Useful Links

Visit here to apply for a death extract.

Please notify the deceased person’s bank – especially for receipts and cheques deposited automatically – or if mortgage payments and other transactions, such as GIRO deductions, are carried out directly from the account. More information on the list of banks in Singapore.

Check for any outstanding debts, such as credit card bills. For bills where payment is made automatically via GIRO, inform the companies to cancel the GIRO. Where appropriate, contact the deceased person's landlord, cancel utilities such as electricity and telephone connections, and other items such as safety deposit boxes etc. Provide the post office with a forwarding address for the deceased person's mail.

If your loved one is a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, there is no need to report the death to the CPF Board, as the Board will be notified by the relevant public agency. If he/ she is a foreigner with a CPF account, please report the death at any CPF Service Centre with the member’s digital death certificate, your identity card or passport, and proof of relationship.

If your loved one had made a valid CPF nomination, his/ her CPF savings will be distributed to his/ her nominee(s) in the proportion as listed in the nomination. Otherwise, all CPF savings will be forwarded to the Public Trustee for distribution in accordance with the intestacy laws or inheritance certificate (for Muslims) in Singapore.

Please visit CPF's website for more information

If the deceased leaves behind a child below the age of 21, family and friends may wish to adopt the child. Adopting a child is not just a legal process – it involves much thought and commitment as well.

More information and resources on the process of adoption, issues and challenges of post-adoption.

The death of a loved one or close friend is painful, and may be difficult to cope with. On ways to manage grief, you can visit the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) website. Professional advice and support is available at your nearest Family Service Centre (FSC). FSCs are neighbourhood-based focal points for family resources, where individuals can turn to for family-related matters. FSCs promote the well-being of families and individuals.

More information on Family Service Centres are available at:

• Directory of Family Services
• National FSC Helpline: 1800 838 0100 (toll-free line)
• Please call the Helpline, which operates in English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil, to contact your nearest FSC.

You may also wish to seek professional counselling from the following voluntary welfare organisations: 

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)

Helpline: 1800 221 4444 (24-hour toll-free line) 

SOS provides a 24-hour crisis line service, which gives emotional support to people who are troubled. All calls to SOS are kept strictly confidential. 

Care Corner Mandarin Counselling Centre 

Hotline: 1800 353 5800 (10am to 10pm daily) 

Care Corner Mandarin Counselling Centre provides counselling services in Mandarin, allowing individuals to share their problems in complete anonymity and strict confidentiality.

An estate duty is payable on the value of a deceased person's net assets above a specified threshold amount. There is no estate duty payable for deaths on and after 15 February 2008. More information on estate duties.

You can also contact: 

Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore

Ruling and Compliance Branch

Tel: 6351 3169

E-mail: ed@iras.gov.sg

Inform the deceased person’s insurance companies. Beneficiaries may receive payouts from insurance policies, credit and trade unions, or fraternal organisations, etc. More information on the list of insurance companies in Singapore. 

Obtain the deceased person's will and inform his/ her lawyer and/ or executor.

Plan ahead for the end-of-life matters more conveniently at your fingertips, making it easy and meaningful for both you and your family. More information on My Legacy.

A notice of death or an obituary may be placed in the local newspapers in memory of your loved one. More information on online booking or call at 6319 5192.  

The Public Trustee administers the estates of deceased individuals if the value does not exceed $50,000.

The Public Trustee will:

1. Administer the assets of the deceased (such as deposits with banks and other financial institutions, undrawn salaries, CPF savings, and New Singapore Shares).
2. Sell or transfer shares held by the deceased person in Singapore-listed companies.
3. Transfer any vehicle belonging to the deceased to the beneficiary.
4. Ascertain the validity of claimants' entitlement as beneficiaries and the relationship between the claimants and the deceased.
5. Hold the minor's share in trust until the beneficiary reaches the age of maturity, and may make monthly payments for the minor's maintenance and education.

More information can be found at:

• Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office
• Administration of Small Estates of Deceased Persons
• Administration of CPF Monies of Deceased Persons
• Administration of Monies Held in Trust for Minor Beneficiaries
• Distribution of the Estate of Deceased Persons Administered by the Public Trustee

If the deceased is a Muslim, the Public Trustee will distribute the estate of the deceased to the beneficiaries in accordance with the Certificate of Inheritance obtained from the Syariah Court by the applicant.

Applications can be made online.

Low-income households who need financial assistance can approach your nearest Social Service Office.

More information on the Social Service Office(s) near your location and available assistance.

Public can contact the following organisation for more details on the financial assistance for funeral services:

The death of a child can be a particularly difficult loss. Child Bereavement Support (Singapore) is a support group for bereaved parents, set up by bereaved parents, providing support groups, befriending and information.

The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) allows employees who have sustained injuries in a work-related accident or contracted an occupational disease to claim work injury compensation. Dependents of employees who have died in a work-related accident are also eligible for compensation. Claimable compensation includes medical leave wages, medical expenses, and compensation for permanent incapacity or death.

Unlike civil claims, compensation is generally payable under the Act regardless of whether the employer is at fault, as long as the employee had suffered an injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment, or if the employee had contracted an occupational disease as defined under the Act. The compensation benefits are computed based on fixed formulae, and are capped under the Act.

Once an employee decides to pursue his claim under the Act, he will generally no longer be able to lodge a civil claim against his employer for damages.

More information on Work Injury Compensation Act.