When determining the fact that a person is dead, it is necessary to take action depending on the situation in which the death occurred.

If a person has died in a health institution or in the care of medical workers (hospital, emergency car), the fact of death will be determined by the medical officer. The death of the family will be notified by the staff of the institution. The body of the deceased person shall be taken to the morgue of the medical treatment institution's abnormality department If a forensic medical expert-examination has been determined, the deceased shall be transferred to the State forensic medical expert-examination centre or to the nearest regional division of the State forensic medical expert-examination centre. A medical certificate regarding the cause of death may be obtained in the department of the medical treatment institution in which the patient is dead, in the social care or rehabilitation institution in which the patient has been present, in the medical treatment institution where the autopsy of the deceased has been performed, or in the case where a forensic medical expert-examination has been determined - in the medical examination centre of the State Courts or in the relevant regional division thereof.

If a person has died at home, it is necessary to call a doctor of the deceased family who will determine the fact of death and issue a medical certificate regarding the cause of death. If the family doctor in whose care the deceased person has been known or the deceased person has not been registered with a family doctor, any other person may apply family doctor. If the person has been under your auspices to find out the name of the family doctor of the deceased person:

• open e-service To register with a family doctor, fill it in and submit it.

A family doctor will determine the fact of death and issue a medical certificate on the cause of death. In the event of an unknown cause of death, a family doctor will issue an autopsy assignment to investigate the cause of death. If the family doctor is not available (if death has taken place on a holiday, on a holiday), contact the relevant polycolic duty doctor or contact the doctor of the family of the deceased on the following day. Information on medical practitioners outside the working time of a family doctor is available on the website of the National Health Service Where to get medical treatment?.

If emergency medical assistance has been called and a person has died in the presence of medical officers, as well as the possible cause of death is known, the head of the emergency medical assistance team will record the fact of biological death in the medical documentation and issue an assignment (accompanying page) for the arrival of the deceased at the morgue. On the basis of this document, funeral service providers or morgues will be allowed to accept and place the deceased in a cold chamber.

If a person has died outside his home, he or she needs to call emergency medical treatment by calling his phone 113.

The Council of the Prisons shall organise and pay for the transfer of the body of the deceased prisoner from the prison to the medical institution - pathology centre in the relevant region for the performance of the section. A medical certificate regarding the cause of death shall be issued to the detention site. Removal from the records of death shall be carried out by the head of the detention facility or his authorised person on the basis of a medical certificate regarding the cause of death. If a medical expert-examination of a court has been appointed, the deceased shall be transferred to the State forensic medical examination centre, and the medical certificate regarding the cause of death shall be issued by the relevant State forensic medical examination centre. If the Prisons Office has access to information on the relatives, this information will be communicated to one of them. The Bureau of Prisons shall notify the institution of the city or municipality family lists regarding the fact of death, submitting a medical certificate regarding the cause of death and the deceased's passport or ID card, if these documents are in the prison. Upon registration of the fact of death, an employee or official of the family list institution shall, upon request, issue a death certificate to the head of the prison office or the person authorised by him or her. A relative shall be issued a death certificate of the deceased in the prison and shall be informed of the whereabouts of the deceased body.

If the deceased is not known, the police should be called by calling 110 or 112.

If the State Police ascertain the identity of the deceased at the site of the event, but its nationals cannot arrive at the scene as soon as possible, the Head of the NMP Brigade will record the fact of biological death in the medical documentation and issue an assignment to bring the deceased to the morgue. On the basis of this, the State Police will call a designated funeral service provider of the deceased's national for the arrival of the deceased person to the morgue.

If the identity of the deceased person at the site of the event has not been ascertained or the deceased's nationals do not indicate the funeral service provider, State Police officers shall apply for the arrival of the deceased to State Judicial Medical Examiner Centre by calling the service intended for it.

If a person has died in violent death (there has been a conflict situation, an accident or suicide has occurred) or is suspected, the police should be called by calling the State Police hotline 110 or 112. Police officers will decide on future activities and, if necessary, determine the medical expert-examination of the courts by decision, as well as organise the transfer of the deceased to the State forensic medical expert-examination centre.

