Bereavement in North Cyprus

Bereavement can be a daunting time; the following guide explains the standard procedures in the TRNC. These procedures vary slightly depending on where the person passed away and this is covered within the guide. 

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You may want to manage the funeral of a deceased person yourself; however, if you want a helping hand, there are organisations such as the Foreign Residents in the TRNC (TFR) and the British Cemetery Committee who offer services to assist people dealing with bereavement and you may wish to consult them rather than undertake the process alone.

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Dying in Hospital

If a person dies in hospital, the doctor treating the patient will prepare and sign

• the Medical Death Certificate (Form XV), which is produced in triplicate, and

• the Record of Deaths (Form XIII), in which the doctor will fill in the appropriate sections and sign and stamp them.

You can identify the form in the top right-hand corner, where it reads “Forma XV” or “Forma XIII”.

 

Verify that the name on both of these forms is IDENTICAL to the name of the deceased in their passport, and that the doctor has signed and stamped Form XV.

 

Note: Only Form XV is required to initiate the deceased’s funeral. It is not necessary to complete form XIII and register the death at the District Office before the funeral (this is described further below under the heading “Obtaining the Death Certificate”). Provided you have the completed and stamped form XV you can make funeral arrangements. Make at least 3 photocopies of Form XV for this purpose; you must retain the top page and the carbon copies of Form XV to obtain the Death Certificate (details: see below).

 

Be aware that hospitals will generally not provide these forms before all hospital bills have been paid.

 

Dying at Home

If a person dies at home, regardless of whether they were under the recent care of a doctor, the police must be called.  To call the police, dial 155 from any Cypriot phone or mobile.  The police will attend and take details about the death and the next-of-kin.  The police will arrange for the

deceased’s current Doctor if they are under current medical care or an on-call doctor to attend and certify the death.  The police will also arrange for the deceased to be taken to the State Hospital Mortuary.  If the death is sudden or unexpected, a Post-Mortem (autopsy) may be required.  The Police will advise you if a Post-Mortem is necessary; the procedure in this case is outlined below.

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If no Post-Mortem is required, the doctor attending the death will issue

• the Medical Death Certificate (Form XV), which is produced in triplicate, and

• the Record of Deaths (Form XIII), in which the doctor will fill in the appropriate sections and sign and stamp them.

You can identify the form in the top right-hand corner, where it reads “Forma XV” or “Forma XIII”.

 

Verify that the name on both of these forms is IDENTICAL to the name of the deceased in their passport, and that the doctor has signed and stamped Form XV.

 

Form XV consists of the top page, which is filled in by the doctor with a pen, and two carbon copies. Always retain the top page and the first carbon copy to submit when requesting the Death Certificate (details: see below). Make at least 4 photocopies, as the Police requires one for their records and the remaining three will be required to arrange the funeral.

 

The police may hold the passport of the deceased until their investigations are completed. The police will contact you once their investigations are complete and you may be requested to attend the police station to confirm the statements made at the time of the incident and collect the deceased’s passport and any other paperwork they are holding.

 

It is a good idea to have a photocopy of your passport available as the police may ask for it.

 

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Post-Mortem/Autopsy

All Post-Mortems take place in the State Hospital in Lefkoşa. If a Post-Mortem is required, the next-of-kin or a friend will need to visit the Mortuary prior to the start of the Post-Mortem in order to identify the deceased.

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Post-Mortems are chargeable, currently the fee is approx. 2000tl, but this may change.  Payment for the Post-Mortem should be made at the Cashier’s Office in the Administrative Building at the front of Lefkoşa State Hospital.  You must pay for the Post-Mortem before the deceased can be released for burial.  Please retain the receipt and give it to the person who is carrying out the funeral as they will need to show the receipt before the deceased can be transported from the mortuary. 

 

Once the Post-Mortem is complete, you will be able to collect

• the Medical Death Certificate (Form XV), which is produced in triplicate, and

• the Record of Deaths (Form XIII) with the appropriate sections filled in, signed and stamped,

from Lefkosa State Hospital. The office is close to the cashier’s office so you can pay for the Post-Mortem and collect both pieces of paperwork together.

 

You can identify the form in the top right-hand corner, where it reads “Forma XV” or “Forma XIII”.

 

Verify that the name on both of these forms is IDENTICAL to the name of the deceased in their passport, and that the doctor has signed and stamped Form XV.

 

Form XV consists of the top page, which is filled in by the doctor with a pen, and two carbon copies. Always retain the top page and the first carbon copy to submit when requesting the Death

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Certificate (details: see below). Make at least 4 photocopies, as the Police requires one for their records and the remaining three will be required to arrange the funeral.

 

 

Funeral Arrangements

There are several organisations which can assist you to make funeral arrangements:

 

The Deceased’s Local Belediye – can arrange for burial in their international cemetery for people who had resided in their region.