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What the law says in Germany

8 rules

Registering the death at the Standesamt

The death must be registered at the Standesamt of the place where it happened, at the latest on the third working day after the death. A hospital, care home or other institution reports deaths there itself; after a death at home, a person who lived with the deceased must report it. In practice the funeral company usually does this and orders the death certificates. Personenstandsgesetz (PStG), §§ 28, 29, 30

Leichenschau, prosecutor and autopsy

A doctor must examine the body and write the death certificate; in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, the family must arrange this straight away. If the death may not have been natural, the police report it to the public prosecutor, and burial needs the prosecutor's written permission. An autopsy is ordered by a judge, or by the prosecutor if delay would harm the investigation. Ask the prosecutor's office early, in writing, to release the body quickly for religious reasons. StPO §§ 87 and 159; Stadt Köln, Muslimische Bestattung (2023)

Burial times and burial abroad

Burial times are set by each state. North Rhine-Westphalia: from 24 hours and within 10 days; the town can approve an earlier burial on the family's application. Bavaria: from 48 hours (the town can allow earlier on application for a legitimate interest) and within 8 days of the death being confirmed, not counting weekends and holidays. Hesse: usually 48 hours; in Wiesbaden a shortening to 24 hours can be allowed on application under certain conditions. Lower Saxony: 48 hours, with exceptions from the health office. Baden-Württemberg: once a doctor has ruled out life, and within 96 hours unless the body is in a mortuary. In 2023 the Berlin Senate proposed removing Berlin's 48-hour wait; ask whether any wait still applies. Ask the funeral company for your state. MAGS NRW FAQ; Bayern BestV §§ 18, 19; Wiesbaden, Islamische Bestattungen; Region Hannover; service-bw Erdbestattung; Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin Drs. 19/1351

Burial times and burial abroad

To bury abroad, an international body passport (Leichenpass) is needed in most cases; ask the funeral company which documents and office apply. In the Hannover region the family or the funeral company can apply, and it needs a certified copy of the death register entry, the original death certificate and, after a death that was not natural, the prosecutor's release, and costs €40. Under the international agreement the body travels in a soldered metal coffin inside a wooden one. The estate usually pays, or the family if there is no money in it. Ask the funeral company what it costs and who signs before you agree. Call the destination country's consulate early about its conditions. Region Hannover, Leichenpass page and application form with the Internationales Abkommen über Leichenbeförderung, Art. 3

Burial, shroud and graves

Whether a shroud without a coffin is allowed depends on the state and the cemetery. North Rhine-Westphalia's law has no coffin rule and most town cemeteries allow a shroud; Bavaria lets the cemetery allow it for religious reasons; Baden-Württemberg lists shroud burial as a type of burial; Hesse's law has allowed it since 2013 (in Wiesbaden on application); Hamburg's Ohlsdorf cemetery allows it in its Muslim graves. In Cologne the body must be carried within the cemetery in a closed coffin. Graves are leased: in Cologne a chosen grave is leased for 25 years and can be renewed. MAGS NRW FAQ; Bayern BestV § 30; service-bw Bestattungsarten; Wiesbaden; Hamburger Friedhöfe (2026); Stadt Köln (2023)

The Erbschein and the estate

Heirs often prove their right with a certificate of inheritance (Erbschein) from the probate court at the local court where the deceased last usually lived. Without a will, children inherit equally, sons and daughters alike, and a husband or wife takes a quarter beside the children (raised by a quarter under the usual marriage property regime). A child, parent or spouse left out by a will can claim half of their legal share, so ask a notary how the heirs can follow the Islamic shares. BGB §§ 1371, 1924, 1931, 2303, 2353; FamFG § 343

Refusing an inheritance in debt

We did not find a simplified procedure for small estates. If the debts may be larger than the estate, an heir can refuse the inheritance only within six weeks of learning that they are an heir and why (six months if the deceased's last home was only abroad, or the heir is abroad when the period starts). Ask the probate court how. BGB § 1944

Help with funeral costs and pensions

There is no general state death grant that we verified. The heir pays the funeral; if those responsible cannot reasonably pay, social assistance covers the necessary burial costs. A widow or widower of a pensioner can ask the Deutsche Post Renten-Service, within 30 days of the pensioner's death, for the deceased's full pension for the three months after the month of death, paid in advance, and must also claim the survivor's pension. Deutsche Rentenversicherung (2024); SGB XII § 74; BGB § 1968

From official sources, checked October 2026. Laws change; your funeral company and a notary can confirm them.

