After your loved one passes on, you will have to arrange for the funeral services Singapore. Read on to find out the tasks involved in preparing for a funeral. If you're unsure, let our experienced funeral directors assist you. Contact us @ 98289318. Step 1: Obtain Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD) Contact your family doctor who has been attending to the deceased. If you do not have a family doctor, or if the family doctor is not available, you can contact us. If the doctor is able to certify the death, he will issue the CCOD on the spot. If he is unable to certify the death, call the police for the body to be sent to Mortuary @ HSA (located at Block 9, Singapore General Hospital). The family will be notified by the police when to go to the Mortuary @ HSA (usually the next day). What to bring to Mortuary@HSA: All medical documents related to the deceased All medicine consumed by the deceased Identification papers of the deceased and informant e.g. NRIC/ Passport/ Certificate of Registration of Birth/ FIN card At the Mortuary@HSA The police investigator will arrange for the family to view and identify the deceased's body in the presence of the coroner. The coroner will review the case and determine if an autopsy is required. The family will be informed of the coroner's decision and the time to claim the body for the funeral. If the autopsy reveals that the death is unnatural, the police will need to conduct further investigations into the cause of death, and the family will need to assist. Once the investigation is completed, the family will be told by the Police to attend a coroner’s inquiry at the Subordinate Courts. Step 2: Engage a Experienced Funeral Director After the CCOD has been obtained, the family may engage a funeral director who will: Collect the body from the home or hospital mortuary Send the body for embalming if required, and Deliver the body to the location of the wake/funeral If you're unsure, let us assist you at this step onwards, contact us @ 98289318. Step 3: The family will have to register the death at any Neighbourhood Police Centre Prior to registration, the family should decide whether the body will be cremated or buried, as this information is required when registering the death. Step 4: Placing an Obituary (optional) Obituary is a public notice of death through the local newspapers. The National Environment Agency website shares the contact details of local newspapers where you can place the obituary. Step 5: Arranging the Wake and Funeral Funerals and wakes are intended for family, friends and acquaintances to pay their respects to the deceased and comfort the bereaved families. You can choose to have the wake at your own home, or at the funeral parlour. You could also hold the wake at the void deck. Permissions required include: Town Council: To get a permit to hold the wake at the void deck Land Transport Authority: To use part of the road outside your landed property National Environment Agency: To extend the funeral wake for more than seven days Your funeral director will organise the logistics for the wake and/or funeral. This includes getting the necessary approvals, setting up the funeral parlour, arrange for prayers, and more. Step 6: Preparing for Burial or Cremation You can book a date and time for cremation or burial at the relevant booking office, through the phone, or online. The National Environment Agency details the relevant offices’ contacts and charges involved. You will need the following documents: NRIC of the applicant and next-of-kin Original Death Certificate (which contains the Permit to Bury/Cremate) Step 7: Storage of Ashes/ Scattering the Ashes at Sea Every family has its own preferences for the ashes of the deceased. There are normally two options: a) Storing the Ashes You can store the ashes at home or in a columbarium. There are government-managed columbaria and several private columbaria in Singapore. To book a niche (a place to store the ashes), you will need your NRIC and the original Death Certificate of your loved one. You can book a niche in a government-managed columbarium online, or contact a private columbarium directly. b) Scattering the Ashes at Sea You can scatter the ashes at sea at the approved site 1.5 nautical miles (2.8km) south of Pulau Semakau. This can be done daily, from 7am to 7pm. Please contact the Port Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488 for assistance on scattering the ashes at sea. For more information on the practical tasks after death, Singapore Hospice Council’s When a Death Occurs – A Guide to Practical Matters is a useful guide. Alternatively, you may consider inland ash scattering garden as a new option at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Complex. The garden is opened from 9am to 5pm daily and each family is allowed two hours to complete the ash scattering and rites, with fees incurred. For more information, find out more on NEA’s website.