In the event of the disappearance of a relative or another close person, it is necessary to turn to the State Police. Read more in a life situation Personal security and public order.

If a person is suspected of death, additional attention may also be made to The State Judicial Medical Examiner Centre.

If a person has died abroad

If a person has died in foreign states, the State Police shall notify the nationals regarding the death of the family, who receives the information from Diplomatic or consular missions of Latvia or Ministries of Foreign Affairs – this information is received from the responsible authority in the country. In some cases, the deceased person's friends, acquaintances or other persons shall be notified of the death.

If there is no diplomatic or consular representation of Latvia in the country, relatives may contact the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by telephone during work 80005905 (free informative phone), +371 67015905 (for calls from foreign countries), as well as by writing to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  e-address or e-mail palidziba@mfa.gov.lv.

If information regarding the death of a family in foreign states is received, the nationals may contact the police, hospital or judicial investigator of the relevant foreign state directly in order to receive information regarding the circumstances, cause and formalities of death which would have to be sorted with the authorities of the relevant State or the diplomatic or consular mission of Latvia in the country concerned in order to receive information regarding the formalities to be completed for the transfer of the deceased's family to Latvia.

If the deceased had insurance, assistance shall be provided by an insurance company in accordance with the insurance policy. If the deceased person has not been insured, all costs shall be borne by the family. If the nationals wish to bury the deceased in a coffin in Latvia, transportation of the remains in a specialised hermetically enclosed coffin (i.e. galvanised or other impermeable material) is necessary. Shipments of cremated remains – dust to Latvia are often practised from countries which are geographically distant from Latvia. The preparation and transport of the remains shall be carried out by the funeral office after completion of the formalities. The nationals need to contact the selected funeral office or funeral office of the relevant State in Latvia, which has experience in international transportation of the remains.

death certificate issued in foreign states must be translated into Latvian before submitting to the Latvian authorities. The death certificate must be legalised or certified by Apostille in the issuing State of the document. This is done to bring public documents drawn up in one country into legal force in another country. Read more about this by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the website. Legalisation or certification of a death certificate by Apostille shall not be required if it has been issued in the European Union, in the Member States of the European Economic Area or in the Swiss Confederation.

In order to import the body of a deceased person into Latvia from another country, a permit for the carriage of the body of the deceased person issued by the competent authority of the relevant State shall be required. If in the State from which the body of the deceased person is imported there is no such institution and it is not possible to receive a permit for the carriage of the body of the deceased person, a statement issued by a medical treatment institution, medical practitioner or law enforcement authority shall be required, in which the cause of death is indicated.

In order to remove the body of a dead person from Latvia, a permit for the carriage of a dead human body issued by the Health Inspectorate shall be required.

Choose the most convenient way to apply for permission:

• open e-service Application for authorisation, the Health Inspectorate or the receipt of the opinion of the assessment, complete it and submit it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the Health Inspectorate  e-address or to vi@vi.gov.lv;
• in the presence of one of the Health Inspectorates departments.

Documents to be submitted Health Inspectorate:

1. application the receipt of a permit for the carriage of the body of a deceased person;
2. a statement of the medical treatment institution regarding the cause of death or a medical certificate regarding the cause of death, in which the code of the cause of death is indicated;
3. a statement from the funeral service provider that the body of the deceased person has been placed in the coffin, in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations, shall contain only the body and personal affairs of the deceased person, who shall be buried or cremated together with it.

The delivery of the deceased to the morgue may be carried out by the nationals themselves or by the provider of funeral service In this case, it should be clarified whether the agreement with the funeral service provider is limited to the transport of the deceased or whether it will be a contract/agreement on the full service package. It is recommended that families of the deceased consider the services and prices offered by several funeral service providers before concluding an agreement. For the morgue to accept the deceased, one of the following documents is required:

1. medical certificate on the cause of death;
2. appointment of a family doctor;
3. a police decision (regarding the performance of an expert-examination) to an autopsy (body section);
4. appointment of the emergency team (accompanying page).

