Municipality of Meerssen: registering a death

You may not bury or cremate the deceased earlier than 36 hours and not later than 6 working days after death. Do you want to bury or cremate the deceased earlier? Then you need permission from the public prosecutor and the mayor. Do you want to bury or cremate the deceased later? Then you only need permission from the mayor.

You may need the following additional documents in some cases:

• If the person died of unnatural causes: Verklaring van niet-natuurlijk overlijden (declaration of unnatural death) from a coroner and a Verklaring van geen bezwaar tegen begraven of cremeren (declaration of no-objection to the funeral or cremation) from the officier van justitie (public prosecutor.
• If the funeral or cremation needs to be postponed, a Verklaring van geen bezwaar (declaration of no-objection) from a medical practitioner.
• If the deceased’s wishes were to donate their body for scientific research: their will.
• If the deceased is to be transported outside the Netherlands (not including Germany), a medical statement/certificate.
• If the deceased’s wishes were to be buried or cremated within 36 hours or after 6 working days, a request with a Verklaring van geen bezwaar (declaration of no-objection) from the Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst – GGD (Municipal Health Service). This must be done within 36 hours, together with a declaration from the public prosecutor.
• If the deceased person is not registered in the Netherlands or their Burgerservicenummer – BSN (citizen service number) is not known, a valid identity document of the deceased person.
• If the date of death is not known (if the body was discovered), a proces-verbaal (official report) from the police.

Declaration by surviving dependants

You can register the death yourself. You must do this in the municipality where your loved one died. Make an appointment with the municipality of Meerssen.

Look for more information at: www.meerssen.nl

Online registration by funeral directors

You can also ask the funeral home to register the death for you. Funeral homes who are located in the Netherlands can register deaths online.

You pay a fee for this service. For more information, contact the municipality.

• As a surviving dependant, you receive the extract from the  death certificate and the verlof tot begraven of cremeren (permission for burial or cremation) immediately.
• Funeral homes should receive the extract and any other documents on the same working day or, at the latest, the next working day.