Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Upon arrival at the morgue, the body is placed in the observation room for 24 hours following death. It is possible to visit it by contacting the reception office operators. After 24 hours, the body is placed in a refrigerated cell and can no longer be visited until the moment of recognition.
For hygienic-health precautions, the duration of the visit cannot exceed 10 minutes.
If there are serious health and hygiene reasons, the body is immediately placed in a refrigerated cell and visits are permitted only on the day of the funeral.

The identification of the body must be carried out by two people (family members or, in their absence, acquaintances) in the presence of representatives of the competent judicial authority and the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
The identification takes place at 8:00 on the established day and is preceded by a communication, including by telephone, to the interested parties.
If the body is available to the Health Authority, it will be the responsibility of the family members to contact the Civic Morgue to find out the date established for recognition. On the appointed day, the clothes or a sheet that will be used for the possible recomposition and/or dressing of the body must be delivered.

Certification of causes of death
The certificate certifying the causes of death can be requested by an heir of the deceased person or by his/her delegate. The request must be submitted to:

ATS Milan
Prevention Department – ​​Protocol Office 
via Statuto, 5 - 1st floor - room 102
tel. 02 8578 9001/ 02 8578 9003
opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 10.00 to 12
Email: departmentprevenzione@ats-milano.it

The autopsy report can be requested via email at: medicinalegale@unimi.it 

In cases where the family member, the doctor, the hospital or the private healthcare facility requests the reception of the body in the civic morgue, the resulting services are paid and include the following rates:

• €156,16 for transport;
• €13,28 per day for the deposit;
• €146,08 for the municipal body dressing service;
• €89,77 for the municipal service of transferring the coffin to the hearse.

Upon disposition of the Judicial Authority, in cases of reception of deceased persons in other Municipalities, the deposit is paid by the Municipality of origin while any municipal dressing service is paid by the requesting family member.

The autopsy is performed without any cost to the citizens.

Important: no operator from the Civic Morgue and the Municipality of Milan is authorized to present themselves to family members to offer additional services. 

On the day of the funeral, relatives and relatives can approach the body one hour before the scheduled time.

Important: When the coffin is closed, the presence of a family member or acquaintance who signs the body recognition report is essential.