The Service: Representation in Death Registration
In the days after losing a loved one, administrative procedures are the last thing a family has strength for. Yet death registration is mandatory: without it, settling the estate, receiving benefits or taking other legal steps is impossible. Within this service the Legal.ge team carries the death registration from start to finish: we assess your case, prepare the documentation, control the deadlines and represent you before the civil acts registration body, so that the certificate reaches the family in time and without friction.
Representation is especially necessary in non-standard cases: death abroad, the death of an unidentified person, declaring a person dead by court decision, or death as a result of a natural disaster. These cases follow separate rules, and carrying them through without knowing them means losing time.
Whose Death Is Registered and Who Applies (Articles 70–71)
By law, the registration of the death of a citizen of Georgia, of a stateless person holding status in Georgia and of any person deceased in Georgia is mandatory. The registration of a permanent-residence-permit holder deceased in another state is carried out only at the wish of an interested person — that is a matter of choice, and we explain its consequences in advance.
The duty to apply is distributed by Article 71: the head of a medical facility, of a pathology-anatomical service or of a forensic-medical examination facility — or an authorised person — applies within 5 working days of the death, if the person died there or that facility established or confirmed the fact of death. A person authorised to issue the medical death certificate, though not employed by any such facility, applies within the same period. Moreover, any adult capable person or administrative body may apply to the registration body by declaration; for a person deceased in another state, the authorised body of the host state may also address the consular institution.
Confirming Documents and the Medical Certificate Rule (Articles 72–73)
Article 72 names the documents confirming death: the medical death certificate; the decision of an authorised body on establishing the fact of death; a court decision declaring a person dead; a protocol compiled by the mayor's authorised person; a certificate concerning the death of a repressed person; notifications of the defence, interior or state security services on a servicemember's death; and a document issued by an authorised body of another state. The registration of a person killed in a natural disaster or catastrophe may also proceed on the basis of a respective legal act of the Minister of Justice.
Article 73 provides that the medical death certificate is submitted to the agency in electronic form; material form is admissible only in cases foreseen by a joint order. In practice this is the point where the procedure most often breaks — between the medical side and the agency; we control that communication and untangle it before it becomes a problem.
Unidentified Person and Declaration of Death (Articles 74–75)
If a medical or other authorised body cannot identify the deceased person, the death is registered as the death of an unidentified person. The second case is declaration of death: the court sends its decision declaring a person dead to the civil acts registration body — according to the place where the decision was issued — within 5 working days of its entry into force, and the registration takes place precisely on the basis of that decision.
Two details matter here: for a person declared dead, the date of death is the day the court decision enters into force, unless the decision provides otherwise; and the registration body may refuse to register if the decision does not establish the person's personal number (where one exists), name, surname, date or place of birth. That is why these data must be secured within the court case itself — otherwise the registration stalls.
Our Role: from Documentation to Certificate
The service includes: classification of your case — which confirming document you have and which you need; collection and verification of the documentation; deadline control — including the medical side's 5-working-day duty; representation before the registration body; and receipt of the certificate. Where the death occurred abroad, we also frame the question of re-registration. We run the administration in place of the grieving family.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we hear most often about death registration:
Who is obliged to apply for death registration?
The head of the medical, pathology-anatomical or forensic facility or an authorised person — within 5 working days of the death. A person authorised to issue the medical certificate is bound by the same period. Any adult capable family member may also apply by declaration.
Which document confirms the death?
The list is broad: the medical certificate; an authorised body's decision on establishing the fact; a court decision declaring the person dead; the mayor's authorised person's protocol; a certificate concerning a repressed person; a notification of service death; or a document of another state's authority. We determine which one matches your case.
How is the date of death fixed for a declared person?
For a person declared dead, the date of death is the day the court decision enters into force, unless the decision provides otherwise. The decision is handed to the body within 5 working days of entry into force, according to the place of issuance.
Can a death abroad be registered in Georgia?
For a permanent-residence-permit holder deceased in another state, registration takes place only at an interested person's wish; the confirming document is issued by an authorised body of the other state. The host state's authority may also address the consular institution.
How We Help on Legal.ge
Contact us on Legal.ge: we will assess your case and the documents needed; control the electronic dispatch of the medical certificate and the deadlines; represent you before the registration body and collect the certificate; and in a declaration-of-death case, verify the completeness of the court decision's data so the registration does not stall. In the days of a tragedy, leave the administrative burden to us.