Losing someone close is difficult, and dealing with formalities can feel overwhelming. In England and Wales, a death must be registered within 5 days. This is done at a local registrar’s office and usually takes about 30 minutes.
Where possible, the death should be registered in the district where it occurred. If this isn’t possible, you can visit another office through a process called Registry by Proxy. This may cause a short delay, as documents need to be sent to the local registrar where the death happened.
Funeral arrangements cannot be finalised until the certificates have been issued.
Who can register a death
A close relative is usually the person who registers a death. If no relative is available, the following people can register:
- Someone present at the death
- The occupier of the premises where the death occurred
- The person arranging the funeral
Information the registrar will ask for
You will need to provide:
- Full name and any previous names used
- Date and place of death
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation
- Last address
- If married, full name and occupation of the surviving spouse
- If they were in receipt of any state pension or benefits
They will also need the following documents:
- The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
- The NHS medical card of the person who has died (if available)
- The Birth certificate of the person who has died
- The Marriage or civil partnership certificate of the person who has died (if applicable)
Once the Registrar has the required information and documents, they will issue the following certificates which enable you to start arranging the funeral and sorting out the affairs of the person who has died:
Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the ‘green form’)
This certificate is free of charge and needs to be given to the funeral director as soon as possible, as it gives permission for the person who has died to be buried or cremated. In cases where the coroner is involved, this certificate may not be issued. Instead, a separate certificate will be issued directly to the funeral director.
Death certificate
A Certified Copy of an entry of death (more commonly known as a death certificate) is issued as legal proof of the death and is required to settle the affairs and estate of the person who has died.
This is the only form you will have to pay for. You might want to consider purchasing several copies, as you will need a separate one each time you deal with a bank, pension company, insurer or any other organisation.
Certificates are more expensive if you have to order additional copies at a later date, but they can be bought online, by post or telephone, or through the register office where you registered the death.