In South Africa, hospitals do not issue death certificates. The responsibility of issuing death certificates lies with the Department of Home Affairs. When a person dies in a hospital, the hospital will issue a notification of death form. This form contains the details of the deceased, the date and time of death, and the cause of death. The hospital will then send the notification of death form to the Department of Home Affairs, which will use the information to issue a death certificate.

It is important to note that the notification of death form issued by the hospital is not the same as a death certificate. The notification of death form serves as a notification to the Department of Home Affairs of the person’s death and is used to initiate the process of obtaining a death certificate.

To obtain a death certificate in South Africa, the next of kin or executor of the deceased’s estate must apply to the Department of Home Affairs. The application must be accompanied by a copy of the deceased’s identity document, a copy of the applicant’s identity document, and proof of the relationship between the applicant and the deceased. The Department of Home Affairs will then process the application and issue the death certificate.

It is important to note that the process of obtaining a death certificate can take several weeks or even months, depending on the workload of the Department of Home Affairs. In some cases, it may be necessary to engage the services of a document agency like Doc Assist to expedite the process of obtaining a death certificate.

Do Hospitals Issue Death Certificates

In conclusion, South African hospitals won’t ever issue a death certificate. The responsibility of issuing death certificates lies with the Department of Home Affairs. The process can take several weeks or months, so if your application for a death certificate is time-sensitive you might need help from Doc Assist to expedite the process. For more information, get in touch with the team today.