Funerals in North Cyprus | What to do when someone dies

A guide on how to arrange a funeral for Ex-Pats in North Cyprus

Organising a funeral can be overwhelming for anyone, however when you are in a foreign country it can be daunting. Funeral services in North Cyprus normally take place within 3-5 days therefore paperwork needs to be completed quickly. Because this is an emotional and stressful time my aim is to help you with this simple guide. It will help you understand the process and give you contacts that will assist and guide you with all funeral services in North Cyprus.

Who to contact when somebody dies at home

Firstly, you must call the police. Dial 155 from any Cypriot phone or mobile. The police will come and take the details of the deceased and details of person reporting the death. If they are receiving current medical care the police will arrange for the deceased’s current Doctor or an on-call doctor to attend and certify the death.

Secondly, the police will then arrange for the deceased to be taken to the State Hospital Mortuary. It is normal for a member of the family or a friend to accompany them in another vehicle. If the death is sudden or unexpected a post-mortem may be required. The police will advise you depending on the circumstances.
 
Thirdly, when the doctor attends and confirms the death, they will issue forms XV and XIII. The police will require a copy of XV form and they may ask for the passport of the deceased. This will be held until their investigations are complete. All forms and paperwork are important so please keep them safe.

Fourthly, It is advisable to take a photocopy of the deceased’s passport before handing it over to the police.
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Once any investigations have been completed, you may be asked to attend the police station. If they have any questions, you will be asked to confirm any statements you made at the scene of the death. After this you can collect any documentation pertaining to the deceased.

All further steps are the same as when someone dies in hospital.

What happens when someone dies in hospital

The hospital will give you all the necessary forms. Please check the doctor has signed and stamped all of the forms. When the doctor confirms the death, they will issue forms XIII and XV.
 

Post-Mortem

All Post-Mortems take place at State Hospital in Lefkoşa.  When a Post-mortem is requested the next of kin or friend is required to visit the Mortuary prior to the Post-mortem to identify the deceased. It is advisable to take your ID / passport with you.  The (Certificate of Cause of Death ) Form XV will be issued after the Post-mortem has been completed.

​A nominal charge is made for post-mortems and this amount is paid at Lefkoşa State Hospital at the cashier’s office. This is located in the administrative building. All costs must be paid before the deceased person is released for burial. They will give you a receipt which you will need to pass onto the person responsible for carrying out the funeral services in North Cyprus e.g. British Cemetery committee. The receipt is required when the deceased is released from the mortuary and transported for burial.

You need to collect the form XIII from Lefkoşa state Hospital. 

Forms you will need to complete.

You will be required to complete some forms in order to register the death, organise the funeral or repatriation. Please see my separate detailed blog about completing forms and the translation from Turkish to English. You may find it useful to print a copy which will assist you in completing the forms.

Obtaining death certificates is covered in another post. I believe *(as of June 2024) it is a close family member or authorised lawyer that needs to actually obtain the legal death certificate.

*laws are subject to change so please do check on the latest requirements.

Making Funeral Arrangements.

There are no undertakers or funeral directors in the TRNC and as this is a Muslim country there are no crematoria either. There are several organisations which can assist you to make funeral arrangements or repatriation. Funerals are typically held at the graveside in North Cyprus therefore services are usually held in the morning before it becomes too hot.

British Cemetery Committee. Kyrenia.

Chairperson Sarah Tennant. +90 539 119 8535 stennant297@gmail.com

Committee member Bill Grundy +90 542 889 0072 bill.grundy@gmail.com

Famagusta Cemetery Committee Ann Kelly +90 533 860 7258

Royal British Legion Kyrenia Branch Secretary Pamela Padden +90 533 873 687

Lapta & Alsancak Cemetery Committee

Foreign Residents in TRNC

The local Belediye – can arrange a simple burial in their cemetery.  The deceased can only be buried in the local cemetery* where they were resident. Please contact your local Belediye direct. Funerals are held at the graveside. *Please note that there is none or very little shelter at most of these burial sites and so it is advisable to take a hat or umbrella in the summer to give you some shade.

