Required documents for registering death

After someone dies, one of the most important administrative steps is making sure the death is properly registered.

In Kenya, Civil Registration Services is responsible for registering deaths and issuing death certificates. Registration matters because the resulting documents may later be needed for succession, banks, pensions, insurance, KRA and other official processes.

For a recent death in Kenya

For issuance of a death certificate for a current death, the government currently lists the following as the main requirements:

• Burial permit
• Identification document of the applicant
• If the burial permit is missing, knowledge of the deceased person's name, date of death and place of death

The current published fee for the death certificate is KSh200. Applications are available through Civil Registration offices, Huduma Centres and eCitizen.

Keep the deceased person's identification

Even where it is not listed as the only requirement for a current death certificate application, it is wise to keep the deceased person's national ID, passport or other identification safely with the funeral documents.

Correct names and identification details become especially important when the family later deals with succession, property, banks or insurance.

What if the death was not registered within six months?

A death reported more than six months later is treated as a late registration.

The current requirements may include:

• burial permit
• original ID of the deceased
• hospital medical records
• sworn affidavit by a relative
• letter from the assistant chief where the death occurred
• police report for an unnatural death
• autopsy report
• completed late-registration forms
• any additional proof requested by the registrar

The current published fee is KSh500 for late registration, plus KSh200 for the death certificate.

What if the death was sudden or unnatural?

If the death resulted from an accident, violence, suspicious circumstances or another unnatural cause, additional documentation such as a police report or post-mortem report may be required.

Do not assume an ordinary hospital process will apply in such a case.

What if a Kenyan dies abroad?

The requirements are different.

For registration of the death of a Kenyan citizen abroad, current government guidance includes:

• medical certificate
• foreign death certificate
• certified English translation where necessary
• burial or disposal permit issued abroad
• identification of the deceased
• completed BDA 2 form
• identification of the applicant

The process may be completed through Kenyan authorities at home or abroad.

Before you submit anything

Check that the deceased person's:

full names, ID details, date of death and place of death are correct.

A small spelling or date error can become a much larger problem later.

Keep copies of every document the family receives.

One important distinction

A burial permit and a death certificate are not the same document.

The burial permit allows the burial or other lawful disposal of the body. The death certificate is the permanent civil record confirming the death.

Need help with what comes next?

Executive Funeral Services can guide your family through the practical funeral arrangements while you handle the required documentation.

📞 0798 994 015, available 24/7
🌐 executivefunerals.co.ke
💜 Dignity in death. Compassion in grief. Hope beyond the grave.