The local certificate comes first
The authority in the country where the death occurred issues the original certificate, in the local language and on that country’s form. Everything else in the file is built on it, which is why delays at this stage delay everything.
Where the death was sudden, unattended or involved an accident, an investigation or autopsy may precede the certificate. That is the most common reason a case takes longer than the family expected, and it is outside anyone’s control.
Translation and legalisation
The receiving country generally will not act on a document it cannot read or verify. In practice this means a certified translation, plus either an apostille where both countries are party to the Hague Convention, or consular legalisation where they are not.
Which of the two applies is a property of the country pair, not of the case. It is worth establishing early, because the two routes take different amounts of time.
The consular registration is a separate document
The consulate of the country of nationality usually registers the death and issues its own document. This is what the home country’s registry, banks and courts will normally recognise, and it is not the same as the local certificate.
Both are typically needed: the local certificate to move the deceased, the consular one to settle matters at home.
The certificate is the foundation, not the whole file
Families usually assume that once the certificate is in hand the paperwork is done. In practice it is what everything else rests on, but it travels inside a file that also holds a certificate covering preparation of the deceased, a sealing certificate for the coffin, and an export or transit permit. The first two have guides of their own, each with its own rules.
What matters here is the order. None of the other documents is issued before the certificate exists, which is why it is always the first step in the file.
This is general information, not advice on a specific case. Requirements differ between countries, between airlines and sometimes between cases. We are a private coordination company, not a government body, embassy or consulate.
Common questions on this subject
How many copies should the family ask for?
More than feels necessary. Several institutions retain an original rather than a copy, and obtaining further originals later from another country is slow. Ask the issuing authority for multiple originals while the family is still in contact with it.
What is an apostille?
A standardised certification that confirms a public document is genuine, accepted between countries party to the Hague Convention. Where one of the two countries is not a party, the document goes through consular legalisation instead.
Can the process start before the certificate is issued?
Preparation and coordination can begin, and usually should. The transport itself cannot be booked and confirmed until the documents exist, because the airline and the receiving authority both require them.