Guidance

Singapore: bereavement information

Updated 14 July 2021

Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither His Majesty’s Government nor its staff take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information, nor accept liability for any loss, costs, damage or expense that you might suffer as a result of relying on the information. Some of the information may not be relevant to your circumstances. The language used is intended to be general and factual and is not meant to cause offence.

Singapore: bereavement information

Introduction

When a relative or friend dies abroad, the different procedures, laws or language can cause additional distress. You may be uncertain about what to do or who to contact.

This country specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which applies to all countries.

Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like.

How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on 0207 008 1500.

If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate.

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is to provide assistance to British nationals overseas who need the most help. The level and type of assistance they can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case.

Next of kin

The next of kin of the person who died will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. The next of kin can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf.

If you are not the next of kin, the authorities will need to be informed. If required, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can help you do this.

There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. Please note that if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not choose a next of kin, this can cause additional complications.

In Singapore, the authorities do not require a member of the immediate family to act as the main point of contact. Authorities will accept the ‘In Case of Emergency’ contact for this.

Same-sex partners or spouses are not recognised under local law. However, the authorities will accept whoever is listed as ‘In Case of Emergency’ contact.

The authorities will try and establish spouse and family members in the event of a death overseas.

Release of information to next of kin

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad. Some of this may be only available to next of kin. Consular officers may be able to obtain this themselves, or they may put you in touch directly with the authorities overseas. They may be able to provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, charities, or other organisations.

The police will usually notify next of kin/emergency contact or the British High Commission of the death immediately after it has occurred. If required, the police can make and accept overseas calls and emails from family.

If the death requires further investigation or a coroner’s enquiry, the authorities will release information to next of kin only. Post-mortem, toxicology, and coroner’s reports can be requested by next of kin; these documents are not released to the British High Commission.

Insurance

It’s important to check if the person who died had insurance. If they had insurance, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. They may have a list of approved funeral directors to help you make arrangements, or be able to cover some of the costs.

If the deceased was resident in Singapore on an employment pass, or if the person was the dependant of an employment pass holder, check with their employer on what type of insurance is provided and whether it covers Death in Service and repatriation costs.

If the deceased did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually have to appoint a funeral director and will usually be responsible for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with these costs.

Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring the deceased to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

If you decide to hold a funeral or cremation in Singapore, you can find a list of funeral directors in Singapore.

Local funeral directors are usually appointed by insurance providers or the family’s next of kin. The funeral director can take care of all documents needed to proceed with cremation and repatriation of ashes or repatriation of whole remains. Most local funeral directors in Singapore can arrange repatriation of ashes or remains to any country.

Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You will need to register the death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. Sometimes a funeral director can do this for you. You will usually need documents about you and the person who has died, which include information such as full name, date of birth and passport number.

The local authorities will need to be told if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis or HIV so they can take precautions against infection.

You don’t need to register the death with the UK authorities. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. If it is not in English, you will need to obtain and pay for an official translation.

Local funeral directors can register a death on behalf of next of kin.

All deaths in Singapore must be registered as soon as possible. There is no fee for this service. Deaths that took place at a government hospital can be registered there or at a police station. Deaths that occurred at home or at a private hospital must first be certified by a doctor, then registered at a police station. The registration certificate will be issued immediately.

Singapore death certificates are in English and state the cause of death. Certified true copies or extracts can be ordered online.

Consular death registration

You do not have to register the death of a British national that occurs overseas with the UK authorities. You can sometimes apply for a consular death registration. This is not mandatory and cannot be used instead of a death certificate from the country where the person died. It is only available in some countries. If you wish to do this, you can find more information on registering a death and apply online.

Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

In cases of unnatural deaths, i.e. suicide, sudden death, or death en route to a hospital, the case will be referred to the Coroner. The police will also be involved. The body will be sent to the Centre for Forensic Medicine (CFM) Mortuary, located at Block 9 Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road.

The police investigator will arrange for the family to view and identify the deceased’s body in the presence of the Coroner, who will review the case and determine if an autopsy is required. After an autopsy, or if one is not required, the family will be informed of the Coroner’s decision and the time to claim the body for the funeral/repatriation. When the cause of death is not immediately apparent after a Coroner’s autopsy is conducted, the term “Cardiorespiratory Failure Pending Further Investigations” is used as a provisional cause of death, so as to facilitate the funeral arrangements or the repatriation of the body to the deceased’s country of origin. This may have implications on funeral arrangements in the UK. Further investigations will involve a number of ancillary investigations (tests) which are conducted to establish the definitive cause of death. The results can take up to three months to conclude.

