Procedures for Registering and Certifying a Death Occurrence Inside Syria

This guide explains the basic procedures for registering a death occurrence in the Syrian civil registry records when the death occurs within Syrian territory, in order to help you understand the requirements and prepare before visiting the relevant authority.

This article covers the procedures for registering and certifying a death occurrence inside Syria only. For procedures related to registering and certifying a death outside Syria and the transfer of the body, please refer to a separate article here: (link to article).

Key Messages:

1. Death registration differs depending on the place and nature of death, and procedures may change from time to time. Therefore, we advise you to check with the relevant civil registry center before your visit.
2. The legal deadline for reporting a death inside Syria is a maximum of 3 months.
3. The obligation to report the death falls on the ascendants, descendants, or spouse. Adult relatives up to the fourth degree may also report the death.
4. In most cases, administrative registration of a natural death is done based on a medical document/certificate from the local mukhtar. You may need to follow a judicial process if administrative registration is not possible.
5. In case of delay, the law may impose fines, and you may be required to provide a police report to confirm the death if the delay exceeds one year (except in cases confirmed by a court ruling).

Why Official Registration of a Death Occurrence?

Official registration of a death occurrence helps to:

1. Enable heirs to proceed with inheritance procedures.
2. Facilitate the process of obtaining pensions/retirement rights, as official death registration is required.
3. Facilitate guardianship/custody procedures for minors.
4. Legally prove widowhood.
5. Avoid complications in official transactions (sale/inheritance/travel, etc.).

What is the Procedure for Registering and Certifying a Death Occurrence Inside Syria?

It is the registration of the death occurrence on the record of the deceased in the civil registry to obtain a death certificate and update the record and family card (if available).

What Are the Different Cases of Death Inside Syria?

1. Mostly natural death (accompanied by medical documents/mukhtar certificate).
2. Special cases (prisons/hospitals/quarantine/military/execution, etc.).
3. Judicial process when administrative registration is not possible (certification of death/considering the missing as deceased).

Death Inside Syria – Steps and Required Documents for Registering a Natural Death Occurrence

First – Preparing the Documents

1. The personal ID of the deceased or a written declaration of its loss, organized by the relatives of the deceased at the civil registry.
2. Death notification/medical report confirming that the death is natural.
3. Death certificate from the hospital/health authority, or a certificate from the mukhtar if the death occurred outside the hospital (mukhtar of the area or the place of residence of the deceased).
4. The death certificate/mukhtar certificate must be signed by two witnesses who were present at the time of death.

Second – Submitting the Application to the Civil Registry

1. The documents can be submitted to any civil registry center to register the occurrence directly.
2. After registration, the center will provide you with a signed and stamped death certificate, and the family record will be amended and the occurrence will be added to the family card if available.

Third – Deadlines, Fines, and Fees

1. Notification must be made within a maximum of 3 months if the death occurred inside Syria.
2. If a year passes after the death without registration, it may not be registered except based on a police report.
3. Document fees: The Civil Status Law stipulates the collection of a financial stamp fee on civil status documents.

Special Cases Inside Syria:

1. Deaths in prisons/quarantine/hospitals: Registration is done based on certificates provided by the directors of these institutions or their representatives.
2. Military deaths: The Ministry of Defense notifies the civil registry according to a special mechanism.
3. Execution of a death sentence: The public prosecutor prepares a death report and sends it to the civil registry within the legal period.
4. Drowning/airplane crash and loss of passengers: After 3 months, the minister issues a decision declaring the persons missing, then it becomes possible to obtain a court decision confirming the death for registration purposes.

Judicial Registration (When to Resort to the Court?):

When the death is confirmed and administrative registration is not possible, you may resort to the judicial process, which includes:

1. A lawsuit to certify the death, with various means of proof and no time limit.
2. A lawsuit to consider the missing as deceased: Filed by one of the heirs against a judicial agent, with the condition that 4 years have passed in dangerous circumstances of disappearance (war/disasters, etc.).

Tips and Guidelines:

1. Register the death as soon as possible to avoid fines and additional procedures.
2. Keep certified copies of the death certificate and any related certified documents.
3. If a year has passed since the death occurrence without registration, expect that you may be required to provide a police report or follow the judicial process, depending on the case.

Important Numbers and References

1. The official website of the Civil Affairs Directorate – Syrian Ministry of Interior.
2. Phone numbers of the General Directorate of Civil Affairs: 0112313971 – 0112313471 – 0112326877 – 0112311192 (and fax [phone]).

List of Sources:

1. Syrian Civil Status Law No. 13 of 2021.
2. UNHCR Bulletin on Death Registration According to Syrian Law.
3. Comprehensive Guide to Registering and Certifying a Death Occurrence in Syria.

Note: This material provides general information for the benefit of readers and does not constitute legal advice.