Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
There is no official number. Count the organisations that will want a certified copy — usually each bank or building society, insurer, pension provider and investment platform — then ask each whether it keeps the copy or hands it back. Government departments are normally told through Tell Us Once, and a probate application in England and Wales usually doesn't need one at all. A copy costs £12.50 in England and Wales, and the same £12.50 if you order more later, so there is no need to over-order at registration.
Certified copy fees across the UK. Prices, not quantities: no official source says how many an estate needs.
| Where | At registration | Ordered later |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | £12.50 per copy | £12.50 per copy (standard), £38.50 (priority) |
| Northern Ireland | £8.00 per copy | £15.00 for the first copy, £8.00 for each extra copy ordered with it |
| Scotland | One abbreviated certificate free | £12 from ScotlandsPeople, £10 for each extra copy of the same one |
England and Wales fees from GOV.UK and local register offices; Northern Ireland from NIDirect; Scotland from mygov.scot and National Records of Scotland.
Make a quick list. For each organisation, ask yourself: did the person have money, a policy or a pension with them?
Then, before you send anything, ask each one: do you keep the certified copy, or will you return it? Some take a note of the details and hand it back, which brings your total down.
You'll see "6–8 for a simple estate" quoted widely, including in earlier versions of this page. No official source publishes that range. The list above is a better guide, and because a copy costs the same later, guessing high at registration only buys convenience.
When you register the death, the registrar explains Tell Us Once. It reports the death in one go to HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Passport Office, the DVLA, the local council and public sector pension schemes. You use the reference number the registrar gives you — within 28 days of getting it — rather than sending each department a certificate. See our Tell Us Once guide.
Tell Us Once is available if the person lived in England, Scotland or Wales. If they lived in Northern Ireland or permanently abroad, you contact each department yourself, and they will tell you what they need.
GOV.UK says you only need a copy of the death certificate to apply for probate if the death happened outside England or Wales, or you have an interim death certificate from the coroner. If you do send a certificate, it is returned to you. So the probate application usually doesn't use up a copy. See what documents you need for probate.
Energy, water, phone and broadband providers deal with a death as a change of account holder or a closure. What they ask for varies: some only need the date of death and your details, others ask to see a copy. Ask before you send a certified copy. Our guide to dealing with utility companies covers each step.
A certified copy is issued by the register office or the General Register Office. It is what banks, insurers and pension providers usually ask to see.
A photocopy of a certified copy has no official standing. Some organisations accept one for simple jobs such as cancelling a membership; financial organisations usually want the certified copy. Ask each organisation rather than assuming either way.
You can buy copies from the registrar when you register the death. In England and Wales they cost £12.50 each — the same as ordering later — and you leave with them.
There is no time limit. If you find an account you didn't know about, or an organisation keeps a copy you expected back, order another. You pay the same per copy in England and Wales; the only cost is the wait.
If the death is with the coroner and an inquest is open, ask the coroner for an interim death certificate. GOV.UK says you can use it to apply for probate and to use Tell Us Once. Once the inquest is over, you get the final certificate from the registrar. See how long a death certificate takes.
If the person had a bank account, property or a pension in another country, an official there may ask for the certificate to be legalised. In the UK that is done by the Legalisation Office, which checks the document and attaches an apostille to it. Because the apostille is attached to the certificate itself, set a copy aside for it. Fees are shown when you apply on GOV.UK. Some countries ask for further steps through their embassy, so check with the organisation asking.
No official source publishes a number. Count the banks, building societies, insurers, pension providers and investment platforms the person used, add one for your own file, and ask each whether it keeps the copy. Government departments are usually told through Tell Us Once instead.
None in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In Scotland the registrar gives you one abbreviated certificate free of charge.
Yes, at any time. In England and Wales a copy costs £12.50 whenever you order it, so there's no saving in ordering extra at registration.
If you use Tell Us Once, the death is reported to the DWP with the reference number the registrar gives you, rather than with a certificate. If you can't use Tell Us Once, contact the DWP Bereavement Service on 0800 151 2012 and they will tell you what they need.
It varies. Some only need the date of death and your details to close or transfer the account; others ask for a copy. Ask before sending a certified copy.
In England and Wales, usually not. GOV.UK says you need one only if the death happened outside England or Wales, or you have an interim certificate from the coroner. If you send one, it is returned.
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