Don’t Wait to Register a Death in Brazil

A recent case in Brazil drew attention when a son had to go to court to register his father’s death five months after it occurred. What could’ve been a routine registration at the notary office turned into a complex judicial process, all because the family missed the filing deadline.

Under Brazilian Law No. 6015/73, deaths must be registered within 24 hours at the Civil Registry of Natural Person (Registro Civil de Pessoas Naturais). This is the same place where births and marriages are recorded in Brazil.

The law does provide some flexibility. If distance or another relevant reason makes immediate filing impossible, the notary will still accept the registration within 15 days. And when the nearest notary office is more than 30 kilometers away, the deadline is extended to three months. Beyond these timeframes, however, the notary can’t proceed, and only a judge can authorize the late registration.

Registration is complete once the death certificate is issued. This document is essential. Without it, families can’t move forward with inheritance proceedings, claim pensions, or even handle routine administrative matters.

If the death occurs outside Brazil, the process is slightly different. The foreign death certificate, whether issued by local authorities or by a Brazilian consulate, must be formally “transcribed” in Brazil. This process concludes at the First Notary Office in Brasília, as we explain in our article Registering a Foreign Death in Brazil.

Families should act promptly. Timely registration ensures that a routine filing doesn’t result in unnecessary court proceedings, delays, and added costs.