How to Register a Death in the UK: Steps, Deadlines, Documents and Certificates

You must register a death within 5 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and within 8 days in Scotland. GOV.UK says that includes weekends and bank holidays. In England and Wales the days count from the point the medical examiner's office confirms you can register. Registering is free. The registrar gives you the green form for the funeral director, and you pay for each copy of the death certificate.

What are the steps after a death is confirmed?

The order is the same across the UK, with some differences in who does what.

1. A doctor confirms the death. GOV.UK says this can take a few days.
2. The cause of death is checked. In England and Wales a medical examiner, a senior doctor who was not involved in the person's care, reviews it. Their office will contact you to explain the cause and answer questions. Speaking to them is voluntary.
3. You book an appointment and register the death within the deadline.
4. The registrar gives you the green form. You hand it to the funeral director, crematorium or burial authority before the funeral.
5. You use Tell Us Once and order death certificates for banks, insurers and pension providers.

If the death is sudden, unexplained or violent, it may be referred to a coroner first. That changes the timing, as explained below.

How long do you have to register a death?

Weekends and bank holidays count in every case. GOV.UK says that if you need more time, you must tell the register office immediately. Contact them early rather than waiting until the deadline is close.

In Scotland, the National Records of Scotland says the 8 days run from the date of death "where possible", with exceptions when the case is referred to the procurator fiscal.

Who can register a death?

In England and Wales the law (the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953) lists the people who can give the registrar the details, known as qualified informants. For a death in a house this includes a relative or partner, someone who was present at the death, the occupier of the house, a personal representative, and the person arranging the funeral. One qualified informant registering discharges the others from the duty.

• Northern Ireland: a relative (including by marriage), someone present at the death, the person arranging the funeral, the executor or administrator, or an official of the place where the person died.
• Scotland: a relative (including by marriage), anyone present at the death, an executor or other legal representative, or the person in charge of the hospital or care home. Anyone else can register if they have the information the registrar needs, and a funeral director can act for someone else if asked.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, ring the register office before you book. They can tell you who else could do it.

What do you need to take to the appointment?

The medical certificate of cause of death is the only document you must have. In England, Wales and Scotland it is normally sent straight to the registrar by the medical examiner's office or the doctor, so you do not carry it yourself. In Scotland the registrar cannot register the death without it, and the other documents below are helpful but not required.

The registrar will ask for the person's:

• full name, including any maiden or previous names
• date and place of birth
• last address
• occupation
• marital status, and the name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner
• whether they received a State Pension or other benefits

In Scotland you will also be asked for the parents' details and the name of the person's doctor. Northern Ireland asks for their GP and pension details.

Bring the birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership certificate and NHS medical card if you can find them, because they help the registrar check spellings. You do not have to have them.

What does it cost to register a death and get certificates?

Registering a death is free. The certificates are not.

GOV.UK says extra copies from GRO cost the same as the first, and an order without the GRO index reference adds £3.50 for a search. You can also order through the register office where the death was registered.

Most banks, insurers and pension providers want a certified copy rather than a photocopy. Count the organisations that will need one and order enough at the appointment, since ordering later costs more in time as well as money. For when a coroner is involved, see interim and full death certificates.

What happens if the death goes to a coroner?

A coroner becomes involved if the cause is unknown, or the death is sudden, violent or unnatural. GOV.UK describes three outcomes:

• No investigation is needed, and the medical examiner's office contacts you so you can register.
• The coroner finds the cause and sends a certificate to the registrar saying an inquest is not needed. The registrar then arranges registration.
• An inquest is held, for example when the cause is still unknown or the death happened in custody.

If you need proof of death while waiting for an inquest, for banks or an estate, you can ask the coroner for an interim death certificate. The final certificate comes from the registrar afterwards. The coroner releases the body for the funeral once their examinations are done. The Coroners' Courts Support Service offers free help on 0300 111 2141. For more on this process see coroners in the UK.

What is Tell Us Once, and what does it not cover?

Tell Us Once lets you report the death to most government bodies in one go. It works if the person lived in England, Scotland or Wales, and also if they were abroad temporarily. It does not work if they were living in Northern Ireland.

The registrar either completes it with you or gives you a reference number to use online or by phone. GOV.UK says you must use it within 28 days of getting the number. It notifies HMRC, the DWP, the Passport Office, the DVLA, local councils, Veterans UK, Social Security Scotland and public sector pension schemes. Full details are in our Tell Us Once guide.

You must still contact these yourself: banks, mortgage providers, insurers, utilities, landlords, private pension schemes and employers. The free Death Notification Service can tell several member organisations, including banks, building societies and utilities, in one submission. It does not replace sending a death certificate when an organisation asks for one.

What if the person died abroad?

Register the death in the country where it happened. GOV.UK says registering it with UK authorities is optional, and not necessary if you are bringing the body home. To bring the body back you need a certified English translation of the death certificate and permission to remove the body from a coroner or equivalent official in that country. If the cause was unknown, violent or unnatural, an English or Welsh coroner must also be told. Once it arrives, the UK registrar issues a certificate of no liability to register rather than a standard death certificate. You can still use Tell Us Once if the person normally lived in England, Scotland or Wales.

What to do next

1. Ask the doctor or hospital which office will tell you when you can register, and book the appointment straight away.
2. Give the green form to the funeral director as soon as you have it. Our guide to funeral director costs in the UK explains what to ask them.
3. Use Tell Us Once, then tell banks, insurers and other providers yourself.
4. If the funeral is a worry, check help with funeral costs and the Bereavement Support Payment before you commit to spending. For the estate, see probate in the UK.