To help you avoid missing any crucial steps in this difficult process, our team has put together a list for your peace of mind. You can also download our Peace of Mind list, which you can print off or save to your device to refer back to in your own time.
- The medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) will be sent by your loved one’s GP practice to the local Medical Examiner (ME).
- The ME your GP practice works with is typically based at the nearest acute NHS Trust hospital.
A medical examiner’s office will call you to ask some questions about the circumstances surrounding the death, giving you the opportunity to raise concerns or ask questions about what has happened. Following this, you will be contacted by the ME to make an appointment to register the death. Every death in England must be registered before a funeral can take place and should be registered within five working days.
- A ME’s office will call you to ask some questions about the circumstances surrounding the death.
- You will be contacted by the ME to make an appointment to register the death.
- Every death in England must be registered before a funeral can take place and should be registered within five working days.
If someone dies suddenly or unexpectedly
The death may be referred to the coroner for investigation on the cause and circumstances of the death, whereupon a post-mortem examination may be requested. If this happens, your loved one is arranged to be collected by a firm of funeral directors who take them to a designated mortuary. Once investigation is completed, you may begin preparations with the funeral director of your choice and all paperwork will be issued to them shortly. You can find our more in our Guide to coroner service for bereaved people.
The medical examiner responsible for the coroner’s office will inform you as to when and where you can register the death.
Obtaining a death certificate
When a person dies, one of the first steps is for their representative (usually a family member) to obtain a death certificate. Depending on the reason for the circumstances surrounding their death, there will either be an investigation by a coroner, or an independent review by a medical examiner.
If the registrar is notified by the coroner of the death, the registrar will provide the necessary paperwork to your nominated funeral director and issue a ‘certified copy of the entry in the register’ or ‘death certificate’.
Most often death will be scrutinised by a medical examiner who will, forward the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) to the relevant registry office. The registry office will contact you to let you know this has happened and invite you to make an appointment to register the death.
Once you have completed the registration process, you will be asked for your nominated funeral director’s contact details, so that they can forward the green coloured Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation to them. It is advisable to purchase additional copies of this certificate, to assist in the administration of the deceased person’s estate; we normally recommend at least six copies. You cannot make your own copies of these certificates.
- This ‘green form’ or ‘disposal certificate’ is emailed to the funeral director of your choice and allows the funeral to legally proceed. In the case of coroner intervention an alternative will be directly emailed to your funeral director.
Certified copies of a Death Certificate
After the death has been registered, you will receive ‘certified copies’ of the entry in the register with a unique number signed by the registrar in person, and these are what is meant when banks and other organisations ask for an ‘original’ death certificate. The cost per copy is £12.50 in England and Wales, £15.00 in Northern Ireland and £12.00 in Scotland. You can obtain more copies at a later date. The more complex the estate, the more certified copies you may need, especially if you do not use a professional to administer the estate. Between 6 and 12 copies is advisable. You can order additional copies online.
Where to register a death
Almost all registry offices operate appointment systems, so please do telephone or use their online appointment booking process to arrange an appointment. You will find the numbers and relevant information on your local county council website (or unitary authority in many cities). It is important to remember that the location registered on the certificate is where they have died, not where they lived.
If you are unable to travel, it is possible to register from a different geographical area. However, the funeral date may be impacted as this may incur a time delay. More information may be found on the Gov UK website.
When you go to register the death, you will be asked for:
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Birth certificate
Council Tax bill
Driving licence
Marriage or civil partnership certificate
NHS medical card
Passport
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Proof of address (such as a utility bill)
You will also be asked for the following information about the person who has died:
- The person’s full name at the time of death
- Any names previously used, eg maiden name
- The person’s date and place of birth
- Their last address
- Their occupation
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of a surviving or late spouse or civil partner
- Whether they were getting a State Pension or any other benefits
Tell Us Once:
Tell Us Once is a free government service that allow you to report a death to most government departments in one go, such as council departments, HM Revenue & Customs, the Passport Office and the DVLA. You will be issued with a unique 12-digit code which will allow you to access the service online.
You may also be given a BD8 form for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). This form is free and is used if the deceased person was in receipt of a state pension or any other benefits. If there is to be an inquest, you can either make an appointment with the registrar to obtain this form OR you can use the coroner’s certificate to inform the DWP.
Once the death has been registered, you can book a date for the funeral service to take place with your chosen funeral director