Registration of a Death Occurred at Home

• Inform the Grama Niladari within 07 days of the death is occurred.
• Grama Niladari shall send a report to the registrar of the area.
• The death is registered by the registrar of births and deaths of the area where death has occurred. Declaration of death can be obtained from the registrar.
• Persons required to give information,
  • Close relation present at the death.
  • Close relation who look after at the death.
  • If there is no relation as given above.,
  • Relation who residing in the area of the registrar division where the death occurred.
  • If there is no relation as given above.
  • Person present at the death
  • Occupier where the death occurred.
  • If there is no person as given above.
  • The person who cremate or buried the body.
• Death may be register free of charge within a period of 03 months. Death can be registered after 03 months. Please see the delayed registration of deaths.
• Certificate of death is issued to the informant free of charge.

Registration of a Death Occurred in a Rural Hospital

• The death is registered by the Registrar of births and deaths of the area where death occurred. If the death has occurred at a rural hospital, inform the Registrar of that area for registration of such death.
• Appropriate persons for informing of a death for registration.
  • Person present at the time of occurrence of the death
  • Person who is treat at the time of occurrence of the death
  • Medical Officer of the hospital
• Obtain the relevant declaration from the Registrar of births and deaths for informing the death.
• Documents to be submitted,
  • Duly perfected declaration
  • Hospital report issued in proof of the occurance of the death
• A death can be registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
• A copy of the certificate of death is issued to the informant free of charge.
• Visit the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information.

Registration of a Death Occurred in a General Hospital

• Inform the Registrar of births and deaths at the General Hospital for registration of the death.
• Appropriate persons for informing of a death for registration,
  • Person present at the time of occurrence of the death
  • Person who is treat at the time of occurrence of the death
  • Medical Officer of the Hospital
• Obtain the relevant declaration from the Registrar of births and deaths at the General Hospital for informing the death.
• Documents to be submitted
  • Duly perfected declaration
  • Hospital report issued in proof of the occurance of the death
• A death can be registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
• A copy of the certificate of death is issued to the informant free of charge.
• Visit the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information.

Registration of a Death Occurred in a Private Hospital

• The death is registered by the Registrar of births and deaths of the area where the death occurred. If the death has occurred at a private hospital, inform the Registrar of that area for registration of such death.
• Appropriate persons for informing of a death for registration,
  • Person present at the time of occurrence of the death
  • Person who is treat at the time of occurrence of the death
  • Medical Officer of the hospital
• Obtain the relevant declaration from the Registrar of births and deaths for informing the death.
• Documents to be submitted,
  • Duly perfected declaration
  • Hospital report issued in proof of the occurance of the death
• A death can be registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
• A copy of the certificate of death is issued to the informant free of charge.
• Visit the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information.

Registration of a Death occurred in a registered estate

• Inform the estate superintendent within 24 hours of the death is occurred.
• Persons required to give information,
  • Relation of the dead person
  • Each person present at the death
  • Occupier of the building where the death occurred
  • Each person who will engage in the cremation
• Documents to be submitted,
  • Medical reports of the dead person if any
  • Clinical reports of the dead person if any
• The death will record and the application certified by the Estate superintendent will send to the Divisional Secretariat through the District Medical Officer.
• The death is registered by the District Registrar and the certificate of death will send to the estate superintendent.
• Certificate of death can obtain from the estate superintendent by the informant free of charge.

Registration of Death Occurred at a Foreign Country

ELIGIBILITY

Registration of death occurred outside Sri Lanka to Sri Lankan passport holder/ dual citizenship holder can be registered. The declaration should be submitted within three (3) months of such death to the relevant Diplomatic/consular officer, If not after three (3) months and within one year the Diplomatic/consular officer should record the reason for the delay and effect the registration. After a year if the registration is not done it should get the consent of the Registrar General.

PROVISIONS

A death can be registered under the provisions of the Births and Deaths Registration act (CHAPTER 110 ) and section 7 of the Consular Functions Act no.4 of 1981 and the consular functions( amendments) act no.18 of 2006.

The required documents for the registration of a Death

1. Declaration form filled by the declarant, Documents to prove the  identification of the declarant.
2. Submit a document to prove the deceased is a citizen of Sri Lanka.
3. Death certificate issued by the relevant country /Hospital records of deceased
4. If the cause of the death is not included in Death certificate issued by the relevant country, It should be proved by supporting documents.
5. Birth certificate of the deceased.
6. Cargo receipts will be needed, if the death is been registered in Sri Lanka
7. Documents to prove the identification of the declarant.

Eligible to apply for registration of a death

1. The nearest relative of the deceased who was present at the time of the death or the person in attendance to the last illness of the deceased.
2. A relative of the deceased who resides in the country where the death occurred.
3. If there is no such relative any other person who was present at the death.
4. The main occupant of the house where the death occurred.
5. The officer in charge of the hospital or public institution where the death occurred.
6. If there are no such persons the person who takes action to dispose the body of the deceased by burial, cremation or any other means.

