrs daily Airport Heath Office 80 Airpot Boulevard Changi Airport Terminal 1 #14-08 Singapore 819642 Tel: 6543 2515 Fax: 6543 1973 Open 24 hrs daily | Import Permit | $10 |
| Export Permit | $10 | |
| Transship Permit | $10 | |
Death Certificate issued by the country where death occurred (copy of English translation is required if the death certificate is in ethnic languages)
If the application is by the funeral director, the Permit to Cremate/Bury will be granted provided the next-of-kin gives a letter of authorization for the funeral director to apply for the permit.
The coffin permit costs $10. The Permit to Bury/Cremate will be issued with the coffin permit at no extra charge.
Note: Prior written approval has to be obtained from the National Environment Agency, Environmental Health Department for the import of a body of an HIV-infected Singapore Citizen
The death will also have to be reported to Singapore’s Registry of Births & Deaths, Citizen Centre, 3rd Storey, ICA Building personally by the next-of-kin of the deceased. If the next-of-kin is unable to report the death personally at ICA Building, a letter of authorization will be required.
131 Lavender Street,
Singapore 338737
Fax: +65 6296 5993
