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Death Registration
Colombia
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Colombia
Death Registration
Procedure and Certificates
Procedure and Certificates
Place
Where must deaths be reported?
Place of occurrence
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Registration may be place of occurrence of place of residence. The law should clearly state where deaths must be reported for purposes of registration.Reporting in the place of occurrence usually makes the registration process faster and easier for the informant, and also allows reporting of death at health facilities. Countries with electronic systems for civil registration may allow more flexibility and allow reporting from anywhere the civil registration system can be accessed.
Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 73 requires that deaths be reported in the civil status registration office of the place where the death occurred or where the body was found. The report must be made within two days of becoming aware of the event.
What are the reporting time periods for death registration specified in the law?
2 days
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The time period for reporting a death should be as short as possible, to facilitate accurate and current registration. Time periods vary by country, but are usually 3-5 days. Deaths in health facilities may have a shorter reporting deadlines. It is important to have uniform time periods across the country to register deaths. A late death registration occurs when a death is reported after the legally specified time period but within a grace period, usually one year after death. Delayed registration occurs after the expiry of grace period (after 1 year). Late notification should be permitted with a valid notice of death or alternative documentation that is not too burdensome, such as affidavit of witness or record of burial/cremation. Delayed registration may require additional evidence.
Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 73 requires that a death be reported within two days of the event. There are no different deadlines for different informants. After two days have passed, Article 75 classifies the case as a late registration
Are there any fees for on-time death registration?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
It is not recommended that fee be charged for the timely registration of a death. To encourage registration, the legislation should clearly state that registration of a death within the time period prescribed by the law is free of charge.
The law does not establish any fee for the death registration itself, and the required medical certification must also be provided at no cost. Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 76 indicates that the medical certificate of cause of death required for registration must be issued free of charge by the attending doctor, or by the forensic doctor, public health doctor, or any available medical professional if the attending doctor is not present.
Are there any fees or sanctions for late or delayed death registration?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Fees and sanctions for late or delayed registration discourage and disincentivize registration. If fees are applied to late or delayed registration policymakers should consider a fee-waiver for those for whom fee payment is a hardship. More effective results to increase registration rates are observed through educational programmes aimed at the public. Some countries have opted to impose a penalty for failure to register or, more precisely, refusal to register, rather than impose a fee for late registration.
Yes. Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 75 establishes that once the two-day reporting period has passed, a death may only be registered through an order issued by the Police Inspector (or the Mayor, where applicable). The official must evaluate the reasons for the delay, and if the delay is found to be due to malice, they may impose a fine.
What is the minimum information required by law to register death?
Minimum information required is in accordance with UN guidance and registrars have discretion to register death without all information.
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The information required for legal purposes is minimal, and usually consists of: Name of deceased; place and date of birth; place and date of death; sex; unique personal identifier.
Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 80 requires the death record to include: (1) the date, place, and time of death; (2) the name, nationality, sex, and marital status of the deceased, along with the reference number of their birth record; (3) the name of the spouse, if applicable; (4) the identity card number and place of issuance; and (5) the cause of death and the name and license number of the certifying doctor. The law specifies that the essential minimum requirements are only (a) the date of death, (b) the name of the deceased, and (c) the sex of the deceased. The law does not require information such as the birthplace of parents, marital status of parents, or similar details.
What evidence or documents are required for on-time death registration?
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Registrars should require proof as to the veracity of the information to be registered. Proof or evidence required for registration must be sufficiently stringent to provide assurance of the accuracy of the information without being so burdensome as to discourage or prevent registration. Documentary evidence is always preferred. Ideally all deaths will have an accurate, detailed medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). However, in many contexts this will not be possilbe. Lack of MCCD should not prevent death registration; evidence of fact of death should be sufficient to register death. Evidence of fact of death could be a notification of death or other similar document, Witness Statement or other similar evidence.
Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 76 requires that a death be confirmed for registration through a medical certificate of cause of death, issued under oath by a medical doctor. The certificate must be provided free of charge by the doctor who attended the deceased in their last illness, or, if unavailable, by a forensic doctor, a public health doctor, or any doctor or medical professional practicing in the area. Only when no doctor is available may the death be confirmed through the declaration of two competent witnesses. Family-provided information alone is not sufficient; the law requires either a medical certificate or, in the absence of a doctor, witness declarations.
Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed death registration?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
While late and delayed reporting should be discouraged, the procedures should not be so restrictive as to prevent late and delayed reporting of events. Late registration (within 1-year grace period) can be permitted with notice of death or similar document. If such a notice is not available, the law may stipulate what alternative documentary evidence of fact of death may be accepted, such as affidavit from witness or record of burial or cremation. Declaration delayed by more than one year may require recourse to judicial procedures and decisions. However, to increase death registration rates, consideration should be given to creating a non-judicial procedure for delayed death declaration, with the provision of adequate documentation proving the fact of death.
Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 75 requires that once the two-day reporting period has passed, a death can only be registered through an order issued by the Police Inspector (or the Mayor, in municipalities where the mayor keeps the civil status register). The interested person must submit a written request explaining the causes of the delay. The official must evaluate the justification and may impose a fine if the delay was due to malice. The law does not require any additional documents beyond those required for timely registration (i.e., the medical certificate of cause of death or, if no doctor is available, witness declarations). The law does not create different requirements depending on who the informant is.
Colombian law does not contain specific rules on correcting death registrations. However, under Decree 1260 of 1970, Article 91, which governs corrections to all civil status records, minor errors such as typing or spelling mistakes may be corrected directly by the registrar, free of charge, upon written request. Corrections that go beyond minor errors—those requiring supporting documents or substantive clarification—must be made through a public deed before a notary, which does involve notarial fees. These general correction rules, although drafted for civil registration broadly and applied most commonly to birth records, are understood to apply by analogy to death registrations.
No explicit provision on fees or gratuity for the first copy of the civil death certificate; only the medical certificate of cause of death is explicitly free of charge.
