Form DHA-1680 — Death Report
This form is issued by DHA — you do not apply for it. Form DHA-1680 is automatically issued by the Department of Home Affairs after a death is registered. It is not applied for separately, and it cannot be downloaded or collected from a branch.
What Is Form DHA-1680?
Form DHA-1680 — also referred to as BI-1680 — is the Death Report issued by the Department of Home Affairs after a death has been officially registered. It is a confirmation document that the registration of the death has been captured in the National Population Register (NPR).
The Death Report is issued as part of the death registration process, alongside the burial order. It is an administrative document rather than an official certificate.
How DHA-1680 Fits Into the Death Registration Process
Understanding where the Death Report sits in the sequence:
| Step | Form | Who completes it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Register the death | DHA-1663 (Notification of Death) | Medical practitioner, funeral undertaker, family |
| 2. DHA approves registration | — | DHA official |
| 3. Death Report issued | DHA-1680 | Issued automatically by DHA |
| 4. Burial order issued | BI-14 | Issued automatically by DHA |
| 5. Abridged death certificate issued | — | Issued automatically by DHA (free of charge) |
| 6. Unabridged certificate (if needed) | DHA-132 | Applied for separately |
DHA-1680 is issued at step 3 — it confirms the registration has been processed but is separate from the actual death certificate.
What Is the Difference Between DHA-1680 and a Death Certificate?
This is one of the most common points of confusion in the death registration process.
DHA-1680 (Death Report): An internal administrative confirmation that the death has been registered. May be required for estate-related matters in some circumstances, but is not the same as the death certificate.
Death certificate (abridged): The official legal document issued by DHA confirming a person’s death. The document submitted to insurers, pension funds, banks, and the Master of the High Court. Issued automatically after registration — free of charge.
Death certificate (unabridged): The full version of the death certificate. Applied for using Form DHA-132. Required for international estate administration and foreign insurance claims.
When Is DHA-1680 Required?
DHA-1680 may be specifically requested by:
- Some estate attorneys handling the winding-up of an estate
- Certain financial institutions closing the deceased’s accounts
- Pension fund administrators in specific cases
In most situations, the abridged death certificate serves all the purposes that DHA-1680 might be needed for. If an institution requests DHA-1680 specifically, contact the DHA Contact Centre on 0800 60 11 90 — the report should have been issued at the time of registration.
How to Get a Copy of DHA-1680
If the DHA-1680 was not retained after the original registration, contact the DHA branch where the death was registered and request a copy. You will need:
- The deceased’s full name and ID number
- The date and place of death
- Your own original ID
Be aware that for historical registrations, locating the original record can be difficult due to DHA’s known archiving challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DHA-1680 the same as the death certificate? No. DHA-1680 is the Death Report — an administrative confirmation of registration. The death certificate (abridged or unabridged) is the official legal document used for estate and insurance purposes.
Do we need DHA-1680 to bury someone? No. The burial order (Form BI-14) is what permits burial. Both the burial order and DHA-1680 are issued at the same time as part of the death registration, but the burial order is the controlling document for the burial itself.
What if we were not given a DHA-1680 after the death was registered? Contact the DHA branch where the registration occurred or call the DHA Contact Centre on 0800 60 11 90. The funeral undertaker who handled the registration should also have a copy.
Can I use DHA-1680 to claim life insurance? Not typically. Life insurers, pension funds, and the Master of the High Court require the official death certificate. DHA-1680 may be required as a supporting document in specific cases, but it does not replace the certificate.
Related Forms
- Form DHA-1663 — Notification of Death — the registration form completed before DHA-1680 is issued
- Form DHA-132 — Application for Death Certificate Copy — for obtaining the official death certificate