When someone dies: a calm guide to the first steps

The first 8 days

Two things are urgent in the days after a death — the rest can wait. The death must be reported within 2 weekdays, and the funeral or cremation must, as a rule, take place within 8 days.

8 days

The general rule for when the funeral or cremation must have taken place. That decision comes before everything else — including before the will is read.

A doctor issues the death certificate

If the death happens at home, a doctor must be called to confirm the death and issue the death certificate. In a hospital or care home, the staff take care of this.
Contact a funeral director

A funeral director (bedemand) helps with the practical side: the coffin, transport, contact with the churchyard or crematorium — and usually also reports the death for you. You decide how much help you want.
Report the death

The death must be reported within 2 weekdays — this is done digitally via borger.dk. In most cases the funeral director does it as part of the arrangement.
Plan the ceremony

Burial or cremation, religious or civil? First check whether the deceased wrote their wishes down — in a will, a life folder, or with a funeral director.

The will is typically read only once the probate court is involved — that is, after the funeral. This is exactly why written funeral wishes are among the most caring documents a person can leave behind.

Digital Post and e-Boks

The deceased's access to Digital Post and e-Boks is closed when the death is registered. No one — not even the spouse — can log in and read the mail anymore.

The probate court (skifteretten) contacts the heirs through their own Digital Post, typically within a couple of weeks. So keep an eye on your own inbox — that is where the estate's case number and instructions arrive.

If the estate needs access to the deceased's mail — bills or agreements, for example — access can be applied for once the estate certificate (skifteretsattest) has been issued.

The bank and the money

When the death is registered in the CPR register, the bank freezes the deceased's accounts. This includes joint accounts — which surprises many spouses and partners, who suddenly cannot pay from an account they have used for years.

All powers of attorney over the deceased's accounts lapse at the same time. Access only returns once the probate court has issued the estate certificate — and that typically takes several weeks.

Good to know while you wait

Bills in the deceased's name can, as a rule, wait until the estate process is underway. Contact the sender if something is urgent — they know the situation.
Ask the bank how they handle the estate's necessary expenses during the freeze.
A surviving partner with their own account and their own payment agreements is least vulnerable. It is worth arranging while both are alive.

The probate court and the five forms of settlement

The probate court is notified of the death automatically and contacts the heirs via Digital Post. You then agree on how the estate will be handled — with the court's guidance along the way. Once the form of settlement is in place, the estate certificate is issued: the key to accounts, mail and agreements.

An estate can be settled in five ways. Which one fits depends on the size of the estate and the family's situation:

Boudlæg: The smallest estates — up to 55,000 kr (2026). The simplest and fastest form.
Ægtefælleudlæg: The surviving spouse takes over the entire estate when the couple's combined assets are up to 950,000 kr (2026).
Uskiftet bo (undivided estate): The spouse postpones the settlement and keeps control of the estate. If the deceased had children from previous relationships, they must consent.
Privat skifte (private settlement): The heirs settle the estate themselves. The court fee is 1,500 kr — plus a further 9,000 kr if the estate exceeds 1.5 million kr.
Bobestyrerbo (administered estate): An estate administrator — often a lawyer — handles the entire settlement. Used in cases of disagreement or complicated estates.

In most estates a notice to creditors (proklama) is published: creditors then have 8 weeks to file their claims against the estate.

Estate tax: spouses pay no estate tax. The closest family pays 15% of what exceeds the allowance (392,300 kr in 2026); more distant heirs pay a further 25%.

Who needs to be told?

A lot happens by itself: once the death is registered in the CPR register, public authorities are notified automatically, and pension and life-insurance companies are informed via PensionsInfo.

The rest you handle yourselves — make a list and take it at your own pace:

The employer — and ask about group life insurance through the workplace or union at the same time. Many people are covered without knowing it.
The landlord or housing association.
Insurance companies: contents, house, car, accident.
Union and unemployment fund (a-kasse).
Subscriptions and recurring payments: phone, streaming, newspapers, clubs.
Digital accounts and social media — this is where it helps enormously if the deceased left an overview.

Official resources

This guide is an overview — the official sources are always authoritative:

The first 8 days

A doctor issues the death certificate

Contact a funeral director

Report the death