If the autopsy reveals that the death is unnatural, the police will conduct further investigations into the cause of death and the family may need to assist. Once the investigation is complete, the family will be told by the police to attend a Coroner Enquiry at the Subordinate Courts.

Organs may be removed for examination and then returned. There are no circumstances in which the organs are removed and retained.

An autopsy or post mortem report is not automatically sent to the family; they must complete an application form and pay the relevant fees.

Coroner’s reports fall under the remit of the State Courts. The courts will accept an application for a copy of the report from next of kin only. Instructions on how to apply for court records can be found on the Singapore State Courts website.

Mortuary facilities

The mortuary is at the Centre for Forensic Medicine Mortuary, Singapore General Hospital (Block 9). The Centre for Forensic Medicine of the Health Sciences Authority is the national provider of forensic medical consultancy services in the examination of Coroner’s cases. The standards provided and applied are on a par with that provided in the United Kingdom.

Burial, cremation, repatriation

The next of kin of the person who has died will usually need to decide between a local burial, cremation or bringing the person home, which is known as repatriation. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

Local Burial

The Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Complex is the only cemetery in Singapore still open for burial. The Complex includes Christian, Muslim, Ahmaddiya Jama’at, Jewish, Parsi, Bahai, Chinese and Hindu Cemeteries. The burial period for all graves is limited to 15 years. At the end of the 15 years, the graves will be exhumed. For those whose religion allows cremation, the exhumed remains will be cremated and stored in columbaria niches. Where compulsory burial is required due to religious reasons, the remains will be re-buried in smaller individual plots.

Only foreigners with permanent resident (PR) status or whose next of kin have PR status can be buried locally.

Local Cremation

There are three crematoria in Singapore: one government-managed crematorium (Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex) and two private crematoria (Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery and Tse Toh Aun Temple). Cremated ashes may be stored in columbaria niches. Foreigners are only allowed to purchase niches at private columbaria.

Repatriation

Most local undertakers include international repatriation as part of their services.

It’s important from the outset that the family check if their loved one had insurance coverage. The insurance provider will work with their preferred undertaker on repatriating the deceased’s ashes or whole remains.

Please note if a local burial or cremation takes place, then an inquest in the UK will not be possible. For more information on inquests, see the information on UK coroners and inquests.

Return of personal belongings

The funeral director can usually help return small items (personal effects) to the family of the deceased. Any such requests should be raised with the funeral director.

Please note, the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK online. This includes information on arranging the funeral, telling the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the person who died. There is a step-by-step guide about what to do when someone dies.

British passport cancellation

In order to avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with HM Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you will need to complete a “D1 form”.

The the form and instructions on where to send the passport is available online

If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

Child deaths

When a child dies in Singapore, an investigation into the family background and circumstances of death may take place. Social services may be involved. There is no specific authorisation required to bury, cremate, or repatriate a child’s body.

Deaths in road traffic accidents

In Singapore, every vehicle on the road must be insured. Deaths or injuries resulting from vehicular accidents are usually covered by motor insurance; an exception would be where the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In situations where the vehicle does not have insurance coverage, families of the deceased may contact the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Singapore to submit a claim.

Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter, a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support, including by referring you to a specialised organisation. You can find more about how the FCDO can help with murder and manslaughter abroad.

You should note that if the deceased is repatriated to parts of the UK a coroner or procurator fiscal may decide to hold an inquest. See the section on UK Coroners and inquests below.

The local police decide if a death should be investigated as a case of murder or manslaughter. Once a suspect has been identified and arrested, the police will have 48 hours to charge them with murder or manslaughter. Once the 48-hour period has lapsed, the court may grant a week’s extension so that the police can gather further evidence. Once the police have completed their investigation, the case will be handed to the public prosecutor, also known as the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

Murder trials take roughly 12-24 months, including the appeals stage.

In 2018, there were 9 murders on record in Singapore.

UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the person who died to England and Wales, there may be an inquest. The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner. Please note, an inquest will usually only happen in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.

If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.

Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.

You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the FCDO guide on death abroad.

Legal Aid

There is no constitutional right to free legal aid in Singapore. Civil legal aid is available to Singapore citizens and permanent residents; criminal legal aid is available regardless of nationality, but a means test may apply. For more information, visit the Law Society of Singapore website and the Legal Aid Bureau website.

A list of lawyers is also available here.

Compensation

There is no government compensation scheme in Singapore.

You can find information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas.

Additional support

Support organisations in the UK

In the UK, there are many organisations that can help bereaved families. Some of these are listed in the guide coping with death abroad.