← All Articles
Michael R. | 4. October 2026

Death in Switzerland: What to Do? Checklist and Deadlines

After a death, only a few things are truly urgent: a doctor must confirm the death, and the death must be reported within two days. Most other things can wait. This checklist shows what to do and when, who is responsible and which deadlines apply.

Tip: First check the website of your municipality of residence under “death” or “funeral office” (in German «Todesfall» or «Bestattungsamt»). It lists the responsible offices, opening hours and local rules.

The essentials at a glance

When What to do Responsible
Immediately Call a doctor, have the death confirmed, obtain the medical death certificate Family doctor or out-of-hours medical service; in a hospital or care home, the staff
Immediately In the event of an accident, violence, suicide or an unclear cause: call the police (117), change nothing Police
The same day Inform the closest relatives, look for funeral wishes and written instructions Family
Within 2 days Report the death Depending on the canton, the civil register office at the place of death or the municipality of residence; in a hospital or care home, the institution
In the first few days Arrange the funeral, the memorial service and the obituary Family, municipal funeral office, funeral director, parish
Without delay Hand any will you find to the authorities Depending on the canton, a court, notary or inheritance authority
In the first few weeks Claim survivors’ pensions, inform the bank, insurers, landlord and other contract partners AHV compensation office, pension fund, banks, insurers
Within 1 month If the financial situation is unclear, request a public inventory Depending on the canton, a court, notary or inheritance authority
Within 3 months Decide whether to renounce the inheritance Heirs

Printable checklist (PDF)

The most important steps of the first 24 to 48 hours on one page to tick off. The checklist is available in German.

Download the checklist (PDF, in German)

Contents

  1. Immediately: the first hours
  2. Within two days: report the death
  3. In the first few days: funeral and memorial service
  4. In the first few weeks: pensions, insurance, contracts
  5. Inheritance: the key deadlines
  6. After the funeral
  7. Frequently asked questions

Immediately: the first hours

Death at home

An expected death at home, for example after a long illness, is not an emergency. Call the family doctor or the out-of-hours medical service in your region. The doctor confirms the death and completes the medical death certificate. The death cannot be reported without this document.

If you are unsure whether the person has died, or if the death was sudden, call an ambulance on 144.

There is no need to rush. As a rule, the deceased may stay at home for a while so that relatives can say goodbye. The canton and municipality set how long. A funeral director then collects the deceased.

Death in a hospital, care home or retirement home

If someone dies in an institution, the staff take care of the medical death certificate and report the death to the civil register office. Ask how long the deceased can stay there and by when they need to be collected.

Organ donation is in practice only possible after a death in hospital and under certain conditions. If the deceased’s wishes are not known, the hospital asks the relatives. A donor card or an advance directive makes this decision easier.

Someone is found dead or the cause is unclear

In the event of an accident, suicide, signs of violence or if someone is found dead unexpectedly, call the police on 117 and, if help still seems possible, an ambulance on 144.

  • Do not change anything at the scene or on the deceased.
  • The police and a forensic doctor investigate the cause of death.
  • The funeral can only be planned once the authorities release the deceased. This can take a few days.

Inform relatives and employers

Inform the closest relatives and friends first. You can notify other relatives, acquaintances and clubs over the following days, often together with the obituary.

If the deceased was employed, inform their employer. Inform your own employer as well. How many days off you are entitled to after the death of someone close is not set by law but by your employment contract, staff regulations or collective labour agreement. One to three days are usual for close relatives.

Look for funeral wishes and written instructions

Many people put their wishes in writing, for example in funeral instructions or a form called «Anordnungen für den Todesfall» (instructions in the event of death). Many municipalities and funeral directors hand out these forms. Look for them early, as they answer questions such as burial or cremation, the place of the service or the desired obituary.

Funeral wishes should not only be written in the will: it is often only opened after the funeral. If you find a will, read the inheritance section.

Pets and home

  • Make sure pets are cared for immediately and clarify who will take them in the long term.
  • Lock an empty home and keep important documents and valuables in a safe place.
  • Securing does not mean sharing out: do not take anything from the estate before the inheritance is settled.

