Death Certificate

DEATH CERTIFICATE

GENERAL INFORMATION
   A Brazilian citizen’s death may be registered at the Consulate General of Brazil in Washington if he or she passed away in a state within the Consulate’s jurisdiction (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky).

   Death certificates are issued at the Consulate General of Brazil in Washington by appointment only. See the instructions below on how to request this service.

  The declarant of the citizen’s death should preferably be the widow(er), son/daughter, brother/sister, or parent, of Brazilian nationality. A non-Brazilian citizen may request a Consular death certificate in exceptional cases.

   The declarant may complete the consular death certificate via a third party, such as the representative of a funeral home, if duly authorized by the declarant in writing.

  Consular death certificates are issued free of charge.

  Consular death certificates must later be transcribed in Brazil, in the 1st Civil Registry office of the declarant’s residence (Cartório 1º Ofício de Registro Civil), or alternatively in the 1st Civil Registry office in Brasília (Cartório Marcelo Ribas).

  Questions may be sent via email to regist.cgwashington@itamaraty.gov.br
 

HOW TO REQUEST A CONSULAR DEATH CERTIFICATE
1.    Create a service request for “Certidão de óbito/Death certificate” via the e-consular system. You will need to create an account using your e-mail address if have not used the e-consular system before.
2.    Upload the required documents (listed below).
3.    Once your documents have been reviewed and approved*, choose an available appointment date via the e-consular system to appear at the Consulate. You must bring to your appointment all the original documents that you uploaded to the e-consular system.
?    The documents you upload will be reviewed by the Consulate. If any documents are missing or incomplete, you will receive a notification via e-mail to re-submit the correct document(s). You will only be able to schedule an appointment via the e-consular system once you have uploaded all the correct documents, as verified by the Consulate.


REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
1.    Local death certificate
2.    Cremation certificate, when applicable
3.    At least one Brazilian form of identification of the deceased, preferably with photo (e.g. passport or ID card, even if expired).
4.    Brazilian birth certificate or marriage certificate of the deceased.
5.    At least one of the following documents:
a.    CPF
b.    Brazilian voter registration (“Título de Eleitor”)
c.    INSS registration, if deceased was an individual contributor to the Brazilian social security system
d.    PIS/PASEP registration
e.    Brazilian social security benefit number (NB), if deceased received any INSS benefits
f.    Brazilian work permit (“Carteira de Trabalho/CTPS”)
6.    At least one form of photo ID of the declarant (Brazilian photo ID if declarant is Brazilian)

TRANSPORT OF BODY OR ASHES TO BRAZIL
 
If transporting the body of the deceased to Brazil, in addition to the Consular death registration, Brazilian authorities require the following documents (with Apostille certification):
 
1.    Body transfer certificate/Transit permit
2.    Original non-Brazilian death certificate
3.    Certificate of Embalming
4.    Health certificate for non-contagious disease
a.    In the event of death caused by a contagious disease, or subject to quarantine, or with the potential for proven infection, the body must be stored in an airtight metal container.
 
If transporting the cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased to Brazil, Brazilian authorities require the following documents (with Apostille certification):
 
1.    Cremation Authorization/Permit
2.    Cremation Certificate
3.    Original non-Brazilian death certificate

Brazilian authorities require that remains be transported in a sealed and waterproof container.

Specific questions should be directed to the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), and by the airline that will be transporting the body/remains.

NOTE: The Consulate General of Brazil in Washington does not provide financial or logistical assistance in the transportation of remains, embalming, cremation, or burial. These processes are the responsibility of the family of the deceased.

The non-Brazilian funeral service must coordinate with the corresponding funeral service in Brazil, which will be responsible for the funerary procedures once the body arrives in Brazil.

The non-Brazilian funeral service is responsible for obtaining authorization from the airport of departure before the body can be transported to Brazil.