At a glance
- Local start
- municipality of the recorded death location in the Brussels Capital Region
- death certificate
- acte de décès / overlijdensakte
- Federal document
- laissez-passer mortuaire processed by Saniport
- Official languages
- French and Dutch affect the name of the document, not its function
- Initial response
- within 10 minutes
Why is the municipality in Brussels checked first?
The Brussels capital region consists of several municipalities. The City of Brussels publishes the procedure only for deaths occurring within the territory of its municipality. If the hospital or home is located in Ixelles, Schaerbeek or another municipality of the region, the application is not automatically handled by the central city registry office.
The doctor compiles the medical record, and the municipality forms the acte de décès, the official civil death record. Bilingual names describe the same registered death, but must not be confused with the federal international document. The address of the institution therefore precedes the choice of form and office.
Check whether Bruxelles or Brussel identifies the city municipality or the wider region. The hospital's address establishes which municipal office handles civil registration.
Who issues the Belgian laissez-passer mortuaire?
Belgian FPS Public Health describes repatriation and request for laissez-passer mortuaire through the federal sanitary service Saniport. The municipal death certificate is a mandatory part of the file, but the municipality itself does not exercise the federal health service’s powers. This is the main difference between local application and exit from Belgium.
The request is linked to the deceased's identity, death certificate, coffin details and final destination. If the document is missing or the information is different, the federal authority can ask for a supplement. Belgian multilingualism does not change the obligation that all forms indicate the same person and place of submission.
What role do Brussels and federal documents play?
The table follows the file from the medical record through municipal registration to the destination-country permit. A French or Dutch title does not change which level of government issues each document.
| Document | Issuing authority | Role in the case |
|---|---|---|
| Medical certificate | doctor | initiates a municipal death report |
| Acte de décès / overlijdensakte | competent Brussels municipality | records the death in the civil register |
| laissez-passer mortuaire | FPS Public Health — Saniport | authorises international transport from Belgium |
| Destination-country permit | competent mission of the destination country | regulates the legal entry to the destination |
How does the destination change the Belgian case?
The competent Serbian mission publishes the instructions for Serbia, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro apply their own requirements. The Belgian laissez-passer is an outward document; it does not replace the receiving country’s entry permit. The cemetery or other handover address is recorded under the rules of the chosen destination.
The competent authority in Bosnia and Herzegovina also depends on the area of burial. Croatian and Montenegrin instructions have their own attachment lists. The file is therefore never requested under the vague label "Balkans".
Does the position of EU institutions simplify the procedure?
Brussels is the seat of numerous European institutions, but this has no influence on the jurisdiction over the deceased. Free movement in the Union and Schengen is not a substitute for a death certificate, laissez-passer or document of the destination country. Funeral transport remains a separate administrative case.
The onward overland journey can pass through several western and Central European countries, depending on the destination. Transit is checked according to the actual case, and official documents take precedence over the general description of the route.
What data is sufficient for an initial check?
In Brussels, the municipality matters as much as the region's name. Identify the hospital or mortuary by its complete address and postcode, then confirm which death records it can provide. Passport particulars establish identity. Add the intended burial locality abroad and the family contact's telephone number.
An initial response is provided within 10 minutes. We obtain routine documents without a separate handling fee, while official charges are set by the issuing authorities. The stated 48-hour timeframe applies after the municipality, Saniport and the destination authority have completed their decisions. Fees charged by authorities or other institutions are paid according to their actual invoice.
Process for this case
- Step 1 of 4
Verification of the territorial municipality
The institution's address identifies the Brussels municipality responsible for civil registration.
- Step 2 of 4
Municipal act of death
The municipality uses the medical notification to create the civil death record; the applicable language follows the municipal procedure.
- Step 3 of 4
Federal laissez-passer
Saniport considers supporting documents for cross-border movement.
- Step 4 of 4
Coordination with the destination country
The destination country issues the permit required for the confirmed handover location.
Sources and review date
The official sources listed below were reviewed for the statements on this page. Responsibilities and forms can change, so the current version published by the relevant authority remains decisive.
- City of Brussels – official guidance — City of Brussels · reviewed
- City of Brussels – official guidance — City of Brussels · reviewed
- Belgium.be – official guidance — Belgium.be · reviewed
- City of Brussels – official guidance — City of Brussels · reviewed
- FPS Public Health – official guidance — FPS Public Health · reviewed
- FPS Public Health – official guidance — FPS Public Health · reviewed
- FPS Public Health – official guidance — FPS Public Health · reviewed
- Council of Europe – official guidance — Council of Europe · reviewed
- European Commission — DG MOVE – official guidance — European Commission — DG MOVE · reviewed
- Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije – official guidance — Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije · reviewed
- Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije – official guidance — Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije · reviewed
- Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova Bosne i Hercegovine – official guidance — Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova Bosne i Hercegovine · reviewed
- Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova – official guidance — Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova · reviewed
- Vlada Crne Gore – official guidance — Vlada Crne Gore · reviewed
Frequently asked questions
Are all cases from greater Brussels reported by the City of Brussels?
No. Civil-registration competence follows the municipality in which the death occurred, not a general address in the wider capital region.
What is the difference between overlijdensakte and laissez-passer mortuaire?
The first is a municipal civil-status record, and the second is a federal document for the international transfer of the deceased.
Who handles the federal laissez-passer application?
FPS Public Health publishes the procedure through its sanitation service Saniport.
Does Brussels’ EU status replace the required funeral documents?
No. The European administrative status of the city does not replace the destination country’s funeral document.
Which Brussels and destination records must precede the stated 48-hour timeframe?
When the death certificate, the federal document, the official release of the deceased and the destination-country permit are confirmed.