Before Applying
Death from Natural Causes (e.g. illness)
Registering the death of a person is the first and key obligation to be fulfilled by a close relative of the deceased, i.e. the informant.
Important Note:
Under section 14 of the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, Chapter 174, Laws of Hong Kong, it shall be the duty for the informant (being the nearest relative or other relevant person of the deceased) to register a death from natural causes within 14 days after such death. Anyone who refuses or, without reasonable excuse, omits to register a death as required by the law shall be deemed to have committed a breach and is liable to a penalty of a fine of HK$2,000 or up to six months' imprisonment.
In most cases, the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased person during his or her last illness will sign and issue a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18). The informant will need to take it to the Deaths Registry for registration of the death.
Applying
Death from Natural Causes (e.g. illness)
Registering the death of a person can be made in-person at a Deaths Registry or via online (if applicable).
Deaths from natural causes can be registered on weekdays and Saturday mornings (except General Holidays) at Hong Kong Island Deaths Registry or Kowloon Deaths Registry. On Sundays and General Holidays, the informant can approach the Births and Deaths General Register Office from 10 am - 12:30 pm for service. Deaths registration services for natural deaths are also available in some designated police stations in the New Territories such as Cheung Chau and Mui Wo for deaths that occurred in the respective districts.
Addresses and office hours of Deaths Registries
General Enquiries
Hotline: (852) 2824 6111
Fax: (852) 2877 7711
Email: enquiry@immd.gov.hk
When applying for registering a death, the informant should supply originals of the following documents:
- Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18), signed and issued by the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased person during his or her last illness
- The deceased person’s Hong Kong identity card or travel document
- The informant’s Hong Kong identity card or travel document
The informant is required to provide information on the deceased person's occupation, nationality, and marital status.
The registration of a death normally takes 30 minutes, and a certified copy of a death entry (commonly known as Death Certificate) can usually be issued within another 10 minutes.
Registering a death does not incur a fee, but the informant will need to pay HK$140 for a certified copy of a death entry.
Eligible informants may register the death of a deceased person through the internet (link) if the following requirements are met:
- The deceased person died of natural cause and the informant is in possession of the original Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18) signed and issued by the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased person during his or her last illness;
- The informant is registering the death of a deceased person within 14 days after such death; and
- The informant is a registered user of “iAM Smart+” mobile app.
Upon online registration of death, the informant is required to:
- Provide information required for death registration;
- Upload a copy of the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18);
- Upload a copy of the deceased’s Hong Kong identity card / travel document;and
- upload a copy of the informant’s Hong Kong identity card.
You are also required to provide information on the deceased person's occupation, nationality, and marital status.
Depending on the nature of the case, you may be required to submit other supporting documents (e.g. the original Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18)).
After the Deaths Registry has received all the required information and documents online, death registration will usually be completed within 3 working days (exclude the time for the informant to confirm the contents on the register form of deaths (“Form 2”) and working days denote Monday to Friday excluding General Holidays). The informant will then receive notifications in email from the Deaths Registry notifying him/her that the death registration is completed and the certified copy of the death entry (if applicable) is ready for collection or delivery by post.
Remarks: These standards may not be achievable during certain daily peak hours or peak periods or in complicated cases.
Registering a death online does not incur a fee. If the informant wants to obtain a certified copy of the death entry (commonly known as “death certificate”) after online registration of death, he/she is required to pay HK$140 per copy (for in-person collection/ collect by post locally).
If the informant did not apply for a certified copy at the time of the death registration but need to get one afterwards, he/she is required to apply for a search of death records first and a search fee will be charged. (HK$140 for Particular Search and HK$680 for General Search. For details, please see Fees Leaflet (BDR 100)). For more information on applying for a death certificate, please refer to “Application for Search of Death Records and/or a Certified Copy of a Death Entry”.
After Applying
Death from Natural Causes (e.g. illness)
In-person Death Registration
After the death registration was completed in-person at a Deaths Registry, the informant can pay HK$140 for a certified copy of a death entry (commonly known as death certificate).
Payment can be made by cash, EPS, Octopus, FPS, Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only), or by crossed cheque or cashier's order (payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” ) in Hong Kong currency.
Online Death Registration
Upon online death registration, the informant may apply for a certified copy of a death entry (commonly known as death certificate). Informant may choose to collect the death certificate either in-person at a Deaths Registry or receive it by post. If the informant chooses to receive it by post, online payment made by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB only), PPS, FPS or Mainland China’s Licensed Digital Wallets (Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay App only) is applicable. Otherwise, the informant will make payment upon in-person collection of the death certificate at the Deaths Registry.
According to the Registration of Persons Regulations (Chapter 177A), any person who has in possession of an identity card of a deceased person, shall deliver it to the Commissioner of Registration for cancellation within 30 days after the date of the death of the deceased. After completion of the online death registration, the informant should deliver the deceased person’s identity card to the Commissioner of Registration for cancellation together with a completed "Notification of death and return of identity card of deceased persons" (Form ROP35a).
After registration of death, relatives will normally arrange the funeral of the deceased (e.g. cremation or burial). Applicant must pay attention to application means and documents required for relevant government services.
