Where did the death occur?

Different procedures may apply depending on where and how a person passes away. Below information is sourced from the following government websites NEA and MFA to assist you on how to follow up

When death occurs at hospital or home

1. Obtain Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD)

If the death occurred in hospital
1. The attending doctor is responsible for filling in the certificate of cause of death (CCOD).
2. Obtain the completed CCOD certificate from the ward nurse by producing the deceased’s NRIC.

If the death occurred at home
1. Call the family doctor or any neighborhood doctor for a house call to certify the cause of death.To find a GP or Family Clinic near you click on Singhealth.
2. The doctor will issue the CCOD certificate on the spot if he is able to identify the cause of death.

Unnatural deaths and autopsy
If the cause of death cannot be determined, the doctor will refer the deceased to the police.
If the death occurred in hospital, it will also be referred to the police if death was directly or indirectly caused by unnatural events, such as surgical complications or a fall before admission.
In both situations, the body will be sent to Mortuary@HSA (located at Block 9 of Singapore General Hospital) in a police hearse. The next of kin needs to go to the mortuary to identify the deceased’s body.

Mortuary@HSA Address
Mortuary @ HSA
Applied Sciences Group
Health Sciences Authority
Level 1, Blk 9, SGH,
Outram Rd Singapore 169608

Mortuary @HSA Operating Hours
Monday to Friday – 8:00am to 4:30pm
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays – 8:00am to 12:30pm

What to Bring to Mortuary@HSA:
All medical documents relating to the deceased
All medicine consumed by the deceased
Identification papers of the deceased
Informant e.g. NRIC/Passport/Certificate of Registration of Birth/ FIN card

When death occurs at overseas

1. Inform MFA or the nearest Singapore Mission

If you find out about the overseas death of a relative or friend who is a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, you should immediately contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) or the nearest Singapore mission.

MFA will help you do the following:
Contact the next of kin
Advise you on how to register the death in the foreign country
Provide you with a list of local undertakers
Advise you on the cost of a local burial/cremation, and the cost of shipping the remains and personal property back to Singapore
Help transfer money from family members and relatives in Singapore to pay for any costs
Click on MFA to obtain more information on Consular Services

2. Return the body to Singapore

a. Engage a Funeral Director for assistance
If you wish to bring the body back to Singapore for cremation or burial, you should engage a funeral director for assistance.

b. Apply a coffin (import) permit
If you wish to make the arrangements yourself, apply for a coffin (import) permit and a permit to cremate or bury from one of these offices:
Port Health Office:
+65-6222 2585
Airport Health Office:
+65-65432515
Permit fee is $10

You will need these documents:
The death certificate issued in the country of death (non-English documents must be accompanied by an English translation);
A cause of death certificate or a statutory declaration;
A sealing certificate for the coffin;
An embalming certificate (if applicable);
A coffin export permit from the country exporting the body; and
An air waybill or air consignment note (if importing by air).
Note: If the deceased is known to have suffered from HIV, you need to get written approval from the National Environment Agency’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department before you import the body

3. Register the overseas death with ICA

In person at ICA
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.
The Registry of Births and Death:
+65 6391 6100

Documents Required
1. Death Certificate issued by the foreign authorities (copy of English translation is required if the death certificate is in ethnic languages)
2. Coffin (Import/Export) permit
3. Permit to Bury/Cremate
4. Deceased’s Singapore identity card, passport, Citizenship Certificate (if any), and
5. Informant’s identification documents

2. Making the funeral arrangements

Upon the issuance of the Certificate of the Cause of Death, the family may contact a funeral
director to assist as follows:
(i) collection of the body from the hospital mortuary/home
(ii) send the body for embalming (if required), then dressing and making up the deceased
(iii) place the body into a casket selected by the family
(iv) deliver the body in the casket to the location of the wake

Choice of Wake Locations :

HDB Void Decks
You will need to get a permit from your Town Council.

Click on GOV – Town Council to obtain Town council contact details.

Condominium / Private Apartments

Consult Condo Management For Funeral parlours

Landed property

If you need to use part of the road outside your house, you will need to get a permit from Land Transport Authority (LTA). Your funeral director will assist you on this.

For wakes more than 7 Days

Prior written permission will have to be sought from the National Environment Agency.
Write to:
National Environment Agency
Environmental Health Department
40 Scotts Road,
Environment Building, #21-00
Singapore 228231

Burial or Cremation

This must be decided before obtaining Death Certificate from the Police or Immigration Control Authorities (ICA)

Engage Funeral Director

You can source for a Funeral Director from NEA website.

3. The death must be registered with Police / ICA

Death must be registered with the Police or ICA before a death certificate can be issued by them

Note: The family must decide whether the body will be cremated or buried prior to registration of death, as this information is required at registration.

