Documents we arrange, in the order they are needed
| Document | Where and when | Our part |
|---|---|---|
| Medical certificate | issued by the doctor where the death occurred, or by the clinic, within the first hours | we contact the clinic or ambulance service and check that the details on the certificate are correct |
| Death certificate | Public Service Hall, the civil registry that people here still call the House of Justice; as a rule the same day, or the next day if it is a working day | we submit the medical certificate and IDs, then collect the death certificate and copies |
| Forensic report and release permit | the forensic bureau and the investigator, if the death was sudden or unexplained | we liaise with the bureau, keep track of deadlines and collect the body |
| Cemetery permit | issued once the death certificate is in hand, by the cemetery administration or the city service | we obtain the card for a new plot or the permit to open a family grave |
| Apostille and translation | Public Service Hall and a notary, when the document is needed abroad | we arrange the apostille, translate the document and have it notarised |
| Registering a foreign certificate | Public Service Hall, when a Georgian citizen has died abroad | we translate the foreign certificate and register the Georgian one |
The order matters: the cemetery will not issue a permit without the death certificate, and the death certificate cannot be issued without the medical one. Because our representative handles the whole chain, one step leads straight into the next without the family having to carry papers from office to office.
Papers we need from the family
- the deceased's ID card or passport, and if it has been lost, their personal number;
- the ID of the family member who is handling matters and signing the application;
- the medical certificate, if the family already has it; if not, we collect it from the clinic or the ambulance service;
- for a burial in an existing grave, the old grave card or permit, plus a paper showing the family relationship, for instance a birth certificate or a marriage record;
- a power of attorney, if the family member cannot go to the Public Service Hall in person; we prepare the wording.
In most cases the originals stay with the family: we work from copies or photos and ask for an original only at the moment an office requires it directly.
Prices
| Service | Included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral documents, as part of a package | death certificate, copies, cemetery permit, dealing with the forensic bureau | free |
| The same, as a separate service | when someone else, or the family itself, is organising the funeral | 100 GEL |
| Apostille and notarised translation | one document, one language, excluding state fees | from 80 GEL |
| Registering a foreign death certificate | translation, certification, submission to the Public Service Hall | from 120 GEL |
| Extra copies | for the bank, employer, insurer and notary | at the state fee |
State fees, for example for fast-track processing or an apostille, are paid at the official rate against a receipt, and the family pays exactly the amount shown on that receipt.
After the funeral: papers the family will need
The bureaucracy does not end with the funeral. Over the following weeks and months the family will deal with several institutions, and each of them will want a copy of the death certificate. That is why we suggest getting several copies straight away. The main ones are:
- The bank: freezing accounts and later transferring them to the heirs, closing loans and cards.
- The employer: the final salary and, in some organisations, a one-off payment to the family.
- The insurance company: a life or health insurance payout, which also requires the funeral receipts.
- Pension and social assistance: the information reaches state databases automatically, but sometimes the family needs to apply.
- The notary: opening the inheritance, for which a six-month deadline applies.
These matters go beyond the work of a funeral home, and we do not give legal advice. But we prepare all the copies you need and the funeral invoice so that the family does not have to go back for the certificate again.
Mistakes in a document
It is not unusual for a surname, date of birth or personal number to be wrong on the medical certificate or the death certificate, especially for older people whose old passports used a different transliteration. Correcting a document once it has been issued is very difficult, and later it causes problems at the bank, with the notary or abroad. So our representative checks every document letter by letter before submission and again immediately after collection, and if there is an error, pushes for it to be corrected the same day.
Documents at weekends and on public holidays
Deaths often happen on a Friday evening, at the weekend or just before a major holiday, when some offices are closed, and families worry that without documents the funeral will be delayed. In practice that rarely happens: the medical certificate is issued on any day, and preparation of the body, refrigeration and the farewell do not have to wait for paperwork. Our representative collects both the certificate and the cemetery's burial permit on the morning of the first working day, and the funeral date is usually planned so that this step is finished in time.
A death in another town
If the death happened in a region, for example in Batumi or Kutaisi, and the funeral is planned in Tbilisi, the medical certificate is issued by the local clinic or doctor, while the death certificate can be obtained at any Public Service Hall, including in Tbilisi. This lets the family settle all the paperwork in the capital without losing an extra day in the region. We collect the medical certificate from the clinic together with the body, and arrange the death certificate in Tbilisi. If the body is coming home from a region, our regional transport service covers the journey.
Reasons to hand the paperwork over during mourning
Getting the documents is not complicated in itself, and many families manage on their own. But during the funeral days, whoever is handling things has people waiting at home, a phone that never stops ringing, and is in shock. That is exactly the state in which mistakes happen: a wrong personal number, a lost certificate, half a day in a queue. Our representative does this every day, knows which window to go to and with what, and lets the family spend those days with their loved ones.
If the deceased was a foreign national
When a foreign citizen dies in Georgia, the Georgian death certificate is still issued at the Public Service Hall, but two steps are added: notifying the embassy or consulate, and a translation with an apostille for the country where the family lives. We carry out both, and if the body or the urn is going home, the whole document package becomes part of the transport abroad.
Documents for cremation
Cremation requires additional paperwork: the family's written consent, a doctor's certificate that the body may be cremated, and in some cases a forensic report stating that no further examination is needed. If the deceased had a pacemaker, a certificate confirming its removal also goes to the crematorium. All of this is part of arranging the cremation, so there is nothing extra for relatives to chase.
Invoice and receipts for reimbursement
Many families have part of the funeral costs reimbursed: by an employer, an insurance company or a municipal social programme. Each of them asks for documents proving the expenses. So after the funeral we issue a detailed invoice with every service on a separate line, our company details and stamp, along with copies of the cemetery receipts and state fees. If an organisation requires its own form, we fill it in.
Frequently asked questions
Is the death certificate issued quickly?
As a rule, on the day the medical certificate and IDs are submitted, or the next working day. If the death happened at the weekend, we collect the certificate on the first working day.
Does a family member have to go to the Public Service Hall?
No, not if our representative holds a power of attorney. We prepare the wording, and the family simply signs it.
How much does the paperwork service cost?
It is free within a funeral package. As a separate service it costs 100 GEL, and an apostille with translation starts from 80 GEL, not counting state fees.
How many copies will we need?
Usually three to five: one each for the bank, your employer, the insurance company and the notary, plus a spare. We collect them together with the certificate.
What if the deceased's ID card has been lost?
The personal number, or any other document under which the person appears in the state database, is enough. The Public Service Hall confirms identity against the database.
Do you help with inheritance?
Inheritance is a matter for a notary, and we do not give legal advice. But we prepare all the copies and the invoice you will need, so that the visit to the notary is straightforward.
Chasing paperwork in these days should not fall on the family. Let our representative take the documents off your hands: dial +995 568 33 03 18 at whatever hour you can, and someone will visit every office in your place, check each letter and hand over the finished certificates together with copies.