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.
Register within eight days at the local registration office. Bring the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. You receive the Death Certificate (form 14) and authorisation for burial or cremation. Request multiple copies — each institution will need its own. The process is broadly similar to England and Wales but has a longer registration window.
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In Scotland, the law requires a death to be registered within eight days of the date of death. This contrasts with England and Wales, where registration is required within five days. The longer window in Scotland reflects the rural and remote nature of parts of Scotland, where families may need more time to travel to a registration office.
However, the funeral cannot proceed until the death has been registered and the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the "green form") has been issued — so in practice there is strong practical pressure to register promptly.
If there is to be a post-mortem examination (for example, where the death has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal — Scotland's equivalent of the Coroner), registration may be delayed until the cause of death has been confirmed.
The person registering the death is called the "informant". In Scotland, the informant may be:
In most cases, a close relative — surviving spouse, child, or parent — will register the death. Where no relative is available, the executor or a solicitor acting for the estate may register.
Deaths in Scotland are registered at the local registration office (register office) for the district where the death occurred. Unlike England (where registration can sometimes be done in any local register office), in Scotland you should register at the office for the registration district in which the death took place.
If the death occurred in hospital, the hospital will normally advise on the relevant registration office. For deaths at home, the local council will direct you to the appropriate office. Appointments can often be booked online through the local council website.
To register the death, you must produce:
You should also bring (but these are not strictly required):
Bringing as much information as possible will help the registrar complete the registration accurately. Errors in the death certificate are difficult (though not impossible) to correct later.
After registration, the registrar will provide:
The formal death certificate. You will need multiple certified copies — each bank, insurance company, pension provider, HMRC, and government department will want its own copy. Copies can be obtained at registration (each copy costs a small fee) or ordered later from the National Records of Scotland. Do not send originals to organisations — send certified copies and keep the originals safe.
This document (sometimes called the "green form") is given to the funeral director and authorises the burial or cremation to proceed. The funeral cannot take place without this.
Allows the DWP to be notified of the death to stop any pension or benefit payments. The "Tell Us Once" service (see below) may also be used.
"Tell Us Once" is a service available in Scotland that allows you to notify multiple government departments of the death in a single step. The registrar will provide details of the service at registration. It covers:
The Death Notification Service is a separate service for notifying banks and financial institutions — see our guide on the Death Notification Service. For guidance on notifying Scottish banks specifically, see our guide on notifying banks in Scotland.
In Scotland, sudden, unexplained, or suspicious deaths are reported to the Procurator Fiscal (Scotland's equivalent of the Coroner in England). The Procurator Fiscal may investigate and, if necessary, order a post-mortem examination. Registration is delayed until the Fiscal confirms the cause of death.
Where the Procurator Fiscal is involved, the family cannot proceed with the funeral until the investigation is complete and the Certificate for Burial or Cremation is issued. The Fiscal's office should keep the family informed of progress.
Once the death is registered, the next steps in the estate administration process are:
For a comprehensive overview of the estate administration process, see our estate administration checklist.
Farra helps you manage every step of the estate administration process after a death in Scotland.
Deaths in Northern Ireland must be registered within five days. What documents you need, where to register, the Death Certificate and burial authorisation, and Tell Us Once. NI 2026 guide.
Confirmation is Scotland's legal equivalent of probate, granted by the Sheriff Clerk of the local Sheriff Court. Executor-nominate, executor-dative, and Scottish succession law explained.
Step-by-step guide to applying for confirmation in Scotland: the C1 inventory form, IHT reporting, Sheriff Clerk fees, and how long the process takes. Scottish estate administration 2026.
Not all Scottish estates require confirmation. Learn the threshold, which assets can be transferred without confirmation, and when the small estate procedure applies. 2026 guide.
How to notify banks after a death in Scotland: freezing accounts, using the Death Notification Service, and what confirmation is needed to release funds. Scottish estate guide 2026.
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