Register a Death

The death will need to be registered within five days once the medical certificate has been issued and this is normally done by a relative or next of kin. If there are no relatives available, then the registrar would allow other people to register the death. To locate the relevant registry office of the area in which the death occurred visit www.gov.uk/register-offices and contact them to make an appointment.

When registering a death, the following needs to be taken to the registrar:

  • Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death, signed by a doctor
  • The deceased’s most recent passport
  • Birth certificate (where available)
  • Marriage/ civil partnership certificate (where available)
  • NHS Medical Card (where available)
  • In the cases where a coroner has been involved; the Form 100

The following information will need to be given 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
  • Their last address
  • Their occupation
  • The full name, date of birth and occupation of surviving spouse or civil partner
  • Whether they were receiving a state pension or any other state benefit

If a post-mortem is not being held the registrar will provide:

  • A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (called the ‘Green form’), giving permission for the body to be buried or for an application for cremation to be made.
  • A Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8), issued for social security purposes if the person received a state pension or benefits

You will need to provide us with the Green Form so we can complete the preparations for the funeral service. Without a Green Form, we cannot bring the body of the deceased into our care.

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