Submission of documents

If a death occurred in a foreign country, declaration for registration of a death should be forwarded to the relevant Sri Lankan embassy/High Commission.

If it is not been registered and If the declarant are living in Sri Lanka declaration for registration of a death should be forwarded to the Central Record Room of the Registrar General’s Department, Maligawatte, Colombo 10.

Process of charges

£10(Sterling Pounds), $13(USDOLLAR), €11 (Euro), should be paid for registration and issuance of death certificate to the relevant Embassy or High commission.

If the declaration is submitted to the Central Record Room of Registrar General Department, Rs.2170 should be paid to the consular section of the Ministry of External Affairs and have to hand over the receipt to the central record room.

Hours of business

Central record room is open from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Except for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Working hours in the relevant Embassies/ High Commissions varies. Visit the relevant embassy/ High Commission web sites.

Return of the death certificate

The person who presented the declaration.

Inquiries

     1.Relevant Sri Lankan Embassy/High Commission or Consular Affairs Division of Ministry of External Affairs,

     Ceylinco building, Janathipathi Mawataha, Colombo 01

             Tel no: +94112446302, +9433881

2.Central Record Room of the Registrar General’s Department, Maligawatta, Colombo 10.

Tel no;+94112329773, +942433075

Registration of a Past Death

• If a death has not been registered with 03 months since its occurrence it may be registered.
• The death can only be registered only if a period of 25 yrs. has not been lapsed since occurrence of such death
• Persons eligible for this,
  • Any party having interest of
  • One of the parents
• Declaration can be produced by,
  • Close relation present at the time of death or who took care of the deceased when he/she was ill for the last time
  • Any other party interested
• Fee chargeable is Rs.50.00

Alteration of Information in a Death Register

• Produce the declaration to the Additional District Registrar the Divisional Secretariat of the area where death occurred.
• The declaration should be produced by;
  • The informant
  • Trustworthy person knowing the truth relating to the incident
• All information other than the date of death may be altered.
• Fee chargeable is Rs. 50.00
• Written evidence should be produced in proof of accuracy of the request made in the declaration.

Registration of death of a person reported missing / issue of certificate of Absence

As there is no sufficient evidence to prove the death of certain people, the relations do not interested to register the event as a death and get a Death certificate. Therefore as there is no legal document to prove the disappearance of the person, the relations have to face many difficulties.

The provisions has been provided to register the persons, reported missing as a result of the conflict which took place in the northern and eastern provinces or its aftermath or political unrest or civil disturbances or enforced disappearance or members of the armed forces or police, identified as missing in action; and formatters connected therewith or incidental thereto under the death registration (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment).

The ‘Certificate of Absence” should be applied by a “Relative”
N.B- Definition of the Relative as per the section 14 of the act

• Spouse
• Children including adopted children, on-marital children, or step children
• Parents including step-mother, step Father, adopter
• Full or half brothers or sisters or adopted brother or sisters
• Father-in-Law,mother-in-Law,Brothers-in-Law,Sisters-in-Law,Sons-in-Law, Daughters-in-Law
• Grandchildren and Grandparents

Application Procedure,

Applications of certificate of absence for a person is reported missing and has not been heard for a period exceeding one year, should be forwarded to the District Registrar of the area in which such missing person was last resident or had his permanent residence.

Additional Documents that should be submitted together with the application

• Affidavit
• Report of Grama Niladhari
• Other evidence to prove the request
• Certified copy of the decision given by the commissions

Obtain a Certified Copy of the Certificate of Death

• Refer the application to the Divisional Secretariat of the area where the death is occurred.
• Application can be obtained from any Divisional Secretariat.
• Fees chargeable
  • Where the date of registration or the no. of the entry is given the fee for one copy of the certificate is Rs. 120.00
  • Where the date of registration or the no. of the entry is not given and a search of registers not exceeding two years is involved fee for one copy of the certificate is Rs. 250.00
• Required fee should pay to the Divisional Secretariat.
• Duly filled application should submit to the Divisional Secretariat.
• If you like to obtain the certificate of death by post, submit a stamped envelop with the application.
• If the death is registered a certificate of death will be send and if the death is not registered a letter to the effect will be send.

Translate Certificate of Death

• Offices of the Department where service of sworn translators can be received are given below.
• Translations which can be obtained
  • Sinhala - English
  • Tamil - English
  • English - Sinhala
  • English - Tamil
• Time of receiving applications
  • From 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
• Applications may be obtained from the offices where sworn translators are available
• Documents to be submitted
  • Duly completed application
  • Original or certified copy of the certificate of death obtained from a Divisional Secretariat of the document to be translated
  • Stamped envelope if translations are to be received by post
• Fee for a translation is Rs. 600.00 payable by cash.