Where you are

Germany has one federal law for registering a death and for inheritance, and this guide describes it. Burial law is made by each of the 16 states (Länder), so the earliest and latest burial times, the coffin rule and the cemetery rules differ by state. We name the differences we checked for North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Berlin and Hamburg. For any other state, ask the funeral company (Bestatter) or the cemetery office.

The steps

1. 1

   Have the death confirmed

   In the first hour · 0 of 5

   A doctor has to examine the body (Leichenschau) and write the death certificate (Todesbescheinigung). You need it to register the death and arrange the funeral. The rules on who must arrange this, and how fast, are set by each state.

   • In a hospital or care home, ask the staff to call the doctor
   • At home, call the family doctor or the out-of-hours medical service
   • If the death was violent or unexplained, such as an accident or a suicide, call the police
   • In an emergency, call 112
   • Tell the staff early that the family needs a quick burial for religious reasons
2. and

   Close the eyes, cover the body, make duʿā

   In the first hour · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 4

   Gently and without hurry. Those present can do this while the calls are made.

   • Close the eyes and the mouth
   • Straighten the arms and legs
   • Cover the body with a clean sheet
   • Pray for them, and say only good
3. 2

   Call the mosque’s funeral service

   In the first few hours · 0 of 4

   Many mosques and Muslim funeral services help with the washing, the shroud, the prayer and the burial, and know which funeral company (Bestatter) to use. Some mosque associations run their own funeral funds.

   • Call the mosque’s funeral service or the imam
   • Tell them where the body is and who the next of kin is
   • If the deceased paid into a funeral fund, call its 24-hour number before you choose a funeral company
   • Agree a time for the ghusl and the janazah prayer
4. 3

   Ask whether the prosecutor is involvedPaperwork

   If the death was sudden or violent · 0 of 3

   If there are signs that the death was not natural, the police must report it to the public prosecutor (Staatsanwaltschaft). There can then be no burial until the prosecutor gives written permission. The prosecutor may ask for an autopsy.

   • Ask the doctor or the police whether the death was recorded as not natural or unexplained
   • Ask the prosecutor’s office early, in writing, to release the body quickly for religious reasons
   • Ask the funeral company to collect the prosecutor’s written release as soon as it is given
5. 4

   Register the death at the StandesamtPaperwork

   By the third working day · 0 of 3

   The death is registered at the civil registry office (Standesamt) of the place where it happened, at the latest on the third working day after the death. A hospital or care home reports it itself. Ask the funeral company whether it will do this and order the death certificates (Sterbeurkunde) for you.

   • Ask the funeral company or the Standesamt which documents they need, such as the doctor’s death certificate and the deceased’s ID and marriage or birth certificate
   • If the death was at home, a person who lived with the deceased must make sure it is reported
   • If the death was in a hospital or care home, ask the staff to confirm they have reported it
6. 5

   Choose the funeral company and the gravePaperwork

   Within the first day · 0 of 4

   A funeral company (Bestatter) collects the body. Ask which paperwork it will handle for you, what it costs and who signs before you agree. Whether the body may be buried in a shroud without a coffin depends on the state and on the cemetery’s own rules, so ask the cemetery office early.

   • Ask the cemetery office whether it allows burial in a shroud (Tuchbestattung) and has a Muslim field
   • Ask where the washing can be done, and who may do it
   • Ask how long the grave is leased for, and whether it can be renewed
   • Ask for a written quote before you agree
7. and

   Wash and shroud the body

   Within the first day · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 2

   Done by trained Muslims of the same sex, or by the spouse. The funeral service usually provides the cloth.

   • Confirm who will wash
   • Confirm the kafan is ready

   How the washing and shroud are done

8. 6

   The janazah prayer and the burial

   As soon as possible · 0 of 4

   The prayer is often held after one of the daily prayers, and the burial follows straight after.

