The most common places of death are at home, in a hospital, in a long-term care facility, or in a public place. The first—and entirely appropriate—response is to notify a doctor or emergency services. Only doctors are authorized to certify a person’s death with a“medical death certificate.”The medical death certificate must be submitted to the cantonal civil registry office within two days, along with the death report. The civil registry office will then make the necessary changes to the population registers.
The funeral usually takes place just a few days after the death. The first and main point of contact for this is the local funeral office or a funeral home you trust.
The cantonal authorities are also responsible for issuing the death certificate. This document is used to terminate contracts with employers, banks, the post office, insurance companies, broadcasters, electricity, telephone, and Internet providers, etc., and to dissolve other civil-law relationships of the deceased. As soon as possible, you should gather other personal documents such as birth and marriage certificates, certificates of origin, contracts, insurance policies, and, of course, dispositions of property upon death—that is, wills and inheritance agreements.
Once the matters mentioned above have been addressed, the estate is settled. The succession process begins upon the testator’s death and results in the transfer of all of his or her assets to the community of heirs until the estate is divided. A certificate of inheritance can only be issued upon presentation of an official death certificate. It is recommended to consult an attorney if the case is complex. You can find trusted attorneys in our service directory under“Attorneys.”
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What to Do After a Death?
Reporting Requirements: What to Do in the Event of a Death?