Burial - Order a funeral
The location and size of the grave, the period of rest, fees and further details, e.g. on grave maintenance, are specified in the statutes of the respective cemetery administration.
The deceased is usually buried in a coffin in a row or elective grave in the cemetery.
Other materials equivalent to wood, which ensure a dignified and reverent design of the coffin and fulfil the functions of the wooden coffin in an equivalent manner, may also be permitted.
The will of the deceased is decisive for the place, type and execution of the burial, insofar as legal provisions or compelling public interests do not conflict with this. If the will of the deceased cannot be determined, the relative responsible for the burial shall decide.
For deceased persons without surviving relatives, a customary burial shall be arranged by the municipality.
Responsible department
The respective cemetery owner
Details
Prerequisite
- The non-confidential part of the death certificate is available,
- the registrar of the place of death has noted on the death certificate that the death has been entered in the death register (clearance note) and
- the manner of death is not or no longer unclear or the deceased person has been released by the public prosecutor's office or the district court
Procedure
You may need to apply to the cemetery administration for a grave usage right.
Deadlines
Deceased persons may be buried if a medical examination has ruled out any possibility of apparent death.
Deceased persons who are not laid out in mortuaries or morgues must be buried no later than 96 hours after the occurrence of death or, in the case of transport to the territory of another municipality, must be set out on the road. The local police authority may allow exceptions to this rule if there is no reason to fear health hazards. For health reasons, it may order that deceased persons be buried or transported earlier.
Required documents
Death certificate