Get a burial permit after a death
Directorate of Civil Registration Services · sources read 30 Sep 2026
You need a burial permit before any burial or cremation. Take the doctor's death record (two copies) to the Registrar of Deaths, who issues the permit; keep it, because you need its number for the death certificate.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- Deadline
- Report the death to the registrar within one month.
- Where
- At the office of the Registrar of Deaths (Civil Registration), usually with the forms from the hospital or doctor
What you need
- A medical certificate of the cause of death
- The death record form in two copies (Form A2 from the doctor or hospital)
Steps
- If the person died in hospital or a doctor saw them, the doctor fills in the Register of Death form (Form A2) and gives you the medical certificate of cause of death.
- Take both copies of the form to the office of the Registrar of Deaths.
- The registrar registers the death and issues the permit to bury or cremate the body.
- If no doctor gave a certificate, the next of kin fills in Form A3 with the local registrar instead.
Watch out
- It is against the law to bury or cremate a body without a burial permit.
- For an accident or other unnatural death, only the police can give the disposal certificate.
- Keep the burial permit: you need it (or its number) to get the death certificate.
Who can apply
- Deaths in hospital or seen by a doctor: the doctor or hospital fills in the death record
- Where no doctor gave a medical certificate: the next of kin fills in the death record
Common questions
Who issues burial permits in Kenya?
The registrar of deaths. When the death is registered, the registrar issues a written permit for the burial or other disposal.
Can we bury without a burial permit?
No. Nobody may bury, cremate or otherwise dispose of a body without a permit.
What do I need to get a burial permit?
A medical certificate of the cause of death.
How soon must a death be reported?
Within one month of the death, to the registrar of the area where it happened.
What if the death was not natural?
Only the police can give the disposal certificate in those cases.
Do I need the burial permit for a death certificate?
Yes. The burial permit is one of the requirements for a death certificate.
Official sources (4)
- Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap. 149) and Rules interior.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Form A2: Register of Death (for use by medical practitioners and in hospitals) usajili.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Form A3: Register of Death (for use by next-of-kin where no medical certificate) usajili.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Issuance of Death Certificates for Current Deaths Occurring in Kenya usajili.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026