Article 63 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 63 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The Article requires the police or the emir of the village or center, on finding a body, to draw up a report of the deceased's description and the circumstances of finding him and send it to civil status to issue the death certificate.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا عثر على جثة إنسان فعلى دائرة الشرطة إن وجدت أو أمير القرية أو المركز تنظيم محضر يشتمل على أوصاف المتوفى والزمان والمكان والملابسات التي وجدت الجثة فيها ويؤخذ للجثة صورة شمسية إن أمكن ترفق بالمحضر ويرسل المحضر إلى إدارة الأحوال المدنية لتحرير شهادة الوفاة بموجبه.
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 63 explained in plain English
This Article deals with finding a human body, where in most cases there is no one to come forward and report the death in the usual way.
The responsible body: the police department where there is one, or the emir of the village or center.
What it must do: draw up a report containing:
- the deceased's description;
- the time and place at which the body was found;
- the circumstances in which the body was found.
A photograph of the body is taken if possible and attached to the report; photographing is required here as far as possible, not absolutely.
The final stage: the report is sent to the civil status department, to issue the death certificate on its basis; that is, the report takes the place of reporting in this case.
This Article belongs to the provisions on special cases of death. Article 62 requires the administrative governor to draw up a report of the death of a person on whom a death sentence has been carried out and send it to civil status. It is followed by Article 64, which prohibits burying any deceased without a burial permit from an approved doctor, and requires, where the causes of death are suspected, information to be gathered and a report drawn up on the condition of the body, with burial not permitted until the emir of the region is informed.
If you are looking for a missing relative and believe he may be the person whose body was found, you may contact the police and, if needed, consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
Shepherds found a man's body in a wilderness area near a village in Asir. The emir of the village draws up a report of the deceased's description, the place, time and circumstances of the discovery, attaches a photograph of the body if possible, and then sends the report to civil status to issue the death certificate.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 63 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
What happens when an unidentified body is found?
The police or the emir of the village or center draw up a report of the deceased's description, the time, place and circumstances, and send it to civil status to issue the death certificate.
Must the body be photographed?
A photograph of the body is taken if possible and attached to the report.
How is a death certificate issued for a body that was found?
The civil status department issues it on the basis of the report sent to it.
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 54
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.
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 ف
- 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
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.