REGISTRATION OF DEATH IN ITALY
The death of an Italian citizen which occurs abroad must be registered in Italy.
The documents necessary to register the death are:
- Death Certificate issued by the competent Civil Registry Office (South African Department of Home Affairs);
- copy of an identity document of the deceased (preferably a copy of a valid Italian passport).
Please e-mail the documents to consolare.johannesburg@esteri.it.
Alternatively, you can present the Death Certificate, duly legalized and translated, directly to the Italian Municipality to which you belong (see art. 12, parag. 11, Presidential Decree 396/2000).
REPATRIATION OF HUMAN REMAINS AND ASHES
In order to repatriate human remains (body or ashes), the Consulate will have to forward a request to the pertinent Italian municipality in order to obtain the necessary authorization.
Once this authorization has been obtained, the Funeral Company appointed by the family will be able to proceed. The family of the deceased will be liable for all costs. However, it is possible to apply for a refund of some of the repatriation expenses from regional and local governments.
In the case of an Italian national who died in a certifiable state of poverty, the Consulate can provide assistance to the deceased’s family residing abroad, in the form of the total or partial refund of any properly documented funeral expenses sustained locally.
To repatriate a deceased’s remains you need to submit to the Consulate the following:
- Full or Unabridged Death certificate (to be used also for registration of the death in Italy);
- Certificate of non-epidemic area;
- Infectious diseases certificate;
- Embalming certificate;
- Permission of exportation to Italy issued by the Department of Health;
- Removal/Burial Order;
- Copy of the deceased’s passport or other identity document;
- Affidavit by the Funeral Company.
To repatriate a deceased’s ashes the following documents are required:
- Full or Unabridged Death certificate (to be used also for registration of the death in Italy);
- Cremation certificate;
- Affidavit by the Funeral Company;
- The casket containing the ashes must be brought to the Consulate for the affixing of seals.
To proceed with the repatriation, the Consulate must inform the Municipality in Italy about the name of the cemetery and place of burial and the travel itinerary.
All the above documentation must be submitted to the Consulate at least 15 days prior the repatriation of the deceased’s remains.
Please see the Consular Fees for the repatriation of human remains and ashes.
For more information, send an e-mail to consolare.johannesburg@esteri.it.