Dear Dad

We have always shared the love of cycling.

Do you have any questions?

Are you asking a personal question?

The portal bestatter.ch answers all your questions about funerals and funeral provisions.

Death checklist – what to do when someone passes away?

The first steps

Death at home: call doctor

  • Call the family doctor or call the emergency doctor in case of absence
  • For information call 117 Police or 144 Ambulance

Death as a result of an accident, suicide, or when a deceased person is found: Notify the police

  • An accidental death must be reported to the police for clarification of the circumstances of the accident.
    Important: not only traffic accidents, but also all other accidents, e.g. at work, in the household, during sports, as well as suicide, are included.

Death in hospital, retirement or nursing home:

  • Inform the funeral director of your choice or, in certain cantons, the responsible municipality/funeral office

Schweiz. Verband der Bestattungsdienste Two elderly people sitting on a bench looking at the ocean.

Checklist death – cemetery and funeral service

Burial Permit:
  • The burial permit is issued by the municipality in which the deceased person is buried in the cemetery, resp. is buried. Since this is handled differently from community to community, check with your funeral director.
Cemetery:
  • A date, time and grave in the cemetery is also available through the funeral director, resp. to be registered through the municipality or the cemetery gardener.
Pastor:
  • A priest, a church or a community hall will be organized and reserved by an occupant at your request; in some places this is done by the municipality or the burial office or even by the relatives directly.
Sorrow circulars and obituaries:
  • Draw up text, on request the funeral director will be happy to help compose the advertisement
Suffering meal:
  • Reserve restaurant, specify number of guests, select menu
Flower decoration:
  • Often a funeral director helps with this; it is about the decoration in the church, in the laying out room and in the cemetery; usually the flower decoration is done by a florist
Schweiz. Verband der Bestattungsdienste An aerial view of a beach and ocean.

Death checklist – private cancellations and deregistrations

Civil Registration Office:

  • The death must always be registered at the competent civil registry office of the place of death (done by the funeral office or by the funeral home; in certain places it must be done by the relatives).

AHV / the residents’ registration office informs the AHV / Tip:

  • if death occurs towards the end of the month, then call and have pension payment stopped

Social welfare office, IV, supplementary benefits, pension fund, health insurance fund

Insurance:

  • Accident, life, liability, household contents, vehicle, building, legal protection

Lease agreement apartment, garage, parking, workshop

Motor Vehicle Inspection / Road Traffic Office

Phone:

  • Mobile, landline, internet, phone book entry

Newspaper and magazines

SBB, Libero (GA, Half-Fare, etc.)

Serafe (formerly Billag) / the residents’ registration office informs Serafe on a monthly basis

Electricity/Gas

Family doctor and possibly other doctors, dentist

Associations, membership homeowners association, Pro Senectute, TCS, REGA, Coop, Migros, mail order companies, eggs, beverages

Spitex, meal service

Employer if the deceased person is in the labor force:

  • in case of an accident or suicide, contact SUVA for a contribution towards expenses

Blumen

Find the right funeral director

The Swiss funeral portal.