Death - Registering

The death of someone close to you can involve enormous stress as you come to terms with your bereavement. So we've pulled together the answers to some of the questions you might have about registering a death to help make this part of the process just a little easier.

When do you register a death?

Every death is registered with the local registrar, usually within five days.

If you cannot do this, you must speak to the registrar who may be able to extend the time limit.

What if the death has been reported to the coroner?

You should wait until you hear from the coroner before you come to see us.

What do you need to tell us?

The doctor who treated the person during their last illness will usually issue a medical certificate of the cause of death.

You must bring this with you when you come to see us.

We'll also need to know:

• the date of death
• where the person died
• their full name
• their date of birth
• where they were born
• their occupation
• their address
• your name and address.

For married women, we'll also need to know:

• her name before she was married
• her husband's (or late husband's) date of birth
• her husband's (or late husband's) occupation.

What documents will you get?

We'll give you:

• a certificate (form BD8) for you to use when you contact the social security office about the death
• a green form the undertaker will need to arrange the burial or cremation, unless the death has been reported to the coroner and a separate certificate issued allowing the funeral to take place (we'll tell you if this is the case).

Who can register a death?

• a relative
• someone who was with the person when they died
• someone who lives at the address where the person died
• someone who's arranging the funeral (but not the undertaker).

Where can you register a death?

If the person died in the London Borough of Lambeth, you should register the death with us.

If you do not live locally, you can take the information to your local register office, who will send it onto us and we will post any information to you.

Do you need an appointment?

Yes. Please call us on 020 7926 9420 to make an appointment.

We offer appointments from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm.

We will aim to see you within ten minutes of your appointment time, if you arrive on time.

Please note that the Register Office is closed on the first Wednesday of every month until 1pm.

Emergency registrations

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, we provide an emergency service for burials taking place within 24 hours. On bank holidays, please use our emergency mobile phone number (phone the normal number and listen to the answering machine message for the emergency number).

How do you register a death that occurred outside the UK?

When a person from England and Wales dies abroad, the death should be registered following the local regulations of the country in which it occurred, and a local death certificate obtained.

You will then need to register the death with the British Consul, so that a record of the death can be kept in England or Wales.

You will be able to get a copy of the death certificate from the consulate, or from the Overseas Registration Section.

If the death occurred in particular circumstances or the information about the death abroad is incomplete, this must be reported to a coroner in the same way as if the death occurred in England and Wales.