Sterbefall - Anmeldung und Beurkundung / Bremerhaven

The registry office enters the death of a person who has died in the registry office district of Bremerhaven in the death register of the Bremerhaven registry office.

The following are obliged to report a death

• - Any person who lived with the deceased in the same household,
• - the person in whose home the death occurred,
• - any other person who was present at the death or who is aware of the death from their own knowledge.

If a funeral home has been commissioned to handle the formalities, it will submit the documents required for certification to the registry office.

Funeral directors must always submit a signed funeral order/power of attorney to the Bremerhaven registry office stating that they are authorized to carry out all formalities required for the funeral, e.g. on behalf of the relatives or the client with hospitals, authorities or insurance companies.

The death must be reported to the registry office no later than the third working day following the death. The registry office of the place of death is responsible. The same deadline applies to stillbirths.

We would also like to point out that the state of Bremen introduced the qualified post-mortem examination on August 1, 2017. The Bremen Parliament enacted the Mortuary Services Act for this purpose. The core elements of the law are the separation between the determination of death in Sections 3 and 5 and the introduction of a qualified post-mortem examination in Section 8. In future, every person who dies in the state of Bremen will undergo a post-mortem examination by a specially qualified post-mortem physician after death has been determined.

A death can therefore only be certified after the qualified post-mortem examination has been carried out.

The submission of copies (including fax transmission) is not sufficient. Please only submit original documents.

The translation of foreign documents must be carried out by a sworn translator and submitted together with the original document.

In individual cases, it may be necessary to submit additional documents not listed below.

Necessary documents:

• Death certificate issued by the doctor who diagnosed the death,

Additionally, if the deceased person was unmarried:

• Birth certificate or certified copy from the birth register
• Simple information from the population register if the deceased was not resident in Bremerhaven

Additionally, if the deceased person was married:

• Marriage certificate or certified copy from the marriage entry/family register (for marriages before 01.01.2009)

• Certified copy from the marriage register (for marriages after 31.12.2008)

• Extended information from the population register if the deceased person was not resident in Bremerhaven

Additionally, if the deceased person was widowed or divorced:

• As before Marriage certificate or certified copy from the marriage entry/family register (for marriages before 01.01.2009), but supplemented by a note of dissolution (death/divorce) and/or additional death certificate or copy of the divorce decree with note of legal effect

• extended registration register information if the deceased person was not resident in Bremerhaven.

Additionally in the case of a death with foreign involvement:

• If the deceased person was not a German citizen, please submit the passport and, if applicable, the spouse's passport.

• In the event of marriage abroad or death/divorce abroad, please contact us for advice on the documents to be submitted and, if necessary, how to proceed

In the event that the notarization cannot take place due to missing documents, the registry office will issue certificates of postponement of the notarization of the death, with which at least the funeral of the deceased person can be initiated.