The family of the deceased must obtain the Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD) which is then used to register for a Death Certificate at a neighbourhood police station or the Registry of Births and Deaths (in ICA). The Death Certificate must be obtained within 24 hours.
The Death Certificate will be used for family to make arrangements for cremation or burial, typically through a Funeral Director. To place an Obituary in a Newspaper will require a Death Certificate.
If the deceased residential address was in a HDB, family members have to apply for a permit at the local Town Council (during office hours) to hold the funeral wake at a void deck within the estate. If holding the wake in a private property and part of the road outside the house have to be used, a permit from the Traffic Police will be needed to obtain. Otherwise a Funeral Parlour will be arranged by your Funeral Director.
Obtaining CCOD in the situation where a death occurs:
At Hospital
Cause of death is known and natural – CCOD will be issued on the spot by the Doctor to the Ward Nurse. For identification purposes, family members have to show the deceased’s Identity Card to obtain the CCOD from the ward nurse.
At Home
- Contact the Family Doctor who has been attending to the deceased or
- Contact any neighbourhood doctor who is available for House Calls.
Cause of death is known and natural – CCOD will be issued on the spot by the Doctor to the family members.
Home / Hospital
Cause of death is unknown or not natural – Call the police for the body to be sent to the Mortuary@HSA in a Police Hearse for the cause of death to be determined by a Pathologist.
The Death Certificate will be issued at Mortuary@HSA after all case reviews have been concluded so family members will not have CCOD.
Family members will be notified by the Police on when to go to Mortuary@HSA, which is usually the next day. Bring along the following documents:
- All medical documents of the deceased
- All medicine that the deceased were on
- NRIC/ Passport/ Birth Cert of deceased and informant (or the next-of-kin going to Mortuary@HSA)
Mortuary@HSA
Singapore General Hospital, Block 9
Outram Road
Singapore 169608
Mortuary @ HSA operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays: 8:00am – 12:30pm
The State Coroner will review the case in consultation with the Pathologist on duty. If an Autopsy is deemed necessary, the Police Investigation Officer(I/O) will inform the next-of-kin of the deceased when to claim the body.
If Autopsy is not necessary, necessary documents will be processed and next-of-kin can claim the body. The Death Certificate will be issued on the spot.
Contact your Funeral Director to claim the body and proceed with the arrangements for the funeral.
At Zenbox Catalyst, your dedicated pre-planning advisory, we will see through all arrangements for family members. Especially with Pre-Planning done, family members will have time and space to grief without the worries of Lump sum of Financial Costs and Funeral arrangements.
References:
https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/after-death/post-death-matters/when-death-occurs
English 
Chinese