How to Process Report of Death in Canada (for Filipinos)

The death of a Filipino overseas should be reported to the statistics office under the jurisdiction of the embassy or consulate-general they are under. Doing so will allow the foreign affairs department to track and provide assistance to the bereaved family, especially in certain cases of death, where abuse or calamity is involved.

Also Read: How to Process Report of Birth in Canada (for Filipinos)

Upon the report of the death, the Philippine embassy or consulate will issue mortuary certificates once the remains of a deceased foreigner or Filipino are brought to the Philippines. In this guide, we will discuss the process, from the requirements, legal procedures, to some tips by fellow overseas Filipinos who have had to perform this process from outside the Philippines. Keep reading until the end to learn more.

Contents

Guide on Filing a Report of Death In Canada

How to Process Report of Death in Canada — Credits: DFA

Death is not something many people are comfortable dealing with. With this, it can be twice as traumatic when a death takes place where no family can be directly in-charge to handle the matter. This is where the Philippine embassy or consulate will come in. Continue reading the following sections to know how you can benefit from this process, or seek assistance from the government agency.

What is the Report of Death?

If a Filipino dies abroad, his or her family should report the incident to the Philippine Embassy or the Philippine Consulate General.

You may need to provide additional documents if the consular officer considers your case due to certain factors such as your previous civil status and citizenship.

The Report of Death must be submitted within 30 days of its occurrence.

Requirements

To file a report of death either at the nearest Philippine Embassy or consular mission’s office, you will need to provide the following documents. Be sure to have them prepared and submit duly on time so that you won’t experience any issues in doing so.

(4) original-signed copies of the Report of Death Form, which you can download here;
The original and four (4) copies of the Vital Statistics Office’s Certificate of Death;
The original and four (4) copies of the deceased’s data page from his Philippine passport;
Original and four (4) copies of the deceased’s Proof of Status, e.g. Permanent Resident (PR) card / Visa (if traveling for tourism, pleasure, or business) / Work Permit (if working abroad at the time of marriage) / Proof of Dual Citizenship (i.e. Identification Certificate or Order of Approval);
Original and four (4) copies of the Philippine Consulate General’s Mortuary Certificate (and attachments) (in case of shipment of human remains or urns for repatriation to the Philippines)

Note: An action officer may require additional documents if the person has been evaluated to determine the deceased’s identity and citizenship.

Fees

The processing fee for sending a money order or cash to the Philippine Consulate General is CAD 36.25. It’s usually payable in advance by cash or money order. Never send cash as payment thru mail. For expedited Processing, an additional fee of CAD 14.50 will be required.

Procedure

If you would like to submit a report of death (ROD) in person, you should either book an appointment at your respective foreign service post, or mail them regarding this civil registration service that you need to file with them.
On the date of your appointment, bring all the documents indicated above. Make sure to have them notarized before submitting them to the embassy or consulate.
Prepare the cash payment of C$36.25. Remember, the consulate or embassy does not accept card or bank cheques for payment.
Before you send the ROB, prepare a self-addressed and stamped envelope that will be used to mail it back.
Make sure that the return envelope you use is self-addressed and stamped. Use this envelope to mail the ROB.

Note: The processing time for these documents is typically around 7 days. It is subject to various conditions and procedures that must be complied with by the applicants.

The PCG will not be held responsible for the delay in the processing of the documents and for any issues that arise during the authentication process.

Ideally, the documents should be placed in an envelope with a tracking feature so that the recipient can know when the courier service will deliver them.

Video: What You Need to Know About the Report of Death

Here is a short Q&A video prepared by the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, which covers the basics of what you will encounter in filing a report of a death at the Philippine Embassy or consulate nearest your area. They present an overview of the purpose, uses, and requirements for the filing of this document. And with it, they provide helpful tips and insight on how you can file this report as seamlessly as possible. While this video was created by the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, the information presented applies to other locations too – except for the specific documents each of them may require. If this is your first time filing this report overseas, then you may use this short guide as a reference in conjunction with the rest of the information presented in this guide.

