It is useful to be prepared in advance in order to help your loved ones aſter your death


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to living in France on: frenchentree.com


A


t French Connections HCB, we provide a bridge between


English-speakers and the French administration. Most of the time, we’re guiding our clients through complicated applications or untangling problems for them with the goal of delivering something positive like a visa, carte de séjour, vehicle registration or property renovation. But we also have a responsibility to talk about the more difficult topics. What follows is a simple


checklist of what has to be done when somebody dies in France. You don’t even need to read


it now if you would prefer not to. Just keep it handy in case you ever need it.


WHO DO YOU TELL? Let’s start with the most urgent question. If you are with somebody at home when they die, you have 24 hours to report the death. You can either contact their family doctor or use the French emergency numbers 112 or 15, and a doctor will come round to the property to certify the death. If the death happens in a


public place, there will usually be an inquiry, in which case the death certificate will be


Final journey


It may not be on your mind when buying a French property or moving across the Channel, but if you ever have to deal with a death in France, this useful checklist will at least ease some of the pain, writes Lizzie O’Hara-Boyce


issued not by a doctor but by the Procureur de la République (public prosecutor).


DEATH CERTIFICATE This is the most important document you will need in the coming weeks. It’s advisable to ask for at least six copies of the certificate as it is required to officially close accounts, stop payments and generally wind down the financial affairs of the deceased person. It is also needed for the body to be transferred to a funeral home.


NOTARY The notaire handling the deceased person’s estate is your first and most important point of contact. They are extremely experienced and will be a huge help, as well as dealing with the complex issue of French


76 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: November/December 2023


inheritance. Bear in mind there is a six-month time limit for declaring the succession and paying inheritance tax, so the sooner you contact the notary the better.


REGISTERING THE DEATH The local mairie (town hall) must be informed of any death in its commune within 24 hours. A death can be reported by anybody as long as they are holding the relevant proof (death certificate, ID card, passport etc) to identify the deceased person. If you are doing this yourself, remember to take along your own pièce d’identité as you will need to prove your identity too. If you do not feel up to it, ask the funeral director to inform the mairie on your behalf.


RECORD OF DEATH AND PENSIONS An official record of the death is drawn up by the registrar, which is in turn automatically transmitted to INSEE (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques). INSEE will pass the information on to the French pension funds, which is one less thing for you to do. However, you will also need to notify any overseas pension funds held by the deceased person. A pension is part of the deceased person’s estate in France and will be paid to the widow or widower or, in certain circumstances, to a former spouse.


FUNERAL HOMES If the person passed away in a hospital or retirement home, the staff will certainly have a


© SHUTTERSTOCK


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