Someone has just died — what do I do first?

If the death was at home and expected, call their GP practice, or 111 outside surgery hours — not 999. If it was sudden or unexpected, call 999. In a hospital, hospice or care home, staff handle this immediately. A funeral director does not need to be called that night; registering the death comes after, once you're ready.

How long do I have to register a death in the UK?

It differs by nation. In England and Wales, since September 2024, you register within 5 days of the register office receiving the medical certificate from the medical examiner — not 5 days from the death itself; the medical examiner's office contacts you when it's ready. In Northern Ireland it's within 5 days of the death, and in Scotland within 8 days of the death.

Is registering a death free?

Yes, registration itself is free. You pay only for certified copies of the death certificate — a few pounds each — and it's worth buying several at registration, since banks and institutions each want to see one.

What is the green form?

The Certificate for Burial or Cremation, issued by the registrar at registration. It's what allows a burial or cremation to go ahead — you or your funeral director give it to the crematorium or cemetery. No cremation can happen without it.

What is Tell Us Once?

A free government service, offered at registration in most of Great Britain, that notifies most government bodies of the death in one go — HMRC, DWP, DVLA, Passport Office and the local council — so you don't have to contact each one separately.

How to register a death, nation by nation

The real deadlines — including the September 2024 changes many websites haven't caught up with — what to bring, and what you get back.

Written by Charlie, 20+ years in UK funeral care · Last reviewed 4 July 2026 · 5 minute read

If someone has just died, and you need to know what to do right now:

At home, and the death was expected (a known illness, a doctor already involved): call their GP practice, or 111 outside surgery hours. Not 999. A doctor or nurse needs to confirm the death — there is no emergency to rush.
At home, and it was sudden or unexpected: call 999. Paramedics or police will attend, and this sometimes means the coroner becomes involved — that's normal procedure, not a sign anything was done wrong.
In hospital, a hospice, or a care home: staff handle this immediately. You don't need to call anyone yourself right now.
A funeral director does not need to be called tonight. Their phone lines run 24 hours if you want to, but the next morning is genuinely fine — nothing is lost by waiting until you're ready.

Once that's dealt with, this guide covers what happens next: registering the death itself, which is explained fully below.

The short version, once that's dealt with:

You cannot miss the deadline by accident in England and Wales — the medical examiner's office contacts you when it's time.
Registration is free. You only pay for death certificate copies — buy several.
You'll leave with the "green form" — the document that lets a cremation or burial go ahead.
Say yes to "Tell Us Once" — it notifies most of government for you.

The deadlines — and why they're gentler than they sound

Deadlines are the thing people panic about most, so let's take the pressure out of them first. In England and Wales, the rules changed on 9 September 2024: every death is now reviewed by an NHS medical examiner (or a coroner, where one is needed) before registration. The 5-day clock starts only when the register office receives the medical certificate — not from the day of death — and the medical examiner's office contacts you to say it's ready. In other words: the system tells you when it's your turn. Nobody is expected to do frightened arithmetic from the date someone died.

5 days

England & Wales

…from the register office receiving the certificate. The medical examiner's office contacts you first.

5 days

Northern Ireland

…from the date of death, including weekends and bank holidays.

8 days

Scotland

…from the date of death. You can register at any registration office in Scotland.

If a coroner (or procurator fiscal in Scotland) is involved — for example after a sudden or unexplained death — the timescales above pause. The coroner's office guides you through it, and no deadline is being missed while they do their work. The funeral simply waits until they release the paperwork.

What to bring — and what's genuinely optional

The one thing you truly need is the medical certificate arrangement described above (in England and Wales it's sent to the register office electronically — you don't carry it). Everything else helps but doesn't block registration if missing:

Information about the person who died

Full name (and any previous names), date and place of birth, last address, occupation, and — if applicable — details of their spouse or civil partner.

Helpful extras, if easy to find

Their birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership certificate, NHS number or medical card. Useful, not essential — don't delay registering to hunt for them.

A way to pay for certificate copies

Registration is free; certified copies of the death certificate cost a few pounds each. Buy several — banks, insurers and pension providers each want to see one, and ordering later costs more time when you least want to spend it.

What actually happens at the appointment

Book the appointment

With the register office local to where the death happened (in Scotland, any office). In England and Wales, do this once the medical examiner's office confirms the certificate has gone across.

The registrar records the details

A calm, guided conversation of about 30 minutes. The registrar asks the questions — you just answer what you know. It's normal not to know everything.

You receive the green form

The Certificate for Burial or Cremation. This is the document that lets the funeral go ahead — you or your funeral director pass it to the crematorium. Nothing can be cremated without it.

Say yes to Tell Us Once

A free service offered at registration across most of Great Britain: it notifies HMRC, DWP, DVLA, the Passport Office and the council in one go, saving you a dozen painful phone calls.

Then the funeral can be arranged

With registration done, every option is open. If you haven't yet decided what kind of cremation fits, the decision tool works it out with you — including how it gets paid for.

Questions people ask

Who is allowed to register the death?

Usually a relative. If no relative is available, it can be someone who was present at the death, the person arranging the funeral, or an official from the hospital or care home. The register office will tell you if there's any issue — it's rarely a problem in practice.

What if we're past the deadline?

Contact the register office and explain — that's it. The deadlines exist to keep records timely, not to punish grieving families, and offices deal with delayed registrations routinely, especially where a coroner or medical examiner process took time. The important thing is to get in touch rather than avoid it.

How many death certificate copies should we buy?

Most families find 3–6 covers it: each bank, insurer, and pension provider typically wants to see a certified copy. One of them may also unlock the funeral money itself — most banks will pay a funeral invoice directly from the deceased's account before probate, on sight of the death certificate and the invoice.

Does registering cost anything?

No — registration is free everywhere in the UK. The only cost is certified copies of the death certificate, a few pounds each. Anyone charging for "registration services" is charging for convenience, not for anything required.

Registration done — or nearly done?

The next decision is the cremation itself. The decision tool asks a few quiet questions — including the money question, honestly — and gives you a complete plan, whatever your situation.

Work out the right cremation

Sources for this page

• England & Wales process, the medical examiner system, and the 5-day rule from certificate receipt — GOV.UK: death certification reforms (in force 9 September 2024) and GOV.UK: register a death.
• Scotland's 8-day rule and registering at any office — mygov.scot: registering a death.
• Northern Ireland's 5-day rule — nidirect: registering a death.
• Paying a funeral invoice from the deceased's account before probate — MoneyHelper (government-backed).

How every figure on this site is checked: the methodology page.