If death occurs at home during office hours
Step 1: Obtain Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD)
Contact your family doctor who has been attending to the deceased. If the family 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 the Centre for Forensic Medicine (CFM) Mortuary (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 CFM Mortuary (usually the next day).
If you do not have a family doctor, contact the Police who will come to your house. The Police will contact the Forensic Death Investigator (FDI). The FDI will come to your house to certify the cause of death. If death can be certified, the FDI will issue the CCOD on the spot. If death cannot be certified, the Police will arrange for the body to be sent to the CFM Mortuary in a Police Hearse. The family will be told by the Police when to go down to the CFM Mortuary (usually the next day).
* Office hours refer to:
Mondays to Fridays 8:00am to 4:30pm
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays 8:00am to 12:30pm
What to Bring to CFM Mortuary:
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- All medical documents relating to the deceased
All medicine consumed by the deceased
Identification papers of the deceased and informant e.g. NRIC/Passport/Certificate of Registration of Birth/ FIN card |
At the CFM Mortuary
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- The Police Investigator will arrange for the family to view and identify the deceased's body in the presence of the Coroner.
The Coroner will review the case and determine if an autopsy is required.
The family will be informed of the Coroner's decision and the time to claim the body for the funeral.
If the autopsy reveals that the death is unnatural, the Police will need to conduct further investigations into the cause of death and the family will need to assist. Once the investigation is completed, the family will be told by the Police to attend a Coroner Inquiry at the Subordinate Courts.
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Step 2: Engage A Funeral Director
After the Certificate of Cause of Death has been obtained, the family may engage a funeral director who will
(i) collect the body from the home/hospital mortuary
(ii) send the body for embalming (if required), and
(iii) deliver the body to the location of the wake
Step 3: Register The Death (this could be done simultaneously with Step 2)
Prior 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
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The Registry of Births & Deaths
3rd floor, ICA Building
10 Kallang Road S(208718)
Tel: 6391 6100
| Working Hours: |
8am - 5pm (Mon - Fri)
8am - 1pm (Sat) |
What to Bring to Register a Death:
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- Certificate of Cause of Death
- Identification papers of deceased and informant e.g. NRIC/ Passport/ Certificate of Registration of Birth/ FIN card
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If the body is referred to the CFM Mortuary, the death will be registered at the CFM Mortuary.
You may refer to Arranging a Funeral for more information.