A digital platform will soon be available for those needing to handle administrative tasks after the death of a loved one, promising to significantly reduce processing time, says Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele, who is also responsible for Digitalisation.
Diependaele stated: “At a time when bereaved individuals have many other important concerns, they currently have to go through a slow administrative process. We are putting an end to this.”
Currently, information transfer following a death relies heavily on paper documents, but this will change.
“With our digital platform, we ensure that key parties – doctors, funeral directors, local authorities, and both Flemish and federal governments – work together faster and digitally,” said Diependaele. “Our main goal is to lighten the burden on the bereaved. The death certificate will also be available to them much more quickly due to this digitalisation.”
Using the platform will be legally required for all deaths in Flanders, starting on 1 January 2026.
After a doctor confirms the death, they will use a user-friendly and secure web application.
Local authorities will then receive the necessary information to prepare the digital death certificate.
The funeral director will provide the necessary information via the central platform and receive the permission for burial or cremation in return.
“This data sharing is conducted under strict privacy conditions,” Diependaele noted. “All in all, this leads to time savings and reduced burden for public and private partners involved in the process.”
The data collaboration between government and private companies will be managed by Athumi, the Flemish data utility company.
Athumi acts as a neutral third party, facilitating the smooth flow of sensitive data between governments and companies, and among companies themselves.
