Legal and Regulatory References

  • Articles 44, 45 and 48 of Law No. 3 of 1957 dated 1 August 1957 on the organization of civil status, as amended and supplemented.
  • Article 76 of the Basic Law of Municipalities No. 33 dated 14 May 1975, as amended and supplemented.
  • Law No. 12 of 1997 dated 25 February 1997 on cemeteries and burial places.
  • Decree No. 1326 of 1997 dated 7 July 1997 on grave preparation, burial procedures, and the procedures for exhumation of remains or bodies.
  • Ministry of the Interior circular No. 86 dated 3 November 1997.

Eligibility Conditions

After the death and before the burial takes place.

Required Documents

  • A medical certificate stating that the death occurred under natural circumstances.
  • Authorization from the Public Prosecutor if the death occurred under abnormal or unclear circumstances.
  • A report from the security services in cases of non-natural death.
  • The fee due for the requested document.

Where to Submit the Request

  • Civil Status Office at the municipality or municipal district.
  • Delegation (outside the municipal area).

Where to Receive the Service

  • Civil Status Office at the municipality or municipal district.
  • Delegation (outside the municipal area).

Processing Time

Immediate
Estimated processing time
Notes

If the death is suspected, results from violence or an accident, or occurs under any other non-natural circumstances, the burial authorization is issued only based on the official report prepared by the national security services.

When a body is transferred from one place to another, the civil status officer who receives the body prepares the burial authorization based on the documents accompanying the body (medical certificate and death extract), without further investigation into the cause of death.

Anyone who buries a deceased person without a burial authorization is subject to imprisonment and a fine.