What documents are required for registering the death of a loved one and obtaining a certificate

In the conditions of martial law, thousands of Ukrainian families face the need to process documents after the loss of a loved one. To simplify this process and ensure the prompt receipt of a death certificate, a special procedure for state registration of death operates in Ukraine. In particular, citizens can apply to any Civil Status Acts Registration Office regardless of the deceased's place of residence or place of death, and the service is provided free of charge and usually on the day of application.

During martial law in Ukraine, the principle of extraterritoriality is applied. This means that for state registration of death, one can apply to any civil status registration authority regardless of:

• the deceased's place of residence;
• the place of death;
• the place where the body was found;
• the place of burial.

This mechanism allows relatives to process the necessary documents faster, even if they are in another region of the country.

Who conducts the state registration of death

State registration of death is carried out by:

• departments of the Civil Status Acts Registration Office;
• executive bodies of village, settlement, and city councils;
• diplomatic missions and consular offices of Ukraine — if the death occurred abroad.

Registration is free of charge and conducted on the day of the applicant's request.

What documents serve as grounds for death registration

The grounds for state registration of death may be:

• medical death certificate (form No. 106/o);
• paramedic death certificate (form No. 106-1/o);
• medical certificate of perinatal death;
• court decision declaring a person deceased or establishing the fact of death;
• notification from archival institutions or the Security Service of Ukraine regarding rehabilitated or repressed persons;
• notification from penal institutions in case of death of a person during serving a sentence.

What documents the applicant needs to submit

To carry out state registration of death, it is necessary to submit:

• an application for state registration of death;
• the applicant's passport;
• the deceased's passport (if available);
• a document confirming the fact of death;
• the deceased's military registration and benefit documents (if available).

At the same time, the absence of the deceased's passport or military ID cannot be grounds for refusal of state registration of death.

Features of registration based on a court decision

If the basis for state registration of death is a court decision, registration is carried out exclusively based on an electronic copy of the court decision.

Such a document is received as a result of information interaction between the Unified State Register of Court Decisions and the State Register of Civil Status Acts of Citizens. The applicant does not need to additionally submit a paper copy of the decision.

Death registration of foreigners: what the law provides

State registration of death of foreigners and stateless persons is carried out on general grounds according to the legislation of Ukraine.

The passport documents of the deceased foreigner are promptly sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine or returned to the person accompanying the deceased's body.

In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is promptly informed about the fact of state registration of the foreigner's death.

Deadlines for application

The application for state registration of death must be submitted:

• no later than three days from the day of death or discovery of the body;
• no later than five days if obtaining a medical certificate or paramedic death certificate is impossible within the established three-day period.

What documents are issued after registration

After completing the procedure, the applicant receives:

• a death certificate;
• an extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts of Citizens or a certificate for receiving burial assistance (if the registration was carried out by a local government executive body).

Despite the difficult conditions of wartime, the civil status registration authorities continue to provide services to citizens and ensure the processing of documents necessary for the realization of property, social, and inheritance rights after a person's death.

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