Registering a death in the UK

In England and Wales, certain people have a legal duty to register the death. This is usually a relative of the person who died. If no relatives are available, it can be done by someone who was present at the death, an occupier of the property where the death occurred (such as a care home manager), or the person arranging the funeral.

In Scotland, the rules are similar. A relative is the first point of responsibility. If there is no relative available, a person present at the death or the funeral director may register instead.

You do not need to be the next of kin. If you are the person who is managing things, you are likely the right person to register.

In England and Wales, deaths must be registered within 5 days of the date of death. In Scotland, the timeframe is 8 days.

You register at the local register office for the district where the person died. Not necessarily where they lived. If the person died in a hospital in a different town, you register in that town.

Most register offices require an appointment. You can find your nearest office and book online through gov.uk/register-a-death. Some areas allow you to complete the process at a different register office.

The one document you must have is the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). This is issued by the doctor who attended the death or, in a hospital, by the treating team. Without this, the registrar cannot proceed.

It helps to also bring, where available:

• The person's NHS medical card
• Their birth certificate
• Their marriage or civil partnership certificate
• Their passport or driving licence

These documents help the registrar complete the record accurately, but you will not be turned away if you do not have them all. The MCCD is the only essential document.

After registration, the registrar will give you two important documents.

The first is a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (sometimes called the green form). This is what the funeral director needs to proceed with the funeral. Hand it to them as soon as possible.

The second is the death certificate, an official certified copy of the register entry. You can request more than one copy, and it is worth getting several. Banks, pension providers, insurance companies, and solicitors will each need an original copy. Extra copies cost a small fee (around £12.50 each in England and Wales as of 2026), but they are much easier to order at the time of registration than to apply for later.

Ask the registrar about the Tell Us Once service. This lets you notify multiple government departments (HMRC, the DVLA, the Passport Office, and others) in a single step.

Once you have the green form and the death certificates, you can move forward with the funeral arrangements. Give the green form to your funeral director straight away.

With the death certificates in hand, you can begin notifying banks, pension providers, and insurers. The Tell Us Once service covers most government organisations. For private companies, you will need to contact each one directly.

If the person left an estate (savings, property, or possessions), you may eventually need to apply for probate. That is a separate process and there is no immediate rush in most cases. Our guide on understanding probate explains when it applies and how to go about it.