Services
Funeral Services
What to do in the event of a death: the BDV Funeral Fund, the numbers to call, and the step-by-step process.
Who is responsible for funeral services?
- Ritual washing (ghusl), shrouding, transfer to Turkey or burial in Belgium, and all official funeral procedures: the Diyanet Foundation of Belgium’s Funeral, Mutual Aid and Solidarity Fund (since 1982). In the event of a death, the fund is the first point of contact.
- The mosque’s role: leading the funeral prayer, announcing the death to the community (mosque, website, WhatsApp), and organising condolence and mevlid programmes.
- Our imam becomes involved once the deceased is brought to our mosque for the funeral prayer; he does not carry out the washing or the transfer.
No assistance is provided by the fund for funeral arrangements made without its knowledge. For the funeral prayer, please contact our mosque through our imam.
Step-by-step process
- Have the death certified by a doctor (death report).
- Call the BDV Funeral Fund immediately: washing, shrouding, transfer or burial, and all arrangements with the funeral company are handled by the fund. If another company is used without the fund’s approval, costs will not be covered.
- If the funeral prayer is to be performed at our mosque, call our imam; the day and time are agreed and announced to the community.
- The death is reported to the municipality (Marche-en-Famenne population department) — usually handled by the funeral company.
- Transfer to Turkey: a Consulate transfer certificate plus a Saniport “laissez-passer mortuaire”, followed up by the fund and the funeral company.
- If burial in Belgium is preferred: the multi-faith cemetery of Marche-en-Famenne/Aye (Muslim section), or Namur, Liège, Charleroi.
About fund membership
Fund membership: Turkish citizens with at least 1 year of permanent residence in Belgium; spouses and children under 18 are covered; membership takes effect 60 days after payment (except in case of accident). An annual dues letter is sent in the first week of January each year; if it has not arrived by 25 January, the fund should be informed. Dues must be paid within 10 days of receiving the letter; births, marriages, divorces and address changes must be reported to the fund.