Local Information for Forest Row

From 9 November 2026, once the Medical Examiner has sent the paperwork to the register office, the office will contact you to arrange an appointment. You can register by telephone from home or in person at the register office listed under Other Key Contacts. You have five days to register, starting from when the registrar receives the paperwork, and there is no paper register to sign.

At your appointment, whether by telephone or in person, it helps to have these to hand:

• The deceased person’s medical card.
• Any benefit books.
• The deceased person’s marriage certificate, if there is a surviving spouse or civil partner.

You will also be asked for the following information about the deceased person:

• First name, surname and any maiden name.
• Date and place of death.
• Last permanent address.
• Date and place of birth (a copy of their birth certificate is helpful).
• Occupation and name/occupation/date of birth of any surviving spouse or civil partner. Details of benefit being claimed, including State and private pension income.

You can buy certified copies of the death certificate during your appointment. If the deceased person had financial dealings with a number of organisations including banks, building societies and insurance companies, we recommend up to six additional copies. Many companies will require a certified copy of the death certificate when they are advised of the death. After the appointment, the registrar emails the certificate for burial or cremation directly to us, so there is nothing for you to collect.