The British Cemetery Committee

The Green Hills Cemetery is open to all British passport holders of whatever denomination. Services can be held by Chaplain, Pastor, Priest or Rabbi, or a non religious service can be organised with a Celebrant. Another key point is the committee operates independently of any faith-based organisations.

Greenhills Cemetery is run by the British Cemetery committee. It is a voluntary organisation focused on giving the ex-pat community a dignified funeral. Your ceremony can be religious or non religious and will be conducted according to your wishes. A member of the cemetery committee will visit you and discuss your requirements and advise you regarding arrangements and costs. You choose how you want your ceremony. You may want to have a celebrant lead your ceremony, however you can have a very simple burial without any service if you prefer.

The Greenhills cemetery is beautiful. As the name describes it’s located on the green hills overlooking Kyrenia and the sea. The cemetery is accessible from the main dual carriageway near to Karmi.

Because the cemetery is well maintained it provides a peaceful and tranquil resting place for your loved one. There is a covered area with seating therefore funeral ceremonies are held in the shade meaning the ceremony will be more comfortable in hot or wet weather. The site is easily accessible for people with mobility issues. Funerals in North Cyprus are burials and they often happen within 3-7 days and are comparatively inexpensive to other countries.

Because of local regulations, the coffin containing the deceased will normally be taken straight to the cemetery by their private hearse and both the service and committal are performed there.

The British Cemetery Committee | St Andrew’s Church, Kyrenia (standrewskyrenia.org)

Funeral Services | Memorials & Celebration of Life Ceremonies.

Certified funeral celebrants in North Cyprus.

Contact Rosie Anstey on +90 533 838 2760 at cypruscelebrant.com to arrange a funeral ceremony. You can have a religious or non-religious ceremony, humanist ceremony, burial, memorial or celebration of life. The ceremony will be custom, written and delivered to your requirements and reflect your wishes and the wishes of the person who has passed away. Because Rosie is a fully qualified funeral, wedding and family celebrant she is well placed to help you with funeral services in North Cyprus.

Memorial services. Because burials happen quickly here in North Cyprus many people choose to have a memorial service at a date when they can gather family and friends together to honour or celebrate the life of their loved one. Memorials can be held at a location and time of your choosing and because of this you will have time to invite friends and family to attend.

https://www.uksoc.com/civil-celebrant-directory/rosie-anstey-wedding-and-funeral-celebrant/

Repatriation.

Repatriation to a Foreign Country

Funeral services in North Cyprus also covers repatriation. When looking to have your loved one repatriated, I recommend you contact Christina Gursöy. She runs the repatriation service especially for people in the North Cyprus. Speak with Christina before contacting funeral directors in your home country because foreign funeral directors are normally not aware of the political situation on the island. Therefore they make contact with funeral services in The Republic of Cyprus which leads to confusion and delays.

When you contact the repatriation service Christina will contact the funeral director in your home country therefore ensuring the repatriation is organised quickly and efficiently saving you stress and delays.

Contact: Christina Gursöy Tel: +90 533 870 2426

Other services

Washing & Dressing	The committees that organise funerals will have names and contact details of people who will wash and dress your loved one. If you prefer, you may choose to wash and dress your loved one yourself.
Florist	All local florists will be able to help you and you normally collect your flowers on the morning of the ceremony.
Transport	The British Cemetery Committee have their own hearse. For all other funerals the Belediye funeral transport is used.
Headstones	We recommend waiting 18 months before installing a permanent grave stone or decoration. This is because they want to avoid subsidence in the future. There are many stonemasons on the island. Your celebrant or funeral organisation will recommend local stonemasons.

In conclusion, I hope this simple guide has helped you understand the funeral services available in North Cyprus. I understand this is a very emotional time therefore please feel free to contact me if you would like any assistance. https://www.uksoc.com/civil-celebrant-directory/rosie-anstey-wedding-and-funeral-celebrant/