If the biological death occurred in the NMP vehicle, the deceased does not show signs of violent death and the identity of the deceased has been established, the body of the deceased shall be taken to the morgue of the medical treatment institution's pathology department. The family doctor, whether the police shall organise the arrival of the deceased to the morgue only in such cases if it is necessary to perform an autopsy of the remains.

If necropsy is not required, the return of the deceased to the morgue may be carried out by the nationals themselves or by any designated funeral service provider.

The fact of the death of a person must be recorded in the family list establishment in the family list section and get a death certificate.

On the other hand, information on the death of a person abroad should be provided in the nearest Diplomatic or consular mission of Latvia or in any Territorial Division of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, presenting a death certificate in order to update the information regarding the fact of the death of the person in the Register of Natural Persons.

The fact of death shall be notified to the family list authority not later than within six working days from the time the death occurred or the deceased was found. There is no charge for recording the fact of death.

The obligation to notify the family list department of the fact of death is:

1. the spouse;
2. family members;
3. any other person who was present at the time of death or otherwise informed of the occurrence of death.

A person who declares the fact of death must present his or her personal identity document and submit a document certifying the deceased's identity (passport and/or eID card) and one of the following documents (original):

1. medical certificate on death,
2. judgment of the Court of Justice concerning the establishment of the fact of death or the declaration of a person as deceased,
3. statement by the rehabilitation authorities on the death of the repressed person.

If it is not possible to find and submit the identity documents of the deceased, the institution of the family list shall indicate in the register that the identity document was not released.

After registration of the fact of death, a death certificate is issued - it is necessary for the sorting of inheritance cases, the receipt of a tomb and other cases.

You can use the most convenient way to make sure that the information about the fact of death is recorded in the Register of Natural Persons:

• open e-service Verification that the person is entered in the Register of Natural Persons and that there are no indications of the death of the person, complete it and submit it;

• write an application to OCMA  e-address;
• exposed to one of the OCMA departments.

If the death certificate has been lost or is not available due to any other circumstances, the most convenient way shall be used to obtain a re-statement:

• open e-service The death certificate or certificates from the Death Register Request, complete it and submit it;

• write an application to the Ministry of Justice  e-address;
• on-site at the Ministry of Justice.

If the fact of death has been registered in foreign states, the registration of the fact of death shall not be performed in Latvia.

If the deceased is a national of another country, the personal identification document of the deceased person submitted to the registration of the fact of death (if such is available) will be sent to the representative of the relevant foreign state in Latvia.

If the child has been born stillborn or died in labor, the medical treatment institution or medical practitioner has a duty to notify the family list department thereof within eight days. Registration of the fact of death shall not be carried out in such a case, but a statement regarding the registration of birth shall be issued, which shall contain information that the child was born dead. If a child has lived for a short time after birth (a few minutes), both the fact of birth and death shall be recorded. In this case, a statement regarding the registration of birth and the death certificate shall be issued.

Burial allowance

The right to receive a funeral allowance from the State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) shall be:

• in the event of the death of a socially insured person (worker or self-employed), as well as the death of a dependent member of the family (minor or child under 24 years of age who was trained in a secondary or higher education institution);
• in the event of the death of the unemployed person, if the deceased was a beneficiary of the unemployment benefit or, in the last 36 months prior to the date of the acquisition of the unemployment status, the unemployment contribution was paid for not less than 12 months;
• in the event of the death of the recipient of the pension, the recipient of the compensation for the capacity to work in the event of the loss of the recipient, as well as the recipient of the State social security

Choose the most convenient way to apply for a funeral allowance:

• using e-service E-Supply to SSIA Services, select E-Application for granting or recalculating the funeral allowance by completing it and submitting it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers;
• by mailing a completed application form to SSIA;
• through a competent foreign authority, where the person resides in a European Union, a Member State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland or a country contracted in the field of social security.