   • Tell family and community the time of the prayer
   • Confirm the grave in a Muslim field or Muslim cemetery
   • Ask the funeral company the earliest time your state allows, and whether it can be shortened
   • Ask the cemetery whether it buries on Saturdays

   How to pray the janazah prayer

9. and

   If the burial will be abroadPaperwork

   Before the coffin is closed · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 4

   Many families bury their dead in another country, for example in Türkiye, the Balkans or the Arab world. In most cases an international body passport (Leichenpass) is needed. Ask the funeral company which documents and which office apply for your route. The estate usually pays, or the family if there is no money in it. Ask the funeral company what it costs and who signs before you agree.

   • Tell the funeral company early that the burial will be abroad
   • Call the consulate of the country early: it sets its own documents and conditions
   • Ask the consulate whether it requires embalming
   • Check any funeral fund, insurance or bank-card cover first
10. 7

    Get copies of the death certificatePaperwork

    In the first week · 0 of 2

    Banks, insurers and others often ask for a death certificate (Sterbeurkunde) from the Standesamt. Ask each one what proof it needs.

    • Order several copies when the death is registered, or ask the funeral company to
    • Ask the Standesamt for more later if needed
11. 8

    Pay the funeral costs and list every debt

    In the first weeks · 0 of 4

    The funeral is paid from the estate first, then the debts. Nothing is inherited until both are settled.

    • Pay the funeral costs from the estate
    • List loans, bills and money owed to family
    • Ask a scholar about any unpaid zakat
    • If the debts may be larger than the estate, read the six-week rule below before you accept anything
12. and

    Find the will, and claim the pension advancePaperwork

    In the first weeks · at the same time as the step above · 0 of 4

    Anyone who holds a will must hand it to the probate court (Nachlassgericht) without delay. A widow or widower of someone who was drawing a pension can ask for a three-month advance.

    • Check papers at home, email, and with any notary
    • Hand any will you find to the probate court, even if you think it is not valid
    • If the deceased drew a state pension, ask the Deutsche Post pension service (Renten-Service) for the advance within 30 days of the death
    • Secure the house and car, and keep the phone line active for sign-in codes
13. 9

    Settle and divide the estatePaperwork

    In the months after · 0 of 4

    Heirs often prove who they are with a certificate of inheritance (Erbschein) from the probate court. German law shares an estate without a will equally between sons and daughters, so dividing by the Islamic shares usually needs a valid will or the heirs’ agreement.

    • Ask the probate court, or a notary, about the Erbschein if a bank or the land registry asks for it
    • Close accounts and cancel subscriptions
    • Pay any bequest, up to one third, to people who are not heirs
    • Divide the rest by the fixed shares

    See how the estate divides

14. 10

    Look after the family

    Four months and ten days · 0 of 3

    A woman keeps the prescribed mourning (iḥdād: setting aside adornment and perfume) for no more than three days for any death, except for her husband: then four months and ten days, the length of her ʿiddah, or until she gives birth if she is pregnant.

    • Bring food and help with the household
    • Help the widow with errands and appointments
    • Make duʿā for the one who has died

    What to say and do when you visit

15. 11

    Write your own Islamic will

    For those left behind · 0 of 4

    Without a valid will, German law decides who inherits, not the fixed shares, and sons and daughters inherit equally. An Islamic will in Germany is an ordinary German will that directs the estate by the shares, as far as the reserved shares allow.

    • Write it entirely by hand and sign it with your first and family name; or make it before a notary
    • Write the day, month, year and place on it
    • For it to be registered, make it before a notary, or hand a handwritten will to a court for official keeping
    • Ask a notary how the reserved shares affect the Islamic shares

    Work out the Islamic shares to take to a notary

Settling things after the funeral? Keep track of every task, and who is doing it. Sharing the steps with family? Make a family checklist you send as a link.

General guidance, not a fatwa or legal advice. Burial law in Germany is made by each of the 16 states, so burial times, the coffin rule and cemetery rules differ by state; your funeral company and a notary can confirm them. All sources

Last reviewed October 2026. Something wrong? Tell us