Sulyk Roman

Head of family law practice

E-mail

sulyk@prikhodko.com.ua

Phone numbers

An attorney with extensive experience specializing in complex family disputes. As Head of Practice, he combines deep legal expertise with a personalized approach to every client. He ensures strategic protection of family interests and delivers impeccable results in the most challenging cases.

Obtaining a death certificate

A death certificate is an official document confirming the fact of a person’s death and is issued by the State Civil Registration Office (RCSO).

Its execution is mandatory both from a legal and practical point of view: without it, it is impossible to conduct an inheritance case, terminate social benefits, issue a pension in connection with the loss of a breadwinner, or resolve other important legal issues.

In this article, we will consider who has the right to apply, what documents are required, the deadlines for registering a death, and the specifics of registration in different cases.

Who has the right to apply for a death certificate?

The following persons may submit an application for state registration of death:

relatives of the deceased (spouse, children, parents, etc.);
other persons who witnessed the death or have information about it;
authorized representatives of medical or social institutions where the death occurred;
pre-trial investigation bodies or the court – in the event of the discovery of a body without an identified person or in the event of a violent death.

What documents need to be submitted?

To obtain a death certificate, the following documents must be submitted to the Civil Registry Office:

Medical certificate of death issued by a healthcare institution;
Passport of the deceased(if available);
Applicant’s identity document;
Document confirming family ties (if a relative applies);
Documents confirming authority (power of attorney, official ID, etc.) – if the application is submitted by a representative of an institution or other person.

Application and registration deadlines

According to Ukrainian law, death registration must be carried out no later than three days from the moment of death or discovery of the body. In exceptional cases, this period may be extended, but delaying it without good reason may cause difficulties in registering the inheritance or other legal procedures.

After submitting all necessary documents and conducting an inspection, the Civil Registry Office immediately registers the death and issues the applicant a death certificate. A corresponding entry is also made in the State Register of Civil Status Acts.

Death outside Ukraine

If a citizen of Ukraine dies abroad, a death certificate is issued by the competent authority of the relevant state. To use this document in Ukraine, it is required:

Legalize or apostillize (depending on the country);

Translate into Ukrainian;

Apply to the Ukrainian consulate or to the Civil Registry Office in Ukraine to make the appropriate entry and obtain a Ukrainian death certificate.

It will also be useful: Duplicate birth certificate

Death in criminal circumstances

In cases where death occurred as a result of a criminal offense or for undetermined reasons, the procedure is complicated. Registration is carried out after the completion of the pre-trial investigation, if there is:

investigator’s ruling or court order;
forensic medical examination report;
other procedural documents

Re-obtaining a death certificate

In case of loss or damage to a death certificate, a person can contact any department of the Civil Registry Office in Ukraine or through the Diya Portal (if there is an electronic signature) to obtain a duplicate certificate or an extract from the State Register.

Thus, obtaining a death certificate is an important procedure that not only confirms the legal fact of death, but also opens access to other legal actions.

In some situations, issuing a death certificate may be complicated: due to the lack of medical documents, loss of the deceased’s passport, disputes regarding family ties, etc. In such cases, the help of a lawyer or a specialist in family and inheritance law can be crucial.