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.
Register within 5 days of the registrar being notified of the cause of death, at any registrar office in England/Wales. Who can register: relative, person present at death, hospital administrator, or funeral arranger. The MCCD reaches the registrar directly from the medical examiner — you do not collect it. Bring: deceased's birth/marriage certificates, NHS card, your ID. Free to register, death certificates £12.50 each (order 6-10 copies). Receive: death certificate and burial/cremation certificate (green form).
In England and Wales, you must register a death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland), according to GOV.UK guidance. Since the medical examiner system began on 9 September 2024, those 5 days run from the day the registrar is notified of the cause of death by the medical examiner — or the day a coroner discontinues an investigation — rather than from the date of death. This includes weekends and bank holidays. Understanding the death registration process across the UK helps you navigate the differences between regions.
⚠️ If the death has been referred to the coroner, you cannot register it until the coroner's investigation is complete. More information is available on GOV.UK's coroner guidance.
According to GOV.UK guidance, in priority order:
According to GOV.UK's official guidance, you do not need to bring the medical certificate of cause of death. The attending doctor sends it to a medical examiner, who scrutinises it and notifies the registrar directly — the register office will already have it when you arrive. Take the following with you:
Many register offices now allow online booking. Use GOV.UK's register office finder to locate your local office and book an appointment.
Call your local register office. Have the deceased's details to hand, and be ready to confirm that the medical examiner has already notified them of the cause of death.
When registering a death, the registrar will ask for information as outlined in Citizens Advice guidance on registering a death:
The official death certificate. Order extra copies (£12.50 each) as you'll need them for banks, insurance, etc.
Also known as the "green form". Give this to the funeral director.
A unique reference number to use the Tell Us Once service to notify multiple government departments with a single notification.
According to GOV.UK's certificate ordering guidance, the fees are: