India — Help & Advice
What to do after a death (India)
This guide is built around one practical goal: get the right official documents fast (especially the death certificate), and choose the right route (normal vs police/MLC) so you don’t lose weeks to delays. India is state-administered for many steps — so you’ll also see official starting points and scripts to get a complete answer from the correct office.
The 3 outcomes that unlock everything
- Correct route (normal vs police/medico-legal) confirmed early.
- Death registration + death certificate initiated promptly in the correct jurisdiction.
- Tracking: acknowledgement/reference numbers for every application/claim.
Right now (first 1–3 hours): secure the essentials
Your goal: medical confirmation + clear handling route (normal vs police case) + one person coordinating.
If there is any doubt or emergency: call local emergency services
1) Get medical confirmation and documentation
- Hospital/doctor attended: ask the hospital for the medical certificate/report that supports registration.
- At home: contact the local doctor/medical officer (process varies by State/UT). Your priority is medically documented confirmation/cause where required.
2) Decide which route you’re in (this changes everything)
Likely “normal” route: expected natural cause, attended by a doctor/hospital, no accident/violence, no suspicious circumstances.
Likely “police/MLC” route: accident/unknown cause/sudden at home/unattended, workplace incident, suspected foul play, or the person is found deceased. Police may require inquest/post-mortem before release.
Common bottleneck: “brought dead / DOA” cases
Ask the police station (jurisdiction where the incident occurred): “What is the exact procedure for DOA in this area, and which government hospital handles the medico-legal process?”
3) Assign a coordinator
- Choose one person to keep documents, names, phone numbers, and reference/acknowledgement numbers.
- Start a single note: who you spoke to, what they said, what you need next, when you’ll get it.
Today: line up registration and your first official document
In India, the death certificate is the key that unlocks nearly everything (banks, EPFO, taxes, property, etc.).
Your target today is to understand where registration happens for the place of death (Municipality / Nagar Nigam, Panchayat, Registrar’s office, etc.) and what your State/UT portal is — then get a clear path to the death certificate.
Rule of thumb: register promptly; delayed registration becomes harder
Official starting points (national)
- Civil Registration System (CRS) — Government of India: crsorgi.gov.inImportant nuance: crsorgi.gov.in is the central data hub. Many citizens apply via a State/UT e-District portal or municipal website. Use the national services pages below to locate your State/UT route if you can’t find an “Apply” option on CRS.
- National Government Services Portal — Death Certificate service overview: services.india.gov.in (Death Certificate)
- “Civil Registration System: Birth & Death Certificate” service page (State/UT coverage varies): services.india.gov.in (CRS)
A fast way to avoid back-and-forth
- Ask the registrar/office: “What exactly will you accept as medical documentation for registration in this case?”
- Ask for the expected timeline and how you will receive the certificate (online download / physical copy).
- Always request an acknowledgement/reference number for your application.
This week: unlock money and benefits (if applicable)
Most benefits are “on request” — you don’t want to discover later that a time window was missed.
1) EPFO / EPS / EDLI (Employees’ Provident Fund)
If the person was an EPF member, there may be PF settlement, monthly pension (EPS), and EDLI insurance benefit (where applicable). Start at EPFO’s official “Which claim form” guidance and follow the nominee/legal heir route.
EPFO — Form 20 (PF/EDLI Settlement)
EPFO — Form 10D (Monthly Pension Claim / EPS)
2) ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance)
If covered under ESIC, dependants may have benefits (conditions apply). Use ESIC’s official pages.
ESIC — Forms (official)
3) Income Tax: register as legal heir (for e-filing tasks)
If you need to file or respond on the Income Tax portal, you may need to register as a legal heir / representative assessee. Start from the official Income Tax guidance.
Important: this is for the tax portal (not a property-transfer step)
Income Tax e-Filing — Register as Legal Heir (User Manual)
What to ask every benefits office (so you get a complete answer)
Digital documents: keep one verified copy and share safely
Your goal: store key documents in one place (and avoid sending originals on WhatsApp to strangers).
Keep a single “verified” folder: death certificate, ID proofs, nomination details, bank letters, and all acknowledgement numbers.
Fraud safety (very common in high-stress periods)
Documents that matter most (to avoid delays)
Not a step-by-step admin checklist — just the items offices ask for to say yes/no quickly.
- Medical documentation from hospital/doctor (supports registration).
- Proof of identity of the applicant and relationship to the person (varies by office).
- Address/location details of where the event occurred (jurisdiction matters).
- Nomination details (EPFO/insurance/bank) if available — it speeds claims massively. If there is no nominee, ask the office exactly what they accept as proof of eligibility (varies by State and institution: Legal Heir Certificate from Tehsildar/authority, Succession Certificate from court, or an affidavit). Ask: “What document proves my eligibility if there is no nominee?”
- A single tracking list: office name, staff name, phone number, application/reference number, date.
One question that reduces repeat visits
Copy-paste scripts (to get a complete answer)
Use these on calls, emails, or office visits — they force a usable response (conditions + docs + deadline + tracking).
Death registration / certificate
“I need to register the death and obtain the death certificate. Which office/portal is correct for this location? What exact documents are required in this case (complete list), what fees (if any), expected timeline, and how do I get an acknowledgement/reference number and track status?”
EPFO / pension / EDLI
“The person was an EPF member. Please confirm which benefits apply (PF settlement, EPS pension, EDLI), who is eligible (nominee/spouse/legal heir), the exact document list, any deadlines, and how to apply and track the claim.”
Income Tax (legal heir registration)
“I need to act as legal heir/representative on the Income Tax portal. Please confirm the prerequisites, which documents are accepted as legal-heir proof, and the expected processing time and confirmation message.”
ESIC (dependants’ benefit)
“Please confirm if dependants’ benefits apply in this situation, who qualifies as a dependant, what documents are required, the timeline, and where/how the claim is submitted and tracked.”
Common pitfalls (that cause weeks of delay)
These are “process traps” — avoid them early.
- Waiting too long to register the death → delayed registration requirements (extra permissions/affidavits/orders) can apply.
- Using an unofficial “agent portal” → you may pay and still not get a valid certificate.
- Not asking for an acknowledgement/reference number → you can’t escalate or track effectively.
- For benefits: assuming it is automatic → many benefits require an explicit claim and a complete document set.
- Submitting to the wrong jurisdiction (wrong registrar/municipality) → the application just stalls.
Gold standard outcome for every interaction
Official links (quick access)
Save these. Start here, not on random search results.
- Civil Registration System (Govt of India): crsorgi.gov.in
- Death certificate service overview (National Government Services Portal): services.india.gov.in
- DigiLocker: digilocker.gov.in
- UMANG (web): web.umang.gov.in
- Income Tax — Register as Legal Heir: incometaxindia.gov.in / incometax.gov.in (manual)
- EPFO — Which claim form: epfindia.gov.in (see also Form 20 and Form 10D)
- ESIC — Dependants’ Benefit: esic.gov.in (see Form 19 via ESIC Forms)