Anmeldung einer Erdbestattung

Every corpse must be buried. In Rhineland-Palatinate, burial is compulsory for corpses in the form of burial or cremation. Burial is the burial of a corpse in a coffin in a grave.

If you wish to bury a deceased person in Rhineland-Palatinate, you will need a written burial permit from the local regulatory authority of the place of burial and must apply for burial at the responsible authority/cemetery.

Some cemetery authorities also permit burial in a crypt, above-ground or underground burial chambers, mortuaries, urn walls or similar facilities.

There are no legal exceptions to the coffin requirement for burials in the ground. If the religion of the deceased prohibits burial in a coffin, some cemetery operators have developed solutions to reconcile religious motives with the coffin requirement. There are different types of burial sites, although row graves must be available at every cemetery. The respective cemetery operator decides what else is available.

An important difference between an elective grave and a row grave is that it is not possible to extend the right of use in a row grave. Also, only one person at a time can be buried in a row grave. Relatives who die at a later date may therefore not be buried in this row grave, but must be buried in another grave.

The location and size of the grave, the resting period, the duration of the right of use, fees and other details (e.g. grave maintenance) are determined by the respective cemetery administration.

Please note: Most of the formalities are usually taken care of by the appointed funeral home. You will also receive reverent advice there. Ask for an explanation of the services and prices on offer before placing your order.

Please contact the responsible cemetery or your funeral home to find out which documents and proof are required.

As a rule, these are

• Application for burial with the required information
• Death certificate
• Death certificate (non-confidential part)
• Power of attorney
• identity card
• Birth or marriage certificate of the deceased person
• Declaration of assumption of costs
• if available, the last will of the deceased person
• if applicable, a declaration of acceptance of the right to use the grave site
• confirmation of the choice of burial site, if applicable
• if applicable, burial release from the public prosecutor's office

The fees are regulated in the respective fee regulations/fee schedule of the place of burial.

For the burial, you first submit an application for a burial permit to the responsible regulatory authority at the place of burial. As soon as this has been received, you can register the burial with the relevant local authority/cemetery.

• A body may be buried no earlier than 48 hours after death.
• The burial must take place within ten days of the death. The burial period begins on the day of the event.
• The regulatory authority may approve exceptions to the time limits for certain reasons.

• The obligation to bury human corpses in coffins (burial) or cremate them (cremation) is prescribed by law in Rhineland-Palatinate.
• There is an obligation to carry out the burial in a coffin (so-called coffin obligation).

• Please contact us:
  • a doctor to carry out the post-mortem examination and issue a death certificate,
  • to the relevant registry office for the issue of the death certificate,
  • for the burial, to the cemetery administration of the place where the burial is to take place,
  • for the transfer from the place of death/cremation to the cemetery/crematorium to a funeral home.