Within two days: report the death

A death must be reported within two days (Art. 35 of the Civil Status Ordinance). If someone dies in a hospital or care home, the institution does this. Otherwise, the duty to report lies with the spouse or registered partner, the closest relatives, members of the household and anyone who was present at the death or found the deceased (Art. 34a CStO).

Where you report the death is set by the canton: at the civil register office at the place of death or at the municipality of residence, for example the funeral office, which forwards the report. You can also instruct a funeral director to make the report and handle all formalities.

The documents you need

  • Original medical death certificate
  • Passport or identity card of the deceased
  • Family booklet («Familienbüchlein»), if available
  • For foreign nationals: residence permit
  • Your own identity document
  • Any written funeral wishes

The responsible office will tell you exactly which documents are required. A burial or cremation can only take place once the death has been reported. In many cantons, it may also not take place until at least 48 hours after the death.

Medical death certificate or death certificate: what is the difference?

Document Who issues it? What do you need it for?
Medical death certificate («ärztliche Todesbescheinigung») The doctor who confirms the death To report the death
Death certificate («Todesschein» or «Todesurkunde») The civil register office at the place of death, once the death has been registered As official proof for banks, insurers, the pension fund, employers and landlords

You order the death certificate from the civil register office at the place of death, often online. The spouse or registered partner and relatives in direct line may request it, other people need a power of attorney. A fee is charged. Ask banks and insurers whether a copy is sufficient, otherwise order several copies straight away. For authorities abroad, there is an international extract.

In the first few days: funeral and memorial service

You arrange the funeral and the memorial service with the municipal funeral office, a funeral director and, if you wish, the parish. If there are no written wishes, the closest relatives decide. These questions need answering:

  • Type of funeral: burial in a coffin or cremation followed by the burial of the urn
  • Grave: for example an earth grave, urn grave, urn niche or communal grave. Which graves are offered depends on the cemetery.
  • Other places for the ashes: as a rule, the urn may be taken home. If you would like to scatter the ashes in nature, follow local rules and be considerate of others.
  • Memorial service: church, funeral chapel, at the graveside or elsewhere; with a minister or priest, a secular celebrant or relatives who speak
  • Arrangements: music, flowers, photos, a condolence book and whether donations to an organisation are preferred instead of flowers
  • Funeral meal: a shared meal after the service. Book the venue early.

What all this costs and which services some municipalities cover is explained in our overview of funeral costs in Switzerland.

Printed death notice by post

In German-speaking Switzerland, a printed death notice («Leidzirkular») is often sent by post to relatives, friends and acquaintances. It contains the name, dates of birth and death, the closest relatives and the place and time of the service. It often includes a short verse and a note on donations instead of flowers. Send it as soon as the date of the service is set.

Obituary

The obituary announces the death publicly and invites people to the memorial service. You can publish it in a newspaper or online and share it by email, WhatsApp or social media. That way you also reach people who do not read a newspaper. What a newspaper notice costs is explained in the article “How much does an obituary in the newspaper cost?”.

An obituary usually contains:

  • The first name and surname of the deceased, with a photo if you wish
  • The dates of birth and death or the age
  • The names of the closest relatives
  • The date, time and place of the service and burial
  • If you wish, a short verse and a note on donations instead of flowers
  • An address for condolences

Only include the necessary personal details in public notices. How to protect yourself against fake invoices and fraud is explained in “Grief and fraud: how to protect yourself”.

In the first few weeks: pensions, insurance, contracts

Authorities such as the residents’ registration office are usually informed automatically. You need to notify banks, insurers, landlords and other contract partners yourself, usually with a copy of the death certificate.

Employer and salary

The employment ends with the death. If the deceased leaves a spouse, registered partner, minor children or other people they supported, the employer continues to pay the salary for one more month from the date of death, or for two months after five years of service (Art. 338 CO).

AHV, pension fund and other provision

  • AHV (old-age and survivors’ insurance): widow’s, widower’s and orphan’s pensions are not paid automatically. Apply to the compensation office to which the deceased last paid contributions or which paid their pension. You will find the form on ahv-iv.ch.
  • Pension fund: ask about survivors’ benefits for the partner and children.
  • Pillar 3a and life insurance: beneficiaries must claim their entitlements themselves.
  • Accident insurance: if an accident caused the death, it may pay survivors’ pensions.

