How to register a death
Registering a death
You have five days to register a death
You should register the death at the registry office local to where the person died, so that the documents can be processed as quickly as possible. Details of your local registry office can be found in your local phone book or online at www.gov.uk
It takes about thirty minutes to register a death
Make sure you ask for as many copies of the death certificate as you might need to notify the bank and other authorities. Often these companies will not accept photocopies. You
have to pay for these
If the person died in a house or hospital, the death is usually registered by a relative
If a death occurs outside of home or hospital, the death is still usually registered by a relative
The registrar would normally only allow other people to register if there are no relatives available. In this case, it could be someone who witnessed the death, a hospital official or a person making funeral arrangements
Documents and information you will need to register a death
- Medical certificate of the cause of death (signed by a doctor)
and if possible:
- Birth certificate
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
- NHS Medical Card
Information you must give to the registrar
- The person’s full name at time of death
- Any names previously used, including maiden surname
- The person’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the UK and country if born abroad)
- Their last address
- Their occupation
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving spouse or civil partner
- If they were getting a state pension or any other state benefit
The registrar will give you, as long as there is no post-mortem:
- A certificate for burial or cremation (called the ‘green form’), giving permission for the body to be buried or for the application to apply for the body to be cremated
- A certificate of registration of death (form BD8), issued for social security purposes if the person was on a state pension or benefits (read the information on the back, complete and return it, if it applies)
- A booklet called ‘What to do after a death’, with advice on wills, funerals and financial help
Who do you need to tell about the death?
This will vary. You may need to tell a number of different government departments and agencies about the death. The registrar can advise you on how to go about this
If a post-mortem is needed, the coroner will issue any documents you need as quickly as possible after its completion.
Where the cause of death is unclear, sudden or suspicious – the doctor, hospital or registrar will report the death to the coroner. The coroner must then decide if there should be further investigation. The registrar cannot register the death until the coroner’s decision is made
For more details, contact www.gov.uk
