Deaths in England and Wales should be registered within 5 days at any registrar across the Country. Preferably the death should be registered in the area where it occurred, but if you cannot get to a Registrar’s Office in that area, you can register at one of your choice – this is called Registry by Proxy.
The various certificates will then be forwarded to the Registrar where the death occurred. Please bear in mind this will mean a possible delay in the issuing of the certificates, and the funeral arrangements cannot be finalised until the certificates have been obtained. A relative of the deceased will need to register the death. If no relative is available, the registration can be carried out by any person who is present at the death, the occupier of the premises where the death occurred or the person accepting responsibility for arranging the funeral.
Arrange an appointment with the Registrar, so you can register the death, this will take around 30 minutes.
The Registrar will need the following information about the person who has died:
- 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 – also known as 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.