When someone dies, there are a few key steps to take: handling the necessary paperwork and dealing with any money matters. First, you’ll need to secure the scene and arrange for a death certificate. After that, the body must be prepared and cremated. If there’s any dispute over how the death occurred, that must be addressed next, followed by closing all relevant accounts. The remaining items are listed in order of how much they can save you money. For any advance planning an older adult might want to make — such as naming a legal guardian, writing a will, or managing accounts — see Section 17. Details on the three types of benefits available for deaths at work can be found in Section 19. The funeral guidance here follows the newly updated Funeral Management Regulations, which took effect on March 30, 2026. Exact amounts for funeral subsidies and survivor benefits under basic pension plans are set separately by the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. Since we don’t have an official source text to verify these figures word for word, no specific dollar amounts appear in this section.
English text comes from the independent translation maintained by dlgrv. New entries without a translation appear in Chinese. The author's Chinese original is authoritative for the latest content. Translation snapshot: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · 11818c6
If someone dies at home or elsewhere, first determine whether it’s a natural or unnatural death: in cases of accidents, unknown causes, or deaths discovered only after a long period of solitude, call the police immediately and leave the body and scene untouched.
For deaths caused by accidents, of unknown origin, or those found only after a long time alone, only the police can issue a death certificate. If the scene has been disturbed, it becomes difficult to clarify what happened and to obtain a certificate. Without this document, cremation, household registration cancellation, and insurance claims all become impossible. When in doubt, dial 110 right away. Once police arrive and conduct their investigation, they will issue the certificate just the same.
Cost
No expense at all — just one phone call is needed.
Benefit
Article 8, Paragraph 2 of the Regulations on Household Registration states: “In cases where a citizen dies fro…
02Evidence A
The death certificate is the key to everything that follows: whoever provided treatment issues it; for natural deaths at home, contact the local community health service center. It must be issued within one day.
If the death occurs in a hospital, the hospital that treated the patient issues the certificate. For natural deaths at home, the community health service center or township health clinic serving that area issues it. When the cause of death is clear, the certificate is issued within 24 hours. It is required for deregistration, cremation, withdrawal from a housing provident fund, receipt of social insurance benefits, insurance claims, and estate settlement — so be sure to make several copies right away.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
According to the “Interim Regulations on Registration and Management of Population Death Information,” death c…
03Evidence A
Transport, storage, and cremation of remains must be handled by funeral homes; hospital morgues cannot provide such services, and storage is generally limited to 3 days.
Transport, storage, embalming, body preparation, and cremation can only be done by funeral homes. Hospital morgues are not authorized to handle funeral services; they may only provide temporary storage for remains. Funeral homes typically store bodies for no more than 3 days; any longer period requires an extension request. Cremation can only proceed with a death certificate and cremation authorization document. The cremation certificate issued afterward is necessary for inheritance claims and insurance processing.
Cost
No cost involved.
Benefit
Article 25 of the Funeral Management Regulations states: “Services such as transport, storage, embalming, body…
04Evidence A
Disagreement over cause of death: request an autopsy within 48 hours and have medical records sealed
If there is any doubt about how someone died, an autopsy must be requested within 48 hours after death. Hospitals with proper freezing facilities may extend this window to 7 days. Consent from close relatives is also required for the autopsy. If consent is not given or the deadline is missed, the party responsible for the delay bears the liability for any subsequent uncertainty over the cause of death. Alongside the autopsy request, it is essential to demand that all medical records be sealed. Once the body is cremated, an autopsy becomes impossible.
Cost
No cost involved. The hard part is remembering to make thi…
Benefit
The time limit for autopsies is stipulated in Article 26 of the Regulations on Prevention and Handling of Medi…
05Evidence A
Legal deadlines for canceling hukou registration: in cities, before burial; in rural areas, within one month
In cities, you must cancel hukou registration before burial; in rural areas, you must do it within one month. Bring the death certificate and household register to the police station to complete the process. Failing to do so will block any inheritance transfers, benefit claims, or insurance cancellations due to the unresolved hukou status.
Cost
No expense involved. Just bring the death certificate and…
Benefit
Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Hukou Registration Regulations states: “When a citizen dies, in cities the house…
06Evidence A
Funeral services are divided into basic and non-basic categories; a list of basic services exists, with their fees set by law.
Transporting, storing, and cremating a body, holding a farewell ceremony, keeping ashes in storage, and eco-friendly burial options — all fall under the national list of basic services. This also includes burial spaces provided by government-run funeral agencies. Prices for these services are strictly regulated by law; no extra fees may be charged outside this list. Before making any arrangements, be sure to confirm which services are considered basic and what the local rates are.
Cost
There is no cost involved. Just spend a few minutes before…
Benefit
All essential funeral services — including body transport, storage, cremation, memorial services, and eco-frie…
07Evidence A
If you encounter forced bundling, extra charges beyond the listed price, or a single service being split into multiple line items for billing, make a note of it and file a complaint.
All these practices are explicitly listed as price violations under regulations: failing to display price lists, adding extra charges beyond the posted price, bundling funeral products and services and forcing you to buy them, and compelling you to use third‑party paid services. Splitting one service into several separate charges is also a form of price inflation. On the spot, ask for a price list and keep any receipts, invoices, and chat records. You can still file a complaint later. For price violations, contact the market regulation authority; for funeral services specifically, reach out to the civil affairs bureau.
Cost
No cost involved. The real challenge is staying diligent i…
Benefit
Regulations identify five categories of price violations. Four of them are: not displaying prices clearly or a…
08Evidence A
Intermediaries such as funeral service agents, vendors of funeral goods, and event planners must register with the county-level civil affairs bureau
Intermediaries offering services like funeral planning, procurement of funeral products, event coordination, and information consultation must register with the county-level civil affairs bureau. Those that fail to register are excluded from the official funeral service information system managed by the bureau. Availability of online lookup tools varies by region; the safest approach is to call the local civil affairs bureau directly. Any operators found to be charging excessive fees through deceptive practices or selling information related to deceased individuals will be held legally accountable.
Cost
There is no cost involved. All you need to do is ask wheth…
Benefit
Unregistered intermediaries are not included in the official funeral service information system overseen by th…
09Evidence A
Withdrawing money held in various accounts: housing provident fund balance, social insurance benefits, and work‑related death benefits
The remaining balance in a deceased person’s housing provident fund can be withdrawn by heirs and legatees. This money is not held in a regular bank account and does not automatically become part of the estate, so it is easy to overlook. In cases of death due to a workplace injury, there are three additional payments: funeral assistance, survivor’s pension, and a one‑time work‑related death benefit. The balance in the individual pension account and any related survivor benefits must be requested from the local social insurance office.
Cost
There is no monetary cost, but you must visit several offi…
Benefit
Heirs and legatees may withdraw the remaining housing provident fund balance from the deceased’s account. A le…
10Evidence A
Relatives of the deceased may request access to, copies of, corrections to, and deletion of their personal information
After a person passes away, their close relatives may, for their own lawful and legitimate interests, ask the platform to access, copy, correct, or delete that person’s personal information. If the platform denies such requests, it must provide a valid reason. Legal action in court is also an option. One exception applies: if the deceased made prior arrangements—such as designating a successor to their account or expressing clear intentions—those instructions must be followed.
Cost
No cost involved. Only if the platform refuses cooperation…
Benefit
The law explicitly states that upon a person’s death, their close relatives may, for their own lawful and legi…