Certification of death in Singapore
How a doctor certifies a local death online, what happens at home or in hospital, and when the police and coroner become involved.
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For a death in Singapore, a doctor certifies the death online. ICA then registers the death automatically. The next-of-kin and funeral director do not take a Certificate of Cause of Death to an ICA counter.
For the wider sequence, see what to do when a parent dies in Singapore. The separate certificate and permit steps are covered in downloading a Digital Death Certificate.
Death in a hospital
The hospital doctor certifies the death online. Hospital staff provide the information the next-of-kin needs to download the Digital Death Certificate from My Legacy.
If the doctor cannot certify the death, the police arrange for the body to be sent to Mortuary at HSA. The police tell the family when identification or collection is required.
Death at home
Contact the family doctor who attended to the deceased. If that doctor is unavailable, contact a neighbourhood doctor willing to make a house call.
The doctor certifies the death online. ICA then registers it automatically. If no doctor can certify the death, contact the police. The body will be sent to Mortuary at HSA and the coroner will determine whether an autopsy is required.
Manual Confirmation of Death
If the online certification system is unavailable, the doctor issues a manual Confirmation of Death. The doctor subsequently certifies the death online, after which ICA registers it automatically.
NEA and Town Councils accept the manual Confirmation of Death for funeral, burial and cremation-related applications. If it cannot be used to obtain a Permit to Bury or Cremate, the next-of-kin or funeral service provider should contact NEA.
Body release and collection
Medical certification does not itself mean the body can be collected immediately. The hospital, doctor, police or Mortuary at HSA tells the family when the body is released.
After release, an appointed funeral director can collect the body from the home, hospital mortuary or Mortuary at HSA. See calling an undertaker in Singapore.
What happens next
The remaining administrative steps are separate:
- Download the Digital Death Certificate from My Legacy within 30 days.
- Save the certificate securely on a personal device.
- Apply for a Permit to Bury or Cremate through NEA, or authorise a funeral director to apply.
Official sources
Verified 12 July 2026.
Keep reading
More in the first 24 hoursWhat to do when a parent dies in Singapore
The first practical steps after a local death: medical certification, automatic registration, certificate download, body collection and the burial or cremation permit.
Automatic death registration and the Digital Death Certificate
How ICA automatically registers a local death, who can download the Digital Death Certificate, the 30-day window, and the separate burial or cremation permit.
The first day: practical logistics after a parent dies
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