Registering a death that occurred within South Africa

According to the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1992 (Act No: 51 of 1992):

• A notice of death must be given within 72 hours by the informant (person reporting the death i.e. family member or a representative appointed by the family through a letter of authority)
• A notice of death (Form DHA-1663) issued by a medical practitioner  
• A notice of death (Form DHA-1680) issued by an authority other than a medical practitioner i.e. Traditional Authority

Registering a death that occurred outside South Africa

• Deaths of South African citizens that occur outside South Africa must be reported to the nearest South African embassy or mission abroad
• An apostilled/authenticated death certificate or any other documents issued by the authority of the country where the death occurred 
• A copy of the ID document or Passport of the deceased
• A copy of the ID document, or passport and visa or permit of the informant

Issuing of death certificates

• An abridged death certificate will be issued free of charge on the same day of registration of death. 
• An unabridged death certificate/vault copy can be obtained by lodging an application and paying the fee of R75.

Dead/alive cases

A person who is alive but discovers that they have been recorded as being dead in the National Population Register, must report this as soon as possible to the nearest Home Affairs office for an urgent investigation and corrective action.

Required documents

• Identity document
• Sworn statement/ Affidavit from the South African Police Service (SAPS)
• One ID photo