When someone dies in Singapore, the first money tasks are smaller than families fear: download the digital death certificate, then let the official systems do much of the notifying. CPF Board is told automatically, and CPF nominees are contacted directly. The heavier work, such as probate, the flat and tax, can follow over the next few weeks and months.
This checklist puts the steps in order. It covers deaths in Singapore of citizens and permanent residents, and it is general information, not legal advice.
In the First Days: The Death Certificate and Funeral Permit
The death is registered for you. ICA says a death is registered automatically once a doctor certifies it online. There is no fee for registration or for the digital death certificate.
Download the certificate within 30 days. The doctor or hospital gives the next of kin a certificate number. Eligible next of kin, such as a spouse, parent, child or sibling, download the certificate online. After 30 days you must apply, and pay, for an extract instead. Save several copies; banks, insurers and the courts will all ask for it.
Apply for the permit to bury or cremate. NEA issues it through its ePortal. The next of kin can apply, or authorise someone such as the funeral director.
The final hospital bill. CPF Board says that if the person did not sign a Medical Claims Authorisation Form for MediSave, the spouse, a parent, a child aged 21 or above, or a donee or deputy can sign it at the hospital within two weeks of the death.
The short version: Download the death certificate within 30 days. CPF Board is told automatically. Then find the will, list what the person owned and how each item was held, and check which assets need a court grant. Aim to file for one within six months.
Within the First Weeks: Find the Will and List the Assets
Look for a will. Check the person’s papers, ask their lawyer, and search the Singapore Academy of Law’s Wills Registry. Whether there is a will decides who applies to the court and how the estate is shared. Without one, see who inherits under the intestacy rules.
List every asset and how it was held. Some pass without any court process. The Singapore Courts list:
- CPF money.
- Property held in joint tenancy with no outstanding mortgage, such as many HDB flats.
- Certain insurance policies with nominations.
- Certain joint or sole bank accounts that meet the bank’s own guidelines.
- Estates worth no more than S$50,000, if the Public Trustee agrees to administer them.
Everything else usually needs a Grant of Probate (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
CPF: What Happens Automatically
CPF Board says:
- With a nomination, it contacts the nominees within 10 working days of being told of the death. Nominees who are citizens or PRs, aged 18 and above, with a local address and a bank account registered with CPF Board are paid automatically, with no application.
- Without a nomination, the savings go to the Public Trustee’s Office, which distributes them under intestacy law or, for Muslims, the Administration of Muslim Law Act.
- Housing. The CPF housing refund on a property is waived. If the Home Protection Scheme covered the loan, CPF Board assesses the claim after ICA notifies it and pays approved benefits to the lender.
- Investments bought under the CPF Investment Scheme are not covered by the nomination. The executor or administrator claims them from the product provider or agent bank.
- MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plan cover ends, and unused premiums go back to the payer’s MediSave.
Banks, Insurance and the Flat
Bank accounts. MoneySense says a joint account passes to the surviving holder, though the bank may freeze it until the survivor provides the documents it needs. A sole account is part of the estate. Contact each bank early to ask what it requires.
Insurance. Contact each insurer with the death certificate. Policies with a nomination can be paid to the nominees without a grant. Without a nomination or a will notified to the insurer, the Life Insurance Association says an insurer may pay up to $150,000 to a “proper claimant”, such as a spouse, parent or child, with the rest paid to the administrator. Our guide to insurance nominations explains the types.
The HDB flat. HDB says that if the flat was held jointly, the share passes to the remaining owners, who lodge a Notice of Death with the Singapore Land Authority. If the person was a sole owner or tenant-in-common, the share follows the will or intestacy law, and HDB’s eligibility rules decide who can keep the flat. See joint accounts and jointly owned flats.
Within Six Months: Probate or Letters of Administration
The Singapore Courts ask for the application within six months of the death; a later filing must give the reason for the delay. The courts estimate about two to three months for the grant, depending on how complex the case is. Our probate guide walks executors through filing, fees and documents.
For a small estate, the Public Trustee’s Office may administer it instead if it is worth no more than $50,000 and there are no disputes, debts or other excluded assets. It deducts a fee on a sliding scale and generally reimburses funeral expense claims of up to $6,000.
Tax: IRAS and Property Tax
IRAS says income earned up to the date of death is taxable. The legal personal representative, usually the executor or administrator, writes to IRAS through myTax Mail with the death certificate and income details. Tax is paid from the estate before distribution, and is not passed on to family members personally.
For property, IRAS lets the owner-occupier tax rate continue for up to two years from the death, or until the property is transferred, whichever is earlier. Complete the legal transfer within that time to keep the lower rate.
What to Do When Someone Dies: The Checklist at a Glance
| When | Task | Who to contact |
|---|---|---|
| First days | Download the digital death certificate (within 30 days) | ICA via LifeSG |
| First days | Permit to bury or cremate | NEA ePortal |
| Within 2 weeks | Sign MediSave claim form for the final bill, if not already done | Hospital |
| First weeks | Find the will; list assets and how each was held | Lawyer, Wills Registry, banks |
| First weeks | Claim insurance; check nominations | Each insurer |
| First weeks | Notice of Death for a jointly held flat | Singapore Land Authority |
| Within 6 months | File for probate or letters of administration | Family Justice Courts |
| After the grant | Collect assets, pay debts and tax, distribute | Banks, IRAS, HDB |
What To Do Next
- Download and save the death certificate before the 30-day window closes.
- Find the will, and make a list of accounts, policies and property.
- Ask each bank and insurer what documents it needs; requirements vary.
- If the family disagrees, the estate is large, or there are assets overseas, speak to a lawyer.
- When things settle, review your own documents with our legacy readiness checklist so your family has less to search for.
- Online accounts, photos and passwords need their own list; see digital assets after death. For an illustrative account of the weeks before a death, read what one family sorted out when a parent was dying.
