Life event guide · 10 steps
Nothing here needs to happen on the first day. Register the death within 21 days, keep a few copies of the certificate, and then take up the money and property work slowly, one office at a time.
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If the death happened in a hospital, the doctor gives a medical certificate of cause of death and the hospital reports the death to the registrar. If it happened at home, ask the doctor who was treating the person for this certificate. Keep the hospital papers safe, because the registrar and later the insurer may ask for them.
Report the death to the registrar of the place where it happened (municipality, gram panchayat or the registrar named by your state) within 21 days, on the CRS portal, your state portal or at the office. Ask the hospital for the registration number if they reported it. Take several copies of the certificate, because banks, insurers, EPFO and the tax department each keep one.
Tell each bank in writing and submit the claim form with the death certificate. A nominee or joint holder with survivorship needs only the claim form, death certificate and ID; without a nominee, banks use a simpler process below ₹15 lakh (₹5 lakh in co-operative banks) and may ask for a succession certificate above that. Under RBI’s 2025 directions the bank must settle within 15 calendar days of getting all documents, and pay compensation if it delays.
Look for policy papers, insurer SMS and emails, and loan or credit card cover that may include insurance. Inform each insurer and file the death claim with the death certificate, policy details and the nominee’s ID and bank details. If the insurer delays or rejects without good reason, complain to the insurer first and then on IRDAI’s Bima Bharosa portal; the Insurance Ombudsman comes after that.
If the person worked in a job with PF, the nominee can file the death claim online on the EPFO member portal (there are separate options for the PF money and for the family pension). EDLI insurance is paid when the member dies while still in service. If no nomination was filed, the claim is made on paper through the last employer with the legal heir papers.
If the person drew a pension, inform the pension-paying bank or office soon so that no extra payment is credited, which would have to be returned. For central government pensioners, the spouse named in the pension order applies at the same bank with the death certificate; with a joint account a simple application is often enough. State government and EPS pensions have their own forms, so ask the bank or the pension office.
A legal heir certificate (varis praman patra) is issued by the state revenue office, usually the Tahsildar or through your state’s e-district portal, and the name and process differ by state. A succession certificate is different: it is granted by a civil court under the Indian Succession Act, 1925, and banks or companies may ask for it for larger amounts when there is no nominee or will. Ask the bank or office which one they need before you apply.
Apply for mutation (dakhil kharij, namantaran) of farm land at the tehsil or your state’s land records portal, and of a house or flat at the municipal property tax office. You will usually need the death certificate, legal heir certificate or will, and the latest records of the property. Mutation updates the government record; it does not by itself decide a family dispute, so settle disagreements first.
On the income tax e-filing portal, a legal heir logs in with their own account and registers as the representative of the deceased, uploading the PAN of the deceased, the death certificate and proof of being a legal heir. The department reviews the request, usually within about a week. After approval, file any pending return for the income earned up to the date of death and claim any refund.
Report the death on the myAadhaar portal with the death registration number; UIDAI checks it before deactivating the Aadhaar number. To move a vehicle to an heir, apply at the RTO where it is registered with Form 31, the death certificate and proof of succession; the heir may use the vehicle for three months if the RTO is told within 30 days. Close or transfer the mobile number, UPI apps, gas connection and subscriptions, and keep the phone number active until bank OTPs are no longer needed.
Tick what you already have.
Within 21 days of the death, at the registrar of the place where the death happened. Hospitals usually report deaths that happen there. Registration is free within 21 days; after that there is a small late fee and more paperwork.
Not if there is a nominee or a joint account with survivorship: the nominee or survivor gets the money with the claim form, death certificate and ID. Without a nominee, RBI rules let banks use a simpler process for smaller amounts (below ₹15 lakh, or ₹5 lakh in co-operative banks) with an indemnity bond and a legal heir certificate or declaration. Above that, the bank can ask for a succession certificate.
Families can report the death on the myAadhaar portal using the death registration number, if the death was registered in a state that uses the Civil Registration System. UIDAI checks the details and then decides whether to deactivate the Aadhaar number. UIDAI also deactivates numbers using death records it receives directly.
A legal heir registers as the legal heir (representative) on the income tax e-filing portal with the death certificate and proof of being a legal heir. After approval, the heir can file the pending return and see the records of the deceased.
Last checked: . Fees and rules change, and many differ by state. Always confirm on the official site before you pay. This is general information, not legal advice.