What to Do When Someone Dies in the Netherlands

Your head is spinning, everything is in Dutch, and you have no idea where to start. The Dutch system is bureaucratic but predictable — if you know the sequence. Here is exactly what happens in the first hours and days after a death in the Netherlands, written for English speakers who never expected to need this information.

The First 24 Hours: Medical Verification

A doctor must officially verify the death before anything else can happen. If the person had a GP (huisarts), call them first. In an emergency or unexpected death, call 112.

The physician issues two certificates:

• A Certificate — confirms the fact, date, and time of death
• B Certificate — states the cause of death, sealed in an envelope for Statistics Netherlands (CBS)

If the death is non-natural (accident, suicide, or suspected foul play), the physician cannot issue these certificates. Instead, the municipal coroner (gemeentelijk lijkschouwer) is called to conduct a forensic examination, and the body cannot be released until the Public Prosecutor gives formal permission.

Days 1–5: Municipal Registration

The death must be registered at the municipality (gemeente) where the person died — not where they lived. The funeral director typically handles this, but family members can do it directly.

Bring the physician's A Certificate, the sealed B envelope, and the deceased's identification documents. The municipality issues:

• The official Death Certificate (overlijdensakte)
• The Burial or Cremation Permit (verlof tot begraven/cremeren)

Request multiple certified copies of the death certificate immediately. You will need them for banks, insurers, notaries, and potentially foreign consulates. Also ask for the International Death Certificate Extract — this multilingual version works across borders without translation.

The 36-Hour to 6-Day Funeral Window

Under the Burial and Cremation Act (Wet op de lijkbezorging), the funeral or cremation must take place no earlier than 36 hours and no later than six working days after death. This is strictly enforced.

If family members are travelling from abroad, you can request an extension from the local mayor. You will need a medical declaration confirming the delay poses no public health risk. Religious exemptions (Islamic or Jewish burial customs requiring earlier interment) need a municipal licence plus statements from the Public Prosecutor and mayor.

The First Month: Notifications

Once the death is registered, the municipality updates the Personal Records Database (BRP), which automatically notifies several government agencies — the Social Insurance Bank (SVB), the Tax Administration, and the Land Registry.

Private institutions are not connected to this system. You must contact them individually:

• Banks — will freeze individual accounts immediately upon notification
• Utility providers — gas, electricity, water, internet
• Insurance companies — health, home, car, life
• Employer or pension fund — if the person was employed or receiving pension
• Landlord or mortgage provider — depending on the housing situation

The Critical Next Steps

Within the first month, have a notary search the Central Wills Register (Centraal Testamentenregister) to check whether a will exists. This determines who inherits and what authority they have.

If bank accounts hold more than €100,000, or if there was a will, you will need a Certificate of Inheritance (verklaring van erfrecht) from a notary before banks release any funds.

Heirs must also decide whether to accept the inheritance outright, accept it conditionally (protecting personal assets from the deceased's debts), or reject it entirely. This decision has permanent legal consequences — especially the risk of accidental unconditional acceptance if you handle the deceased's belongings too soon.

Where English Speakers Get Stuck

The hardest part is not any single step — it is the inter-agency dependency chain. You cannot unblock bank accounts until you have the Certificate of Inheritance, which requires the will search, which requires the death certificate. Each step depends on the previous one, and the whole system operates in Dutch.

The Someone Died in Netherlands: English Speaker's Emergency Guide walks through this entire sequence in English, with the exact forms, agency contacts, and decision trees you need — including the 2026 inheritance tax reforms and repatriation procedures.

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