Registering a death in the Netherlands

Would you like to report the death of a loved one or someone else? Usually the funeral director will declare the death, but you can also do this yourself. This should be done at the municipality where your loved one died.

When you go to the municipality to register a death, you will need to bring the death statement (verklaring van overlijden) with you. This will be given to you by the doctor who confirmed the death. The death statement is made up of 2 parts: the A-verklaring where the death is officially declared and the B-verklaring which states the cause of death.

After a death has been registered, the Registrar of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (ambtenaar van de burgerlijke stand) issues the death certificate (Akte van overlijden). The personal details of the deceased appear on the certificate, as well as the name of the informant. It is possible to obtain an excerpt of the certificate.

After issuing the death certificate, the municipality amends the information held on the deceased in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen – BRP).

The municipality also issues a document in which it gives permission for the funeral: either the authorisation for burial (verlof tot begraven) or the authorisation for cremation (verlof tot cremeren).

Did the deceased indicate that they wanted to donate their body to science? Then you will be issued a authorisation for dissection (verlof tot ontleding).

You must register a death within 6 working days, and always before the funeral.

This is how it works for you

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee

Here is some information from your municipality.

Declaration of death

If someone dies, this must be reported to the municipality before the burial or cremation takes place.

Description

If someone dies, this must be reported to the municipality in which the person died. Do this before the funeral or cremation takes place. The funeral director often does this on behalf of the next of kin. The municipality ensures that the basic registration of persons (BRP) is adjusted.

Next of kin arrange the burial or cremation of the deceased. Does this not happen, for example because there are no next of kin? The municipality then arranges for the deceased to be buried.

You may not bury or cremate the deceased earlier than 36 hours and not later than 6 working days after death. Do you want to bury or cremate the deceased earlier? Then you need permission from the public prosecutor and the mayor. Do you want to bury or cremate the deceased later? Then you only need permission from the mayor.

You can file the declaration online. The declaration form can be found under the heading 'Forms' below.

Can't register online? Please contact us.

You can also register a death at the counter in the town hall:

make an appointment with the municipality in which the person died
you need the following information:
- your valid ID
- an A statement and a B statement(link is external) for Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
- in the event of a natural cause of death: a death certificate issued by a doctor or municipal coroner
- in the event of an unnatural cause of death: a certificate of no objection cremation/burial, issued by the public prosecutor
- if a cremation or burial has to be postponed: a declaration of no objection, issued by a doctor
- if an autopsy has to take place: leave for dissection, issued by the mayor
- possibly the marriage certificate to record the death

Make the declaration before the funeral or cremation takes place.

Did the deceased person live in another municipality? You do not have to report the death to this municipality yourself. This is done by the municipality in which the person died.

Registering a death is free. An extract of the death certificate costs € 14.30. A multilingual model form costs € 14.30.

(rates 2022)

As a surviving dependant, you receive the extract from the death certificate and the verlof tot begraven of cremeren (permission for burial or cremation) immediately.
Funeral homes should receive the extract and any other documents on the same working day or, at the latest, the next working day.

More information