Registering a death

Registering a death is one of the first steps in arranging a funeral. All deaths need to be registered by the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the district where the death takes places. There are regional variations in how to register a death in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and full details can be found on the Directgov website.

Your local funeral director can tell you which Registrar you will need to visit, the times they are open, and whether you need to make an appointment.

Registering the death is the responsibility of a family member and should be carried out within five days, unless the Coroner is involved. In some cases a family member may not be available to register a death and so the task would be the responsibility of one of the following:

Someone who was present at the death, such as a nurse, doctor or carer
The occupier of the premises where the death took place

The registration of someone’s death is done by visiting the registrar with all the necessary details, these include the following:

Full name of the deceased, and maiden name if applicable
The deceased’s date and place of birth and death
The deceased’s home address
If married, the date of birth of a surviving spouse
The deceased’s former occupation, where relevant
Name and address of informant
Informant’s qualification for registering

In situations where the coroner or procurator fiscal has been involved (for example, a sudden death) then the process may change or additional information will be required to register the death. Consult with your funeral director or doctor if you’re unsure.

In order to prove the details the registrar will also need:

The Medical certificate of cause of death
The deceased’s NHS Medical card (if available)
The deceased’s birth certificate (if available)
The deceased’s marriage certificate (if they were married and if available)

Once the registrar has been given all the necessary details and the required documents, then they will issue a green certificate for burial or cremation, in Scotland this document is white. You must hand this document to your funeral director as soon as possible as this legally allows the funeral to take place. You may need multiple versions of the entry of death for legal and financial reasons, thye first copy is free of charge and for a small fee copies can be made by the registrar.

If you need any help or support, whether it’s filling in the forms or you need someone to go with you to the registrar, then you should contact your local funeral director who will have experience of these processes.