What to do after a death in the canton of Vaud

Losing a loved one leaves little room for paperwork. And yet, in the weeks that follow, a number of steps have to be taken — some of them with legal deadlines. This guide sets them out in the order they arise, with their official source. It does not replace legal advice: it tells you who to contact, when, and what to know before deciding anything.

The very first days

Most institutions require a copy of the death certificate: banks, pension funds, insurers, the housing agency. Request several copies now, from the civil registry office of the place of death. Organisations do not send them back, and ordering more takes time.

Source (in French): ch.ch — Requesting a death certificate — checked on 2 October 2026.

Also inform the deceased's employer if the deceased was working. The employer passes the information on to the pension fund, which saves letters arriving late.

The three-month deadline: what to know before touching the assets

The civil registrar informs the Justice of the Peace of the district of the deceased's last residence directly: you do not have to notify it. The Justice of the Peace informs and summons the heirs, and issues, on request, the certificate of inheritance (certificat d'héritier) — the document that proves your status as an heir in the canton of Vaud.

A three-month deadline may run to renounce the succession. Where it starts from depends on your situation: for heirs by law, it runs from the day they learn of the death; for heirs appointed by a will or contract of succession, from official notification; and if an inventory has been drawn up, from its closing. That is why no serious tool can calculate this date for you: if in doubt, confirm the starting point with the Justice of the Peace or a professional.

Until you are certain of the deceased's financial situation, two precautions are worth their weight in gold. Do not dispose of the estate's assets. And do not withdraw more than the immediate funeral costs. Selling, giving away or using assets can be treated as an act of disposal, with consequences for your rights as an heir. This guide does not tell you what to decide: that question deserves a professional if you are in any doubt.

Source (in French): État de Vaud — Successions — checked on 2 October 2026.

The organisations to inform within the month

Four organisations come up almost always, whatever your case. The cantonal compensation fund (old-age insurance, AVS) stops the deceased's pension; survivors' pensions are not paid automatically — they must be claimed from the deceased's last compensation fund. The pension fund (occupational pensions, LPP) may owe survivor benefits, depending on its rules. Banks and PostFinance usually restrict access to the accounts once they learn of the death, but procedures vary from one institution to another; funeral costs can generally be paid against receipts, and the certificate of inheritance is required before the assets can be released. Finally, the health insurer must refund the premium fraction from the day after the death to the end of the month and settles outstanding medical bills.

Source (in French): ch.ch — Death: the steps — checked on 2 October 2026.

If the deceased lived in a care home, its administration handles part of these steps. Contact it within the week.

The deceased's home

If the deceased was a tenant, notify the housing agency or the landlord. Death does not end the lease: it passes to the heirs (art. 266i CO) and, where applicable, by operation of law to the surviving spouse or household members (art. 266o CO). The heirs may terminate subject to the Vaud notice period, and the notice must be signed by all the heirs. If the home was the deceased's property, look after its upkeep until the estate is settled: building insurance, routine maintenance, and possibly the bank holding the mortgage.

Source (in French): ch.ch — Terminating a lease — checked on 2 October 2026.

Later, but not too late

Once the main organisations have been informed, go through the deceased's insurance policies (household, liability, life), cancel subscriptions and current contracts, and settle the vehicle with the Service des automobiles et de la navigation (SAN). Also check whether there are debt enforcement proceedings against the deceased, at the canton of Vaud's debt enforcement and bankruptcy office — before any decision about the succession, not after.

Finally, the canton of Vaud's tax office will ask you for an inheritance tax return. It usually arrives by post; there is no need to rush ahead of it, but do note that it exists.

Source (in French): État de Vaud — Successions et donations — checked on 2 October 2026.

Not everything is due the same day

Overload is the first risk of those weeks, after grief itself. Order matters more than speed: first the death certificate, then waiting for the Justice of the Peace's summons, then the organisations, then the rest. This is exactly what AfterCare CH does: from your situation, it establishes your first priorities free of charge, with the authorities, the documents and the sources.

You can start with the full checklist of the steps or answer 12 questions about your situation to see your first priorities. The questionnaire and the letters run in French, the language of the Vaud authorities.

Who writes this guide

This guide is maintained by AfterCare CH, a service that helps families with the administrative steps after a death in the canton of Vaud. Every rule cited rests on an official source (Canton of Vaud, ch.ch, the Confederation, AVS) dated with its last verification; when a source changes, the rule is reviewed. The service never takes an estate decision in your place: it prepares your steps and your letters, you check and you send. To report an error, write to aftercarech@nanocorp.app.