Formalities
Pompes Funèbres Calmes will support you in carrying out all the procedures following the death of a loved one.
When a death occurs, the relatives have to come to terms with an emotionally demanding situation, and yet they are soon confronted with the imperatives of organising the funeral.
We will assist you in order to simplify your procedures as much as possible and to take care of the wide range of administrative formalities.
In this regard, you will find all the information regarding the initial administrative steps in this article.
Report the death and complete administrative procedures
Before taking any action, a member of the family must contact a doctor in order to establish the cause of death and draw up a medical certificate confirming the cause of death (natural death, non-suspicious violent death, etc.).
Within a maximum of 24 hours, the death must be reported to the municipality at the registry office. Please note, this must be the municipality where the death occurred.
The local parish should also be contacted in the event of a religious ceremony.
These procedures can be initiated by a relative of the deceased or entrusted to Pompes Funèbres Calmes.
The registry office will draft the death certificate and issue the permit to transport the deceased (to the funeral home) and the burial permit (to the municipality where the deceased has chosen to be buried).
Following the issuance of the death certificate, the organisations listed below must be contacted:
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The employer or the Caisse de Pension (Pension Fund - CNAP);
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Caisse de Maladie (National Health Fund - CNS);
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Bank(s);
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Insurance company(ies);
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Real estate organisation(s): the landlord, if the deceased was a tenant, the tenant(s) or the co-ownership association if the deceased was a property owner;
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Notary (in the case of a will);
Depending on the situation, other authorities must also be informed, such as the death fund, the medical-surgical fund, schools, the guardianship judge, the Société Nationale de Contrôle Technique (SNCT), the consulate or embassy, etc.
Within 6 months of reporting the death, a declaration of inheritance must be made by contacting the Registration, Domicile and VAT Administration (Administration de l’enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA).
For each of the aforementioned procedures, you will find the different documents (certificates, family record book, identity documents, notarial deeds, etc.) to be submitted to each organisation here.
For more information, please contact us by telephone or send the request form.
Why entrust your death procedures to Pompes Funèbres Calmes?
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Peace of mind: We delegate a wide range of administrative procedures for deaths, allowing you to focus on mourning and mourning.
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Tailor-made support: Each situation is unique, and we adapt our services to your needs (national and international procedures, inheritance, and assistance).
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Fast service: We strive to act quickly and are available 24/7.
Who to notify after a death: the complete checklist
To help you keep track, here is a summary of the organisations and steps to take after a death, along with two topics that deserve closer attention: the survivor's pension and banking procedures.
The checklist of organisations to notify
Use the list of organisations mentioned above (employer or pension fund, CNS, banks, insurance companies, real estate organisations, the Société Nationale de Contrôle Technique, notary, consulate or embassy) as your checklist, ticking each one off as you complete the relevant procedure. The next two points, the survivor's pension and bank accounts, are worth covering in more detail.
The survivor's pension from the CNAP: procedure and timeframes
Unlike the funeral indemnity, the survivor's pension is never paid automatically: the surviving spouse or partner must submit a formal request to the Caisse nationale d'assurance pension (CNAP).
To qualify, the marriage or partnership must generally have lasted at least one year at the time of death (exceptions apply, for example if a child was born or conceived during the union, if the death was accidental, or if the union lasted at least 10 years). The deceased's children may be entitled to an orphan's pension.
The application must include a bank account statement, a death certificate and a marriage or partnership certificate issued after the death. Processing time ranges from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the case, particularly when enquiries abroad are required. A "grace quarter" bridges the gap: for the three months following the death, the CNAP tops up payments to the level of the pension or salary the deceased would have received.
Good to know: if the deceased was a cross-border worker, the survivor's pension claim is not filed with the CNAP but with the relevant body in the survivor's own country of residence (see "Special cases" below).
Banking procedures in detail
As soon as the bank is informed of the death, the deceased's accounts (current accounts, savings accounts, savings certificates) are frozen pending the submission of the death certificate and a notarial certificate of inheritance (acte de notoriété). The exact conditions for releasing funds vary from bank to bank.
Joint accounts: in most cases, the account is also frozen until the estate is settled, although exceptions exist depending on the bank and the amount involved.
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Powers of attorney: any power of attorney granted by the deceased over their accounts automatically ends on death.
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Closing accounts: this generally requires a notarial certificate of inheritance. Some banks agree, on presentation of invoices, to pay funeral costs directly from the deceased's assets.
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If the heirs do not know which bank the deceased used, the Luxembourg Bankers' Association (ABBL) offers a search service among its member banks for around €60 (available in English).
Special cases
Death of a cross-border worker or non-resident
When the deceased was resident in Luxembourg, Luxembourg law generally governs the estate, even if some heirs live abroad, and the inheritance declaration must still be filed with the Registration Duties, Estates and VAT Authority (AED) in Luxembourg.
For the survivor's pension, the rule differs: the relatives of a cross-border worker must generally file their claim with the social security body of their own country of residence, rather than directly with the CNAP.
The CNS funeral indemnity, however, remains accessible to both residents and cross-border workers insured in Luxembourg.
Death occurring abroad
When a death occurs abroad, the deadline for filing the inheritance declaration is extended beyond the standard 6-month period. Burial or cremation is not subject to the usual 24-to-72-hour window that applies to a death occurring in Luxembourg.
Pompes Funèbres Calmes handles all the procedures involved in repatriating the deceased to Luxembourg: liaising with the consulate or embassy, local formalities, and international transport. Find out more on our dedicated repatriation page.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about formalities after a death
What is the legal deadline for reporting a death in Luxembourg?
The death must be reported within a maximum of 24 hours to the registry office of the municipality where it occurred.
Who can report a death?
The report can be made by a relative of the deceased, by the funeral home instructed by the family, or by any other person holding the necessary documents (medical certificate, the deceased's identity documents).
What should be done if the deceased was a cross-border worker?
The procedures for reporting the death and organising the funeral remain the same. However, the survivor's pension claim must be filed with the social security body of the survivor's country of residence, not with the CNAP. See "Special cases" above.
Is the CNS funeral indemnity paid automatically?
No. It must be requested by sending the paid funeral invoices together with an extract of the death certificate to the deceased's health fund.