You can register the death at any  Police Divisional Headquarters or Neighborhood Police Centres and any Neighborhood Police Posts

Registration can be done same time with arrangement of funeral matter

The Registry of Births & Deaths @ ICA Building

3rd floor, ICA Building
10 Kallang Road S(208718)
Tel: 6391 6100
Working hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon – Fri) 8am – 1pm (Sat)

4. Finding the Final Resting Place – Cremation/Burial/Sea Burial

You can seek the assistance of your Funeral Director or do so yourself as follows:
Funeral directors can assist you with the booking of the date and time for cremation or burial.

You can also obtain information from the websites below:
Cremation Details : NEA – Cremation
Burial Details : NEA – Burial
Bookings can be done through phone, Eservices – NEA or at the relevant booking office.

Required documents for application:
Original Death Certificate, which contains the Permit to Bury/Cremate
NRIC / Passport of the applicant and next-of-kin
NEA -Letter of Authorisation (if applicant is not next-of-kin)

Cremation

Government Crematorium
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex
Bookings can be made by:
Telephone: 6554 5655
NEA – Contact Us

In person:
300 Mandai Road Singapore 779393
Mondays to Sundays 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fax: 6459 5228

Private Crematorium
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
KMSPKS- Services Crematorium
Tel: 6849 5333
88 Bright Hill Drive Singapore 574117
Fax 64592258
Mon – Sun: 9:00am to 3:00pm
Cremation Fees as according to NEA website
$300 (cremation only)
$400*(cremation + urn storage)
*Price varies, depending on choice of urns and storage location
Tse Toh Aum Temple
Tel: 6454 7666
601 Sin Ming Drive Singapore 575719
Mon – Sun: 9:00am to 3:00pm
Cremation Fees as according to NEA website
$400 (cremation only)
$500*(cremation + urn storage)
*Price varies, depending on choice of urns and storage location

Columbaria – Ash Storage

Niche Fees (For all government columbaria)
Niche (Standard) – $500*
Niche (Family) – $900*
*Niches at government columbaria are allocated sequentially. There will be a $250 selection fee
should you wish to choose a different location from that allocated.

Government-Managed Columbaria
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex
Telephone: 6554 5655
Eservices – NEA
In person:
300 Mandia Road Singapore 779393
Mondays to Sundays 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fax: 6459 5228

Choa Chu Kang Columbarium
Telephone: 6795 9731
In person:
51 Chinese Cemetry Path 4 Singapore 698932
Monday to Fridays 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturdays 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Fax: 6795 0885
i) No advance booking of niches is allowed.
ii) Payment is to be made when the niche is confirmed.
iii) Documents Required:
Death Certificate (original)
Identification papers of next-of-kin e.g. NRIC, Passport etc in NEA
iv) Payment modes:
NETS (preferred)
Cash Card
Cash
Cheque (crossed and made payable to National Environment Agency)

Public Columbaria

NEA – Columbaria

Private Columbaria

The Beautiful Memories – Columbarium

Scattering the ashes at sea

Port Marine Safety Control Centre
6325 2488
Ashes may also be scattered at sea. The scattering of small amounts of ashes can be carried out at
the designated site located about 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) south of Pulau Semakau. The scattering
of ashes can be conducted daily, from 0700 hrs-1900 hours. For further information on scattering of
ashes, please call the Port Marine Safety Control Centre.

Burial

Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Booking Office
Choa Chu Kang Cemetary Complex is the only cemetery in Singapore still open for burials.
Bookings can be made:
Tel: 6793 7428
In person:
910 Choa Chu Kang Road Singapore 699819
Mondays to Sundays – 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
With effect from 1 November 1998 , the burial period for all graves will be limited to 15 years. At the end of the 15 years, the graves will be exhumed. For those whose religion permits cremation, the exhumed remains will be cremated and stored in columbaria niches. Where compulsory burial is required due to religious reasons, the remains will be re-buried in smaller individual plots.

Note:
With effect from 1 November 1998 , the burial period for all graves will be limited to 15 years. At the end of the 15 years, the graves will be exhumed. For those whose religion permits cremation, the exhumed remains will be cremated and stored in columbaria niches. Where compulsory burial is required due to religious reasons, the remains will be re-buried in smaller individual plots.

5. Administration follow up after funeral

Update to Banks, Insurance Companies & others on deceased status.
Managing the estate & inheritance

Need to inform the deceased person’s bank, especially for receipts and cheques deposited automatically, or if mortgage payments and other transactions (e.g. GIRO deductions) are carried out directly from the account

Insurance Companies

Inform the deceased person’s insurance companies and other institutions. Beneficiaries may receive payouts from insurance policies, credit, trade unions or fraternal organisations, etc.

Bills & Miscellaneous Items 

Check for any outstanding debts, such as credit-card bills. For bills where payment is made automatically via GIRO, inform the companies to cancel the GIRO. This is to prevent unnecessary interests charges due to non-payment
Where appropriate, contact the deceased person’s landlord, cancel utilities such as electricity and telephone connections, and other items such as safety deposit boxes etc. Give the post office a forwarding address for the deceased person’s mail.

Estate Duty

Estate Duty has been removed for deaths on and after 15 February 2008.

GOV – Estate Duty