Dear grandpa

There is always a place for you on the swing by the balcony.

Do you have any questions?

Are you asking a personal question?

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

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.

Schweiz. Verband der Bestattungsdienste A person standing on a path with smoke coming out of it.

Find the right funeral director

The Swiss funeral portal.

Find mortician

What to think about in case of death?

When a death occurs, many questions arise and it may be unclear what to think about or how to proceed.

What are the first steps? What do I have to do? Who can help me?
Depending on the place of death, the procedure varies. There are differences by municipality, region and especially by canton. In some cantons, authority representatives share responsibility and in others they do not.
In some cantons, therefore, one seeks to talk to a funeral service and in other cantons the municipality/funeral office is a point of contact.
Find your information here by larger towns and by cantons.

What are the first steps in the event of death?
A brief overview of the first steps for those cantons where the municipality is not the first point of contact:
Death at home: call doctor
Death as a result of an accident, suicide, or when a deceased person is found: Notify the police
For the rest of the funeral process, the family can hire a funeral director of their choice.

A brief overview of the first steps for the cantons where the municipality is the first point of contact:

Death at home: call doctor
Death as a result of an accident, suicide, or when a deceased person is found: Notify the police
If someone has died at home, the burial and transfer to the mortuary/cemetery is usually arranged by the municipality at the last place of residence (funeral or civil registry office), in all other cases by the hospital, nursing home management or investigating authority. For the burial, the relatives must in any case present themselves at the municipal office at the last place of residence of the deceased.

A brief overview of the first steps for the cantons where the municipality and a funeral service is responsible:

Initial telephone contact with a funeral service. This person will arrange the next steps and answer any questions. Within 48 hours, the death should be reported to the municipal office of the place of residence.