Information on the amount of the funeral allowance and the persons entitled to the funeral allowance shall be available on the website of the SSIA under the heading “Determination allowance”. The local government, where the deceased person was declared, may also grant a funeral allowance to the deceased's relatives. The size of the funeral allowance and the procedures for receipt shall be specified specific municipalities binding rules. Information regarding the granting of funeral benefits in Riga is available on the website of the Welfare Department of Riga City Council Benefits.

The allowance shall be granted to the spouse of the deceased pension recipient an allowance for the spouse of the deceased pension recipient if the spouse is also a beneficiary of the pension. Information on the allowance for the deceased spouse is available on the website of the SAA under the heading “Allowance for the spouse of the deceased pension recipient”. In order to claim the benefit, an application for the grant of the benefit must be submitted. This can be done by:

• using e-service E-Supply to SSIA Services, select E-Application for the grant of the benefit to the spouse of the deceased pension recipient, when completing it and submitting it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers;
• by mailing a completed application form to SSIA;
• through a competent foreign authority, where the person resides in a European Union, a Member State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland or a country contracted in the field of social security.

Receipt of the service not received by the date of death in the event of the death of a pension, the State social benefit or the recipient of a social security benefit, the amount of the service awarded and calculated for payment, which has not been paid until the death of the recipient of the service, shall be entitled to receive the recipient of the deceased service:

• for the spouse,
• first and second degree relatives,
• to another person on the basis of a Certificate of Succession or a judgment of a court.

In order to request a service, an application for the cost of the service must be submitted. This can be done by:

• using e-service E-Supply to SSIA Services, select E-Application for the payment of the non-received payment in the event of the death of the recipient of the SSIA service, completing it and submitting it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers;
• by mailing a completed application form to SSIA;
• through a competent foreign authority, where the person resides in a European Union, a Member State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland or a country contracted in the field of social security.

Survivor`s pension

The survivor's pension shall be granted to the members of the deceased's family who have been dependent on him. The children of the deceased shall be granted a survivor's pension, whether or not they have been dependent on the deceased. Information on the survivor's pension is available on the website of the SSIA, under Survivor `s pension. Inheritance of accumulated capital of Tier 2 and Tier 3 of pensions

If the deceased has been a member of the level 2 pension who has acquired a life insurance (life pension) policy at the retirement age and indicates the person who will continue to receive the life pension money after the cessation of the policy, the person indicated must do nothing – the insurance company will contact the person indicated in the policy and agree on the follow-up.. If the deceased has been a member of the 2 nd pillar of pensions and after 1 January 2020 has notified the SAA of its choice: how to proceed with the accumulated Tier 2 capital of retirement in the event of his death before reaching the retirement age, it must be clarified what the choice of the deceased has been. This can be learned by personally addressing SSIA in Customer Service Centers or by a sworn notary, at the beginning of the succession case. If the deceased has chosen to transfer his or her accumulated capital to the succession in accordance with the procedures specified by the Civil Law, he or she must go to the sworn notary. The notary, in cooperation with the SSIA, will take all further steps to ensure that the inheritance is received. Read more about heritage cases in a life situation "Leaving and receiving a legacy”. If the deceased has not made a choice and his or her dependants are family members entitled to survivor's pension, Tier 2 pension capital will be taken into account when calculating the survivor's pension. Read more on the SSIA website. If the deceased has chosen to add his or her accrued capital to another person's Tier 2 capital, the part envisaged by the SSIA will be added to the Tier 2 stockpile of the pensions of the designated person. The person will find out about this in his or her State Occupational Pension Scheme Participant's account statement.

Choose the most convenient way to learn the accumulated capital of Tier 2 pensions:

• open e-service Pension Level 2 Member Account Statement Statement, complete it and submit it;

• write an application, sign with secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the SSIA  e-address or to pasts@vsaa.gov.lv;
• on-site at the SSIA or National and Local Government Unified Customer Service Centers.

The money accumulated at level 3 of pensions may be inherited by the person selected in the contract or by the heirs in accordance with the procedures specified in the Civil Law (also under the age of 55 for the accumulator).