Health insurance and other insurance

Basic health insurance ends with the death, so you do not need to cancel it. Still inform the health insurer so that any overpaid premiums are refunded. Check household contents, liability and vehicle insurance before cancelling: if relatives still live in the household, the policies often only need to be adjusted.

Bank and post

  • Inform the banks. Accounts are usually frozen until the heirs can access them with a certificate of inheritance.
  • Many banks pay funeral invoices directly from the deceased’s account.
  • A bank power of attorney only remains valid after death if this was expressly agreed (Art. 35 CO).
  • Swiss Post can redirect the deceased’s mail.

Rented home

The heirs may terminate the lease with the statutory notice period for the next statutory termination date, even if the contract would run longer (Art. 266i CO). For flats, the notice period is three months. Use the first possible date, otherwise this special right lapses. For a room in a care or retirement home, the rules of the residence contract apply.

Contracts, subscriptions and vehicle

  • Phone, internet, mobile and TV
  • Newspapers, magazines and streaming services
  • Clubs, gym and public transport passes
  • Electricity, gas and water, if the deceased lived alone
  • Vehicle: deregister it with the cantonal road traffic office or transfer it to an heir.

Digital estate

Email, cloud and social media accounts remain active until someone closes them. Many platforms let you delete a profile or turn it into a memorial account. A list of accounts or a password manager helps, if the deceased prepared one.

Taxes

Tax liability ends with the death. The heirs file a tax return for the year of death, up to the date of death. In addition, an official inventory of the assets is drawn up (Art. 154 DBG, the Federal Act on Direct Federal Taxation). Depending on the canton, an authority prepares it or the heirs submit the documents. The tax office usually contacts you.

Inheritance: the key deadlines

The responsible authority is set by the canton, for example the district court, a notary or an inheritance authority. Your municipality of residence will tell you which office is responsible.

Step Deadline What you need to know
Hand in the will Without delay Every will found must be handed to the authorities, even if it seems invalid (Art. 556 CC).
Opening of the will Within one month of it being handed in The authority opens the will and informs all heirs of its content (Art. 557 CC).
Request a public inventory Within one month Useful if it is unclear whether the debts exceed the assets (Art. 580 CC).
Renounce the inheritance Within three months For statutory heirs from when they learn of the death, for appointed heirs from the official notification (Art. 567 CC).
Certificate of inheritance At the earliest one month after the parties have been notified With this document, the heirs prove their status to banks and authorities (Art. 559 CC).

Important: anyone who takes, sells or shares out assets from the estate may lose the right to renounce the inheritance (Art. 571 CC). Only acts of simple administration are allowed. Wait with everything else until it is clear whether the inheritance will be accepted.

Until the estate is divided, all heirs form a community of heirs and decide on the estate together. With larger assets, property or disagreements, it is worth consulting a notary or a lawyer specialising in inheritance law. Read more about wills and the order of succession in our guide to making a will in Switzerland.

After the funeral

Thank-you notes

A few weeks after the service, many families thank everyone who expressed their sympathy, with a printed card, a notice or an online thank-you note.

Headstone and grave care

A headstone needs approval from the cemetery administration. On an earth grave, it can only be placed once the ground has settled, often after several months. For urn graves, it is usually quicker. Grave care is done by relatives themselves or by a gardener under a maintenance contract.

Clearing the home

  • Before clearing, secure all important documents such as contracts, policies, bank statements and personal papers.
  • Only clear the home once all heirs agree.
  • Anything nobody wants can be sold, donated or disposed of. Specialised clearance companies can help.
  • For a rented flat, arrange the handover and the release of the rent deposit.

Frequently asked questions

What should you do if someone dies abroad?

Contact the FDFA Helpline on +41 800 24-7-365 or +41 58 465 33 33. It is available around the clock and helps with contacting the Swiss representation on site, with documents and with repatriation. Also check whether travel insurance or assistance cover pays for the repatriation.

A foreign national has died in Switzerland. How does repatriation work?

In this case too, the death is first reported in Switzerland. For a transfer to the home country, a funeral director arranges the necessary documents and transport in consultation with the consulate of the home country.

Who pays for the funeral?

The costs are usually paid from the estate. Some municipalities cover part of the services for their residents. You will find the details in our overview of funeral costs in Switzerland.

Sources and further links