FAQs

How can I have a record of birth/marriage/death that happened abroad be made available in the database of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)?

The report of Birth/death/marriage should be sent to the nearest Foreign Service Post (Consulate or Embassy) with jurisdiction over the area where the incident took place.

Where can I file the requirements for the registration of the Report of Birth/Marriage/Death?

If you are in the Philippines, you can submit the required documents at any of the following agencies:

DFA-Office of Consular Affairs,
DFA-Regional Consular Office all over the country.
DFA-Regional Consular Office, or

If you are not in the country but would like to submit the requirements to the PSA, then you can do so by sending them to the nearest Foreign Service Post.

What are the additional requirements they require during this pandemic?

A medical certificate from a hospital or health authority to show that the individual did not die due to COVID-19 or any related disease.
The flight’s schedule for the transfer of the deceased’s remains to the Philippines.
The contact information and full name of the designated recipient in the Philippines.
In case of a death that happened more than one month after the date of filing, an affidavit of delayed registration is required.

What is an affidavit of delayed registration?

This is an affidavit required if the death of a person was not confirmed within 14 days after they died.

What are the requirements for affidavit of delayed registration of death?

For deaths that took place in 2020 onwards, you need to send an email first to the nearest Foreign service post that has jurisdiction in your area where the death took place. This is to verify if the death was already registered.

In addition, here are the requirements you need to prepare:

Report of Death Form (ROD Form Rev. 01 24 April 2018)
Five (5) forms should be printed in A4 paper, originally filled out and item 26 should be notarized by the notary public.
Entries must be TYPEWRITTEN OR PRINTED LEGIBLY
Death Certificate (original copy should be submitted to the DFA)
For death certificates not in English language, kindly submit an official English translation
Certificate of Sealing of Casket
Autopsy/Embalming Report
Photocopies of Passport of the deceased (data pages only)

Summary

Filipinos overseas need to be aware of the requirements and processes in filing a death report at the nearest Foreign service post in which they are covered. This is crucial so that the Philippine government can track these important life events among its citizens, and, where applicable, provide due assistance. Just as births are important to record, reports of deaths also provide information to the government as to how overseas Filipinos are doing in their respective host countries. Moreover, if it is within the government’s capacity, it will seek to prevent and create better support in the form of laws affecting the treatment, security, or safety of overseas Filipinos to lessen or prevent unnecessary deaths of its citizens in a foreign land.

Contact Information

Below are the following Philippine embassies and Philippine consulates office in Canada for your reference. It is important that you visit the nearest one in your work location:

Philippine Embassy in Toronto, Canada

Address: 30 Murray Street, Ottawa ON K1N 5M4
Tel. Nos. : +1 613-2331121
Fax No. : +1 613-2334165
Email : embassyofphilippines@rogers.com
Timings: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Mondays to Fridays, except Philippine and Canadian holidays.
Google Map Location

Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver Canada

Address: 999 Canada Place, Suite 660 Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1
Phone: 604-685-1619
Fax Number: 604-685-9945
Email: vancouverpcg@telus.net
Timings: 9 AM – 5 PM (Monday to Friday except on Philippine and Canadian holidays)
Google Map Location

Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, Canada

Telephone (416) 922.7181
Facsimile (416) 922.2638
Email: consularmatters@philcongen-toronto.com
Timings: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (except for Philippine and Canadian Holiday)
Google Map Location

Philippine Consulate General in Calgary, Canada

Address: Suite 920, 517 10th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2R 0A8
Tels.: (403)4559343; 4559346; 4559457; 4559483; (587)577-1524
Email: calgarypcg@dfa.gov.ph/
Timings: 9:00am – 10:00am · 10:00am – 3:00pm; (except for Philippine and Canadian Holiday)

Google Map Location