What to do when a loved one passes away in Singapore

By Benjamin Poon · Updated 2026-10-22 · 6 min read

Step 1: How is a death certified?

A doctor certifies the death online. In a hospital, the hospital doctor does this. For a death at home, the next of kin engages a doctor to certify it (ICA).

Have the deceased person's identification (NRIC, FIN card or passport) ready, as the doctor will need it.

Step 2: Do I need to register the death myself?

No. Once the doctor certifies the death online, it is registered automatically. ICA states there is no need for the next of kin to register at a counter, and NEA notes this has applied since 29 May 2022 (NEA).

Step 3: How do I get the digital death certificate?

The doctor or hospital staff will give you a death certificate number. Using that number, the deceased's ID number and the date of death, download the certificate from LifeSG and save it on your own device.

Please download it within 30 days of online certification. After that it is no longer available, and the next of kin must apply for an extract, which carries a fee. There is no fee for registration or for the digital certificate itself. ICA no longer issues physical death certificates.

Only certain family members, or someone the next of kin authorises, can download it: spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew (ICA).

Step 4: Do I need a funeral director?

Families choose how much help they want. NEA says the next of kin can apply for the permit directly, or authorise someone such as a funeral director to apply on their behalf (NEA).

When comparing funeral directors, you may ask what each service includes and who handles the permit application. For general background, see our funeral services page.

Step 5: How do burial or cremation get arranged?

A Permit to Bury or Cremate is applied for on NEA's ePortal. According to NEA, the permit is needed before applying for burial or cremation at government-managed after-death facilities, and before cremation at private crematoria (NEA).

If a digital death certificate is not available, NEA says a doctor's manual confirmation of death, or a public hospital printout, can be used for the application. For the booking steps, NEA refers to its user guide for the ePortal after-death services.

What about matters after the funeral?

After the funeral there are other matters to look at, in your own time. Two things worth knowing from ICA: the deceased's NRIC is invalidated once the death is registered, and the next of kin may destroy it to prevent misuse.

Questions about the estate, such as whether there is a will, are separate from the steps above. Our will planning basics guide gives general information, and a lawyer can advise on a specific estate.

Where can Benjamin help?

Benjamin does not replace the doctor, the authorities or your funeral director. If you would like to talk about where to place ashes or an ancestral tablet afterwards, he can walk you through the options calmly, with no pressure. This page is general information and not an official site.