Funeral of an unborn or stillborn child in Kraków

Parents have the right to bury a child after a miscarriage or stillbirth, regardless of the length of the pregnancy. A medical certificate of death is needed for the funeral, which the hospital issues at the parents' request. After the funeral, if you paid for it, you can apply to ZUS, the Polish Social Insurance Institution, for a funeral grant, also on the basis of the medical certificate of death or a certificate of stillbirth.

• 3 daysto register the birth at the Register Office (urząd stanu cywilnego) from the issue of the stillbirth card
• 8 weeksof maternity allowance for the mother after the birth of a stillborn child
• 12 monthsto submit the funeral grant application to ZUS

The right to bury a child regardless of the week of pregnancy

Parents have the right to bury their child after a miscarriage and after a stillbirth. The regulations do not make this depend on the week of pregnancy.

The regulations guarantee the right to bury a child regardless of the week of pregnancy in which the loss occurred. The same regulations provide that stillborn children are buried by the persons entitled to bury them, that is the closest family.

According to the Act on Cemeteries and the Burial of the Dead (ustawa o cmentarzach i chowaniu zmarłych), the right to bury belongs to the closest family, including ascendants. In the case of a child, these are above all the parents. The decision is yours. You have the right to ask for time to think.

Which documents the hospital issues

A medical certificate of death is needed to bury a child. The hospital issues it at the parents' request. The Act on Cemeteries provides for such a certificate for a stillborn child regardless of the length of the pregnancy. In that case, no annotation from the Register Office (urząd stanu cywilnego) on the registration of the death is needed for the funeral.

Three documents may appear at the hospital:

• Medical certificate of death: issued at the request of a person entitled to bury, needed by the cemetery administration.
• Stillbirth card: the hospital passes it to the Register Office (urząd stanu cywilnego) within one day of its being drawn up. If the child's sex cannot be determined, the card is not passed to the office.
• Certificate of stillbirth: issued by a doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, a doctor training in that specialty, or a midwife, on the basis of medical records. It is useful for ZUS (the Polish Social Insurance Institution) when no birth certificate has been drawn up.

Please tell the ward staff that you wish to bury your child and need a medical certificate of death. It is best to ask for it before discharge.

Birth certificate, the child's name and the Register Office

When a child is stillborn, the Register Office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego) does not draw up a death certificate. It draws up a birth certificate with a note that the child was stillborn. This is based on the stillbirth card sent by the hospital.

The birth is reported by the child's mother or father, in person or through a representative. The deadline is 3 days from the date the stillbirth card was drawn up. The hospital can tell you the date of the card.

We understand that it is hard to think about offices at such a time. If the birth is not reported within this period, the office will draw up the certificate itself: the head of the office will choose the child's name and inform the parents. When you report the birth, you choose the name.

In Kraków, the competent Register Office is the one for the child's place of birth. You can book a visit online or by calling +48 12 616 55 55. An identity card, mObywatel (mDowód) or a passport is enough. Registering a birth is free of stamp duty.

If the child's sex could not be determined, the stillbirth card is not sent to the office and no birth certificate is drawn up. This does not prevent a funeral, because a medical certificate of death is enough for burial.

Next steps after losing a child

1. Tell the ward staff that you wish to bury your child, and ask for a medical certificate of death.

2. Ask for a certificate of stillbirth, if it will be needed for ZUS.

3. Call the funeral home. Lilia's round-the-clock funeral service answers the phone at any hour: +48 507 111 211.

4. If the hospital has passed on the stillbirth card, report the birth at the Register Office within 3 days of the card being drawn up (the hospital can tell you the date) and choose a name.

5. Agree with the funeral home on the cemetery, the date and the form of farewell: religious or secular.

6. If you paid for the funeral, apply for the funeral grant within 12 months.

Collecting the child from the hospital and the funeral

Lilia arranges funerals for unborn and stillborn children. We help with the formalities and collect the child from the hospital. Transport from the hospital is part of our service. We will help you work out which matters can be handled without you being present.

A child's funeral can be very small and private. We help you choose a small coffin or urn and a place in the cemetery. Please ask about the cost by phone: +48 12 421 24 80. A description of all our services is on the page funeral services.

Funeral grant and maternity leave

After a child's funeral, the parents may be entitled to a funeral grant from ZUS. It is payable on the death of a family member of an insured person, and a child is a family member. ZUS determines the amount of the grant.

The grant applies when you paid the funeral costs. The application is made on form Z-12 within 12 months, counted from the date of death, or, in the case of stillbirth, from the child's date of birth.

When no birth certificate has been drawn up, ZUS accepts the medical certificate of death or a copy of it, or a certificate of stillbirth, regardless of how long the pregnancy lasted. In place of the child's first name and surname, “brak” (none) is entered, and the date of birth is entered as the date of death. The funeral home can submit the application on your behalf, and the grant can be paid to its account in full or in part.

A mother who is covered by sickness insurance is entitled, after a stillbirth, to maternity benefit for 8 weeks of maternity leave after the birth. This applies to employees and, for example, to people running their own business. Here too, a certificate of stillbirth may serve as the basis.

The right to maternity benefit for 8 weeks is linked to the stillbirth and to the certificate of stillbirth. If you are unsure about your situation, it is worth asking ZUS or your doctor.

Frequently asked questions