A death must be officially confirmed by a doctor, who will establish a death certificate. The death must then be declared as soon as possible to the civil status department of the commune of place where the person died. Generally, the funeral director takes care of the declaration of death and all the administrative procedures.
A death certificate is then drawn up by the municipal administration. This record proves the death and establishes the identity of the deceased, and is necessary for the registrar to grant authorisation for transport and burial or cremation of the deceased.
The death certificate drawn up in the commune where the person died is then transcribed into the civil status registers of the deceased's last residence, where an extract or copy can be requested.