Article 54 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 54 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The Article sets the period for reporting a death at fifteen days at any civil status office, and thirty days if the death occurs in a place more than fifty kilometers from the nearest office.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يكون التبليغ عن الوفاة لدى أي مكتب من مكاتب الأحوال المدنية على النموذج المعد خلال خمسة عشر يوما من تاريخ الوفاة، وتكون هذه المهلة ثلاثين يوما إذا حدثت الوفاة في مكان يبعد عن أقرب مكتب للأحوال أكثر من خمسين كيلو مترًا.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 54 explained in plain English
This Article answers two practical questions facing the family of the deceased: where is a death reported, and when?
Place and method: reporting is made at any office of the civil status offices; the office of the region where the deceased lived is not required, and it is done on the prescribed form.
The period:
- The rule: fifteen days from the date of death.
- The exception: thirty days if the death occurs in a place more than fifty kilometers from the nearest civil status office.
The test for the exception is the place where the death occurred and its distance from the nearest office, not where the reporter lives.
The duty to report falls on the persons set out in Article 53 in their order, the first being health facilities electronically linked to civil status, then the deceased's ascendants, descendants, spouse or any relative aged eighteen, and the responsibility of a group lapses only where the group before it exists.
If the death occurs outside the Kingdom, Article 55 regulates it: reporting must be made within fifteen days of the date of arrival, to the competent Saudi representation in the country the traveler is heading to, or to any civil status office in the Kingdom in the case of return.
To learn the effect of being late beyond these periods in a particular case, a lawyer who specializes in civil status and personal status cases may be consulted.
Practical example
Saad's father died in a village about 80 kilometers from the nearest civil status office. Saad may report the death within thirty days instead of fifteen, and may report at any civil status office on the prescribed form.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 54 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
What is the period for reporting a death?
Fifteen days from the date of death, becoming thirty days if the death occurs in a place more than fifty kilometers from the nearest civil status office.
Must a death be reported at the office of the deceased's region?
No. Reporting may be made at any of the civil status offices on the prescribed form.
Who reports a death?
The persons set out in Article 53 in their order, the first being health facilities electronically linked to civil status, then the deceased's ascendants, descendants, spouse or any relative aged eighteen.
More articles on Death Registration and Burial
- Article 38Amended (1422 AH)
The Article requires the birth of a newborn who dies before being recorded to be registered, followed by his death, and requires a child born dead after the sixth month of pregnancy to be recorded in the register of deaths as stillborn.
إذا توفي مولود قبل قيده في السجل، وجب تسجيل ولادته ثم تسجيل وفاته. أما إذا ولد ميتا بعد الشهر السادس من الحمل فيقيد في سجل الوفيات بأنه ولد ميتا.
- Article 52
The Article requires reporting, within the legal periods, every death in the Kingdom and every Saudi who dies abroad, including children born dead after the sixth month of pregnancy.
يجب التبليغ خلال المدد المحددة في هذا النظام عن جميع الوفيات الحادثة في المملكة وعن السعوديين المتوفين في الخارج، ويشمل ذلك الأطفال الذين يولدون أمواتا بعد الشه
- Article 53
The Article names those required to report a death, starting with electronically linked health facilities, then relatives and others, with responsibility following the order so that it lapses for any group when the group before it exists.
المكلفون بالتبليغ عن الوفاة هم: أ- المنشآت الصحية المرتبطة إلكترونياً بالأحوال المدنية وفق ما تحدده اللائحة التنفيذية. ب- أصول أو فروع أو زوج المتوفى أو أي من أ
- Article 55
The Article requires a death occurring outside the Kingdom to be reported within fifteen days of arrival, to the competent Saudi representation or, on return, to any civil status office in the Kingdom.
إذا حدثت الوفاة خارج المملكة وجب التبليغ عنها خلال خمسة عشر يوما من تاريخ الوصول، ويوجه التبليغ إلى الممثلية السعودية المختصة في البلد الذي يقصده المسافر، وفي ح
- Article 56
As an exception, the Article allows a death abroad, far from the seat of the Saudi representation, to be reported by registered mail, provided a death certificate from the competent authority there is attached.
استثناء مما سبق إذا حدثت الوفاة في الخارج في جهة بعيدة عن مقر الممثلية السعودية جاز التبليغ عنها بوساطة البريد المسجل بشرط أن يكون التبليغ مصحوبا بشهادة وفاة من
- Article 57
The Article requires the deaths registrar to draw up a death certificate in two copies without stating the cause of death unless the interested person wishes, to hand one copy to the reporter and send the other to the deceased's file.
يجب على كاتب سجل الوفيات المنوط به القيد فور تسجيل واقعة الوفاة تحرير شهادة من نسختين على النموذج المعد لذلك دون الإشارة إلى أسباب الوفاة ما لم يرغب صاحب الشأن
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.