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.
This guide has not been checked against its sources
We re-checked our most-read guides against GOV.UK and the other official sources in September 2026. This one was not among them, so nobody has confirmed its figures, deadlines or process steps since it was written. Treat it as a starting point and confirm anything that matters on GOV.UK before you act on it.
In England and Wales, a doctor confirms the death and sends the medical certificate of cause of death to a medical examiner, who scrutinises it and sends it on to the registrar. The medical examiner's office then tells you that you can register. You have 5 days from that confirmation, including weekends and bank holidays. Book an appointment at the register office, answer the registrar's questions about the person who died, and you will receive death certificate copies and the green form for the funeral director. Scotland (8 days from the date of death) and Northern Ireland (5 days) work differently — see below.
In England and Wales, wait for the medical examiner's office to confirm you can register, then register within 5 days of that confirmation. Scotland allows 8 days from the date of death; Northern Ireland, 5 days.
A death certificate copy costs £12.50 whether you buy it at registration or later from the General Register Office, so there is no price penalty for ordering more later — only the wait.
In England and Wales, you cannot register until the medical examiner's office tells you that you can. GOV.UK says to register within 5 days of getting that confirmation, including weekends and bank holidays. That is also what the law says: since 9 September 2024 the five days in sections 16 and 17 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 have run from the date the registrar is notified of the cause of death, not from the date of death.
In Scotland it is 8 days from the date of death, and there is no medical examiner — the doctor sends the medical certificate straight to the registration office. In Northern Ireland, NIDirect says a death should be registered within five days.
If the death is referred to a coroner, you cannot register until the coroner has finished. If they discontinue the investigation, the five days run from the date of discontinuance; if there is an inquest, the registrar registers the death from the coroner's certificate after the inquest ends. If you need more than 5 days for any reason, GOV.UK says to tell the register office immediately.
In England and Wales this is a statutory list in order of priority, set out in section 16 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 for a death in a house or institution:
"Partner" and "personal representative" were added to the list on 9 September 2024. Only one qualified informant needs to register — once one of them has, the duty on everyone else ends. Usually it is a spouse, civil partner or adult child, but it does not have to be.
In England and Wales the medical certificate of cause of death reaches the registrar from the medical examiner, so you do not need to bring it — and since 9 September 2024 you will not have been given it. Nothing is legally required from you.
If available, these help the registrar:
Don't worry if you don't have everything — the registrar will work with what you have.
The death is registered in the district where it happened. If you cannot get there, you can go to a register office elsewhere and make a declaration, which that office sends on to the right district — the death is still registered where it happened, and your certificates take longer to arrive. Here's how:
Tip: Book as soon as the medical examiner's office tells you that you can register. Appointments can fill up, especially in busy areas, and if the delay would take you past 5 days GOV.UK says to tell the register office straight away.
The registrar will ask you for information about the person who died. Don't worry if you don't know everything - they'll help you through it.
They'll ask about:
You sign the register in the registrar's presence. Registration itself is free — section 20 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 says the registrar must register the death "without any fee or reward from the informant".
After registering, you'll receive:
How many death certificates? No official figure is published for how many copies an estate needs — it depends entirely on how many organisations you have to deal with. Banks, insurers and pension providers often want to see a certified copy. A copy costs the same at registration as it does later, so there is no price penalty for ordering more afterwards, only the wait. For detailed guidance, check our guide on how many death certificates you need.
After registering, you can use the government's Tell Us Once service. With one notification, you can inform:
For more details on this process, see our guide on how Tell Us Once works.
The registrar will either complete Tell Us Once with you, or give you a unique reference number to use online or by phone. You must use it within 28 days of getting the number. Tell Us Once covers England, Scotland and Wales; it cannot be used if the person was living in Northern Ireland when they died.