The world's problems: I have a problem

Someone died — what do I do first?

Every step after a death, in order, for the country you are in.

The whole checklist, country by country

Have the death confirmed by a doctor (or emergency services). You'll get the medical certificate needed for everything else.
Tell close family. Ask one person to help you make calls.
Choose a funeral director. They take care of the body and can handle much of the paperwork.
Look for a will or written wishes about the funeral — in their papers, with their lawyer or notary.

Register the death at the registry office and get the death certificate.
Order several certified copies of the certificate (5 to 10) — banks, insurers and offices each want one.
Arrange the funeral or cremation with the funeral director, and tell family and friends.
Secure their home, car and valuables. Look after pets and plants.
Tell their employer, if they worked — there may be pay or benefits due.

Tell their banks: accounts are frozen, and joint accounts may continue.
Tell the pension and social security offices — payments after the death usually must be paid back.
Contact life insurers and any funeral plan — claims need the certificate.
Tell the landlord or mortgage lender, and the utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet).
Cancel or transfer the phone, subscriptions and memberships.
Deal with email and social media: most let family close or memorialise the account.
Redirect their post, and cancel their passport, driving licence and ID cards.

Sort out the estate: list what they owned and owed. A notary or lawyer helps, and is required in some countries.
Debts are usually paid from the estate — family members don't pay them personally unless they co-signed or guaranteed.
Deal with their last tax return and any inheritance tax.
Share out what's left according to the will or the law — only after debts and taxes are settled.

Call their doctor or the out-of-hours doctor to confirm the death. If you're unsure they have died, call the emergency number now.

The staff confirm the death and give you the medical certificate and the deceased's belongings. Ask them what happens next.

Call the emergency number. Don't move anything until the police or medical team say so.
A coroner, medical examiner or prosecutor may need to look into the cause — the funeral can only happen once they release the body.

Contact the consulate or embassy of their country — they help with documents, contacts and bringing them home.
Call their travel insurance first: many policies pay for bringing the body home, but only if contacted before arrangements are made.
Choose a local funeral director who handles international transfers — or a local cremation, which is simpler and cheaper.
Get the local death certificate translated or certified (apostille) for use at home, and register the death there too.

Declare the death at the town hall (mairie) within 24 hours — the hospital or funeral director often does it for you.
The burial or cremation must take place between 24 hours and 14 calendar days after the death.
The heirs file the estate declaration (déclaration de succession) within 6 months — 12 if the death was abroad. A notary is required when there's property.

Report the death to the registry office (Standesamt) by the third working day — the funeral director usually does it.
If the estate may have more debts than assets, heirs can refuse it — within 6 weeks of learning of it (6 months if the deceased lived abroad).

Register the death within 5 days in England and Wales (8 days in Scotland).
Use Tell Us Once when you register: it informs most government offices at the same time.
Any inheritance tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death — interest runs after that.

The funeral director files the death certificate with the state; order certified copies from them or the county.
Tell Social Security (the funeral home often does). A payment received for the month of death must be returned.
Probate rules depend on the state. A federal estate tax return, if needed, is due 9 months after the death.

Tell Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency; ask about the CPP death benefit.
The final tax return is due by April 30 of the next year — or 6 months after the death if it happened in November or December.

Use the Australian Death Notification Service to tell several banks, telcos and utilities at once, and tell Services Australia.

If no doctor was present, report the death to the city or municipal health office within 48 hours.
Remains that aren't embalmed must be buried within 48 hours — so embalming is often the first call.
Register the death at the Local Civil Registry Office of the place of death within 30 days; the burial or cremation permit follows.
Tell SSS or GSIS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG — there may be death and funeral benefits to claim.
Banks restrict the accounts once told. Heirs can withdraw within a year, with 6% withheld as estate tax.
File the estate tax return and pay the 6% estate tax within 1 year of the death to avoid surcharges.