When should I register a death?
Our office at Crowndale Centre has now closed entirely.
Over the Easter period we are closed, from 29/03/2024 to 01/04/2024.
On these days we will be offering our out of hours same day burial service. Please call 020 7974 4444 between 9am and 12pm.
The law requires you to register a death within five days of it occurring, unless it was referred to a coroner. Even in most coroner's cases, deaths should still be registered within seven days.
Death Certificates: Please purchase your certificates online when you make your appointment. If you are unable to do so please use the link below to order online after your appointment. They are £11 each.
Coroners post mortem: If you have received confirmation that the coroner has completed their work and have sent the relevant paperwork to the register office please book an appointment online.
Coroner’s Inquest: if you have received confirmation that the coroner has completed their work and have sent the relevant paperwork to the register office please use the link below to order the certificates online. You do not need to attend the Register Office.
If you have any questions please email [email protected]
Same Day Burial Service
Please book an appointment online as soon as possible. We provide an appointment system Monday-Friday. However, if we have no more appointments available, and you require a same day burial, you must call our contact centre to request a green form. You will then be called by a registrar and issued a green form via email. You should not attend our office without an appointment.
For weekday Same Day Burial service, 8:30am-3pm, call 020 7974 4444 (Choose the option for Registrars the requires you to hold for the first set of options, and then select option 2 on the second set of options.)
If someone has died at the weekend or on a public holiday outside our opening hours and you intend to bury them on the same day, please contact our out of hours service. If the death is straightforward and there is no question of coroner involvement, then a registrar can provide you with the green form for the burial to go ahead.
For weekend out of hours services Please call 020 7974 4444 between 9am and 12pm.
Please note the we will do our upmost to meet your requirements at this stressful time, but it may not always be possible.
View the questions that a registrar will ask you (PDF)
Book a Death Registration appointment
Department of Work and Pensions information
Where should I register a death?
The death should normally be registered in the registration district where it happened. So if the death occurred within the London Borough of Camden (for example at University College Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, The National Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital or Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead) you will need to see us.
If the death happened elsewhere, then you should normally go to the district office for that area.
Please note: Camden Registration Service is cashless. All major Debit and Credit cards are accepted apart from American Express.
I'm not sure which office to go to
I'm unable to come to the appropriate office
If it is inconvenient to attend the appropriate register office where the death happened you can complete a registration at any other register office in England and Wales. The registrar will pass the details on to the appropriate office who can then record the death and send you the documents you need by post. This means you can book an appointment with us even if the death occurred outside of Camden.
Please note: Any registration which is given outside of the register office where the death happened will delay your arrangements and is not appropriate if you expect a funeral to be completed within less than two weeks.
What do I need for my appointment?
- the electronic medical certificate of cause of death, neonatal death certificate or the medical certificate of still-birth, sent by the hospital / GP, this is mandatory unless the death has been referred to the coroner.
- formal ID such as the passport or birth certificate of the deceased, although this is not mandatory.
In coroner's cases, the coroner normally emails us the appropriate certificate directly but it is important to contact us before your appointment to confirm we have received it.
What information will I be asked?
The registrar has to record certain details about the deceased. He or she will ask you questions in private and record the details into a computer database. You will be asked for the following information about the deceased:
- their full name and surname
- if applicable, any maiden surname
- their place and date of birth
- their occupation and usual address
- if the person was either married, a widow or a civil partner, the full names and occupation of the husband/wife or surviving civil partner
Please ensure you provide accurate information and check the details carefully before you sign the entry while you are at your appointment.
There is a charge of £75 or £90 (depending on type) for an application for a correction.
Who should attend to register the death?
The next of kin should ideally complete the registration. We would encourage you to bring one friend or relative for support.
Most deaths are registered by a relative of the deceased. If the deceased has no relatives or none are available then any of the following can register the death:
- a person present at the death
- a person taking care of the funeral arrangements, but not the funeral director
- the governor, matron or chief officer of a public building where the death occurred
- a person finding, or a person taking charge of the body.
Please note: funeral directors can not register a death.
What happens next?
The registrar will complete the official registration with you.
Please carefully check the details on the draft register page before signing. Once the registration is completed if any errors are noted then a formal correction process will need to be followed to get it rectified. There is a statutory fee for correction which is currently £75 or £90.
You will then get a green form to pass on to the undertakers. You will also get the opportunity to purchase any death certificates if you haven’t already paid for them while booking the appointment.
Tell us once service
The registrar will then enter details of the deceased on to the Tell Us Once service. It’s a way you to inform government departments (DWP, local councils etc) about your loss, all at the same time.
You can buy additional death certificates on the day of registration.
Request a baby loss certificate
If your pregnancy ends before 24 weeks, you can get a certificate in memory of your baby. It’s free to get a certificate.
You do not need to request a certificate if you prefer not to. It’s optional.
For more information please follow this link to the GOV.UK website. https://www.gov.uk/request-baby-loss-certificate