Answered: Top FAQs on Obituaries in Singapore
Publishing an obituary is a good way to pay tribute to a loved one. It also lets the community know that a loved one has passed away, allowing you to get rid of the hassles of contacting everyone you know one by one.
If you’re thinking about posting an obituary for a loved one, then you came to the right place. In this quick guide, we’ll answer the most common questions about publishing an obituary in Singapore.
What’s an obituary?
Basically, an obituary is a written notice of someone’s death. In Singapore, an obituary ad features several details including the following basic information:
- The deceased’s name
- Photo of deceased
- Date of death (time is optional)
- Names of family members (parents, spouse, children, adopted children, in-laws, grandchildren, siblings, nephews/ nieces, uncles/aunts, cousins, godparents/god children, etc.). If any family member is deceased, name should be within brackets with a word deceased or late, e.g. (Tan Ah Kow, deceased) or (Late Tan Ah Kow)
- Service/prayer details
- A bible verse if the deceased is of the Christian or Catholic faith
Furthermore, it also displays details regarding the location, date, and time of the wake and funeral—be it a cremation or burial. The bereaved family may also indicate special requests like not accepting flowers or donations, for instance.
Where can I publish an obituary?
You may place an obituary in any local newspaper according to your preferred language, such as the following:
- English: The Straits Times and The Sunday Times, Today
- Chinese (Mostly for Buddhists and Taoists): Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min Daily News
- Malay: Berita Harian and Berita Minggu
- Tamil: Tamil Murasu
How do I publish an obituary?
First, select a local newspaper in your preferred language. You may only place an obituary during office hours, so be sure to take note of that first.
Once you’ve found a newspaper, you only need to submit the original death certificate of your loved one and your identity card or of the person placing the notice. You can also make a booking online using this portal if you wish to place an obituary ad in an SPH newspaper.
Depending on your chosen package, some publishers also offer digital obituaries on top of print ads for a separate cost. Meanwhile, there are also some digital-only obituaries available for a lesser cost.
How much do obituaries cost in Singapore?
Printing an obituary in a local newspaper normally starts at $700. The price will mostly depend on the size of the ad. The bigger the obituary ad, the higher the price.
Note that publishers also charge customers a separate fee for a digital version of the obituary, which is roughly $100 on top of the printed version.
Meanwhile, digital-only obituaries cost about $100 to $300 on average. Some platforms like Obits also offer QR code plates for a separate cost.
This QR code may be installed at the niche or tombstone of a loved one, which allows family members or guests to visit your loved one’s memorial page online.