Dear grandma
The days at the lake will remain forever in my memory.
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
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Draw up text, on request the funeral director will be happy to help compose the advertisement
- Reserve restaurant, specify number of guests, select menu
- 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
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
Find the right funeral director
The Swiss funeral portal.
What to do in case of death?
Calmly consider which steps to take and in what order:
- Notification of primary care physician or emergency room physician?
- What funeral wishes are known?
- Who do I need to notify first?
- What are the formalities to be fulfilled?
- How should the abdication ceremony be arranged?
- Who will help me create the obituaries?
- Who will assist me in writing up the resume?
- Which type of grave should I choose?
- Who can answer all my questions?
- Who will stand by me in these days?
You are not alone. In any case, you may contact a member of our association and ask for help or information. Select the mortician from your region from the SVB Members directory. He will be happy to assist you.
All these questions can also be answered and determined as a precautionary measure during one’s lifetime. This will give you great peace of mind and security, and you will also get to know the responsible funeral director from your area.