Post the death of an individual, there are a couple of formalities that have to be followed. The most significant of them is applying for a death certificate. The basic rule is that you cannot apply for a death certificate without having the deceased body checked and cleared. A medical examiner has to go through it and make sure there was no foul play and that the person has actually passed of natural causes.

Post the death, and the examination, the deceased has to be registered for a death certificate. This is done through the registrar of births and deaths. A death certificate can be availed of quite easily however there is sometimes a lot of back and forth since this has to be handled in person.

Is there a better process to apply for a death certificate?

You can now register a death, through an online profile created to apply for a death certificate. An issue that a lot of people faced was registering the individual in their birthplace, especially when they passed away in another location. Either when they were travelling or working in another country.

Why does it matter how long it takes to apply for a death certificate?

A death certificate is needed for a bunch of post-death formalities. Funeral rites, whether through cremation or burial need a death certificate. A death certificate states that the body has been examined and there is no need for another examination.

They are also needed when dealing with insurance claims. Insurance companies are thorough with their dealings and make sure that there has been no evidence preventing them from providing the family with the claim.

Post the death of an individual, a death certificate would be needed to remove or delete the individual’s name from all Government or other documents. This can be the case with ration cards, election cards and so on.

Who can collect a death certificate?

Any person somehow connected to the family is allowed to receive a death certificate. They would have to provide proof about being connected to the family and would receive one. The death certificate can be asked for from the registrar of births and deaths, usually through the Panchayat or the Municipality.

The people asking for a death certificate would have to mention the reason behind why they would want a death certificate in an application, which is usually the process when applying for one.

With the new system, there are companies and websites allowing people to download an application by providing the information needed, without having to make a trip to the nearest office. This is becoming very convenient and has a large number of people moving to the internet to take advantage of the system.