Grave site

Internal procedures for cemeteries, procedures for the granting, servicing and maintenance of tombs, procedures for burial and reburial shall be the procedures for each local authorities the competence of the City Council. You can make lists with the municipality electronically by using  e-address, also to submit submissions and other documents.

The local government is entitled to manage the cemetery itself or to transfer the cemetery management functions to the funeral service provider. In order to receive a grave, it is necessary to present a personal death certificate. The excavation of the grave site may also be carried out by the funeral service provider in agreement with the local government in which the graves are located.

Burial services

It is recommended to identify a number of funeral service providers operating in a favourable location with a clear description of the services and a price schedule. If the family of the deceased is incapable of evaluating the information available and making the most appropriate decision, it is advisable to entrust it to other relatives or ask for help from friends.

It needs to be understood what the full price for burial services will be. The prices of funeral services may vary depending on the provider of funeral services. Customers must have a price list available with the services and their price (i.e. the price that the customer must pay for the service, including VAT). If the total price of the service is unknown or cannot be specified in advance, the way in which the price is calculated must be clearly indicated (the price list shows individual services and their prices with VAT included). For services offered in a particular package (e.g. “funeral organisation”) and their content cannot be changed, the final price of the kit, including taxes, and the exact presentation of the content of the service must be provided. It is necessary to specify which tasks will be performed by the contracted funeral service provider and the responsibilities of the deceased's family. It is desirable to draw up the agreement reached with the funeral service provider in writing by entering into a contract and receiving, for example, an order form specifying in detail the services ordered and the fee for them, upon receipt of a business identification document.

A national has the right at any time to request information regarding the place where the body of the deceased person is stored until the funeral ceremony, as well as to visit the site in order to ascertain the storage conditions. Families should be advised to make sure that the funeral service provider has available cold cameras intended for the storage of the deceased. Storing the deceased in a funeral-services provider's cold chamber is mostly a charge service. Not all funeral service providers have their own cold cameras, so in such cases the most frequently dead is stored in a hospital morgue (which is a separate charge service).

Funeral service providers must be in conformity with the vehicle intended for the transport of the dead, and it is therefore very important to make sure that the deceased is transported.

Cremation

Only merchants who have received a special permit (licence) to perform cremation services, issued by the local government, in the administrative territory of which the relevant crematorium is located, may provide cremation services in the territory of the Republic of Latvia.

Urns with the remains of a cremated man may be buried in the ground or placed in a colbarium (place of disposal of urns) in accordance with the cemeteries regulations of the relevant local government. Relatives can also store the urn at home.

Reinsuring

The procedures for overloading the body of the deceased person shall be specified in the regulations for the maintenance of cemeteries of the local government. A person who wishes to resettle the remains must obtain the authorisations of the authorities referred to in the relevant local government cemeteries regulations for reinsuring.

In order to receive a Health Inspectorate permit for reinsuring, it is necessary to:

1. The application;
2. a copy of the death certificate;
3. a statement from the cemetery about the tomb where the refinement is intended.

Choose the most convenient way to apply for a dead person's body reloading permit:

• open e-service Application for authorisation, the Health Inspectorate or the receipt of the opinion of the assessment, complete it and submit it;

• inscriptions application, secure signatures  electronic signature and send to the Health Inspectorate  e-address or to vi@vi.gov.lv;
• in the presence of one of the Health Inspectorates departments.

Undertaking associations in Latvia:

1. Baltic States Rite Service Providers Association
2. European Association of Underwriters
3. Latvian Association of Underwriters
4. Riga Association of Underwriters

Undertaking Association in Europe

• European Federation of Fundamental Services.

The Emergency Medical Service (EMS)

The State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA)

The State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination (SCFME)

The National Health Service (NHS)

The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA)

The Health inspectorate (HI)

The Ministry of Justice (MJ)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

Pet registration and welfare

Registration and divorce of a marriage

The age of majority

Birth, death and marriage certificates