The first 30 minutes — what to do immediately
1. Do not move or disturb the body 2. Call a doctor for a house visit 3. Alert one or two close family members 4. Gather the deceased's ID documents 5. Wait for the doctor to arrive
→ For a hospital or nursing home death instead, see Death at Hospital Singapore → For the full what-to-do overview, see What To Do When Someone Dies in Singapore, or the C.A.L.M. Guide for a step-by-step checklist covering the first 24 hours
⚠️ Important
Do NOT call an ambulance — they'll transport the body to hospital for the same CCOD and you'll pay the ambulance fee too. Do NOT call the police — unless you suspect foul play, an accident, or an unnatural cause of death. The police cannot issue a CCOD.
Step 1: Call a doctor for the CCOD
The Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD) is the document you need before anything else can happen. Only a licensed doctor can issue it.
Option A: Call your family doctor. If they conduct house calls and know the deceased's medical history, this is the best option.
Option B: Call a house-call medical service. Providers like Speedoc dispatch licensed GPs for CCOD house visits, typically 24/7.
This corresponds to "C — Call for Help" in the [C.A.L.M. Guide](/calm-guide).
Booking a 24-hour house-call doctor
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Availability | Many providers operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Cost | S$350–S$500 before GST, depending on the time and provider |
| Wait time | Allow up to 2 hours for a doctor to arrive |
| How to book | Call your provider directly, or see our list of independent CCOD doctors if your first call is unreachable |
⚠️ Important
Important nuance: a house-call doctor can usually only issue the CCOD on the spot if they can identify the cause of death — typically through a valid medical report showing a pre-existing condition. If the deceased has no accessible medical records, the doctor may not be able to certify immediately and the case may be referred to the coroner.
💡 Tip
If Speedoc or your usual provider's line is busy, unreachable, or not picking up: see our list of independent CCOD house-call doctors in Singapore — real names, direct WhatsApp contact, and coverage areas across the island.
Step 2: What the doctor does at your home
When the doctor arrives they will: 1. Examine the body to confirm death and determine the cause 2. Review any medical records or reports — have these ready 3. If satisfied the death is natural, certify it online through the ICA system 4. Provide you with the death document number
Since 29 May 2022, death certification is done online by the doctor and the death is automatically registered with ICA. You do not need to go to a police post or ICA to register separately. The digital death certificate is available at mylegacy.life.gov.sg using the death document number.
What if the doctor cannot certify the death?
If the cause is unclear, sudden, or unexplained: • Call 995 or the police directly • The body will be transported to the Mortuary at HSA (SGH Block 9) in a police hearse • The coroner will determine if an autopsy is needed • The funeral cannot begin until the body is released — potentially several days
This is NOT the same as a normal home death and requires different handling.
Step 3: After the CCOD — next steps
1. Download the digital death certificate from mylegacy.life.gov.sg using the death document number (L — Locate Important Documents) 2. Call a funeral director — they handle body collection, embalming, wake, and cremation → See How to Choose a Funeral Director Singapore (M — Make First Arrangements) 3. Alert close family and appoint one coordinator (A — Alert Close Family and Friends) 4. Locate key documents (L — Locate Important Documents)
→ Full cost guide: Funeral Cost Singapore → Wake venue options: HDB Void Deck Funeral Singapore | Funeral Parlour Singapore → If you live in a condo: Condo Funeral Singapore → This whole sequence follows the C.A.L.M. Guide — worth working through both side by side.
What changes depending on where they died
This guide covers a death at home, but the opening moves shift a little depending on where the person actually passed — and where the wake ends up being held. Here's the quick comparison.
| Where they died | Certify the death | Call first | Wake usually at | The local catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDB | MD to the flat (or 995 if sudden) | Doctor, then funeral director | Void deck | Town Council permit + bereavement parking |
| Condo | MD to the unit | Condo management, then funeral director | Usually a parlour (most condos don't allow wakes) | Clear the body-removal route and timing with security |
| Landed | MD to the home | Doctor, then funeral director | At the house, under tentage | TOL from SLA if the setup uses a public road or walkway |
| Hospital / Hospice | Attending doctor issues the cert | Funeral director | Void deck, parlour, or home | Body held in the mortuary until the funeral director and family collect it |
Wherever it happened, the spine is the same: a doctor certifies the death, it is registered automatically, and a funeral director takes over. The differences are mostly logistics and who you loop in first.
• Hospital or hospice: certification is handled there — see Death at Hospital Singapore. • Void-deck wake: arrange the HDB Void Deck Funeral Singapore setup and HDB Bereavement Parking Singapore. • Condo: see Condo Funeral Singapore. • Landed home: see Funeral Parlour vs Landed Singapore.
One rule cuts across all of them: if the death is sudden, unnatural, or unexplained, call the police on 999 first — it may route through HSA before the body is released.
Documents to have ready before the doctor arrives
• Deceased's NRIC or passport • Any medical reports, hospital discharge summaries, or diagnosis letters showing known conditions • Your own NRIC (as the informant) • If the deceased was a regular patient of any clinic, the clinic's contact details
Practical things to handle while waiting for body collection
• Inform other household members in an age-appropriate way before the funeral director arrives • Locate the deceased's clothing — the funeral director will ask for a set • Do not disturb phones, documents, or devices — needed for post-funeral admin → See CPF After Death Singapore • Nursing home deaths: the facility has no body storage and requires collection within a few hours — call a funeral director immediately
💡 Tip
Want someone to just take this over? Kenneth coordinates funerals directly — from calling a house-call doctor to bringing in a vetted vendor — so you're not managing it alone. WhatsApp +65 8958 9787 anytime, including nights and weekends.
In the weeks after, if the grief feels heavy, you don't have to carry it alone. See Grief Support Singapore for free helplines and counselling.
