Things to remember following death

Although the process of parting begins during hospice care, death turns parting with your loved one into a reality once and for all. Grief is a part of letting go, and might last for a long time.

You should give yourself as much time to grieve as you need. Support for grief and letting go is available in places such as grief support groups organised by parishes or various associations. You can also contact your health centre or your occupational health care services, especially if the death of a loved one causes a great deal of symptoms such as distress, fear, or for example difficulty sleeping.

Everyone’s experience of grief and loss is unique, and it’s important to not be left alone with your grief.

Read more about grief and letting go in the section “Support”:

• The death certificate and burial permit are issued by the attending physician.

• The burial permit is issued to the family, or other party responsible for the burial, by the patient’s last place of care. Before the burial takes place, the burial permit must be delivered to the cemetery office or crematorium, depending on how the burial takes place.

• The death certificate is not required for making funeral arrangements; however, the family may request a copy if needed.

• A life certificate for the deceased contains a statement about the person’s death. It’s required in situations such as managing the affairs of the deceased or the estate at the bank, with an insurance institution, or with other authorities. The certificate can be obtained from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), or, if applicable, the regional central registry of the appropriate Evangelical Lutheran parish or the central registry of the Orthodox Church of Finland.

• The death of a patient receiving hospice care at home should be reported to the attending physician or to the nearest emergency department, as agreed upon with the unit responsible for the patient’s care. The death must be verified by a doctor.

• An unanticipated death must be reported to the police

Some practical matters to consider following the passing of a loved one:

• Notify your loved one’s bank and the postal service about their passing.

• If your loved one was employed, notify their employee about their passing.

• If your loved one had any insurance policies in effect, contact the insurance company.

• If the deceased lived in a rental apartment and there will be no one living there following their death, terminate the lease agreement.

• Cancel their phone subscription.

• If your loved one had pets that don’t have a new home, contact the local animal welfare association.

• Cancel any newspaper or magazine subscriptions.

• Close any social media accounts.

• Cancel any memberships in organisations.

Matters pertaining to the burial are governed by the Funeral Services Act. The Act decrees that decisions regarding the burial, cremation, and handling the ashes should comply with the beliefs and wishes of the deceased.

• Funeral homes assist the loved ones of the deceased in all funeral arrangements. The services of a funeral home require payment.

• In some cases, the deceased may be eligible for a funeral allowance paid by a trade union or a previous employer. Contact the last employer of the deceased for information about eligibility. In the case of war veterans with a degree of invalidity of at least 20%, the Disabled War Veterans Association of Finland notifies the State Treasury about the death for a funeral allowance.

• If the deceased had no means, contact Kela or your local social services to apply for social assistance.

Read more about social support in the section “Support”:

• If the family of the deceased has underaged children and the widow(er) is under 65 years old, both the children and the widow(er) can apply for a pension. In that case, contact Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland).

• A single parent with children under age 17 can apply for a single-parent supplement to the child benefit.

• If the deceased received a pension, the pension is paid until the end of the month during which the recipient died.

Read more on Kela’s website:

• The estate inventory must be carried out within three months of death. For more information, visit

  Suomi.fi.

• For expert assistance with the estate inventory, service providers such as law offices and many banks offer paid services on matters related to estate inventories.

• Documents required for the estate inventory include a report on the family relationships of the deceased and a life certificate of each shareholder of the estate. The life certificate can be ordered from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or from the appropriate parish office.

• If the deceased left a will, all heirs must be made aware of it.

• The deed of estate inventory must be submitted to the Finnish Tax Administration within one month of the estate inventory for the determination of inheritance tax.