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Written by Adam McIlroy.
13 minute read
There are certain circumstances in which you might wonder whether arranging a funeral before registering the death is possible. The emotional burden of grief combined with the legally required paperwork that often needs to be completed can make funeral arranging a difficult time. In some cases, the process can run into delays. We are writing this article to explain whether arranging a funeral before registering the death is a possibility, and other connected questions.
We’d also just like to say, whatever has brought you to this page, we recognise the possible difficulty of your position. Aura is ready to offer its compassionate, low-cost funeral services to all those who need them, whether you are looking for a direct cremation at short notice, or a prepaid funeral plan for the future.
Key takeaways:
There are a number of steps that need to be taken when someone dies, from registering the death, to deciding on what sort of funeral to have; administering their estate; and possibly organising a celebration of life for the person who has died. In general, one thing you can be sure of is that there is a large amount of paperwork and administration involved.
One of the first things that you will need to do is to register the death of the person who has died, for which there are a number of preliminary steps. The medical professional attending the person who has died (this could be an emergency services worker, or hospital / care home doctor depending on where they died) will need to give a cause of death for the one who has died, which will then need to be confirmed by a second doctor called the ‘Medical Examiner’.
Usually, there will be no friction and the ‘Medical Examiner’ will concur with the cause of death given by the attending physician, at which point they will issue the ‘Medical Certificate of Death’ (MCCD) confirming this information and send it to the Registrar’s office local to where the person died.
At this point, you will then be able to book an appointment with the Registrar. During this appointment, the death will be formally registered, and you will be issued with the Death Certificate of the person who has died. The Registrar will also send something called a ‘Green Form’ (Certificate of Burial or Cremation) to the crematorium or funeral home / director; this cremation form tells the facility managing the funeral that it is authorised under UK law to proceed.
While it’s often assumed that you need a Death Certificate for a funeral, this is not strictly true. It’s the Green Form that’s required for a funeral, and it’s issued after the death has been registered at the same time as the Death Certificate. However, the question of whether it’s possible to arrange a funeral without registering a death is more complicated.
It is possible to go through a lot of the booking and preliminary steps of funeral arranging without having formally registered a death. In some cases, it may be possible to proceed without registering the death in the normal way.
You may be wondering whether arranging a funeral before registering the death is possible because a loved one of yours is dying and you may soon need to start making arrangements. This is naturally a difficult thing to face, but it can be made easier by talking about death and dying with your loved one, and, if possible, by getting a sense of their funeral preferences. If you’ve got a sense of their preferences (e.g., cremation vs burial, an attended or unattended ceremony, etc.) then it might make sense to find a funeral director such as Aura ahead of their death.
We can then, once they have died, bring your loved one into our care at one of our local care centres, where they can rest in the meantime whilst you arrange the formal registration of their death. In some cases, such as when someone dies in hospital, it may not be possible to formally appoint a funeral director until the death is registered and the Registrar has issued the Green Form, but this can depend on the hospital. A prepaid funeral plan is a way that many people use to secure the arrangements before death, and to pay for everything in advance. This allows the family to handle the paperwork far more simply, and to have peace of mind knowing that everything is taken care of.
Once your loved one has died, and you’ve selected Aura, you can then sign the Cremation Form 1 and the preliminary form, which specifies the kind of direct cremation that your loved one wants to have. Please note, however, that it won’t be possible to formally book and arrange anything until the death has actually occurred. It’s also very important to bear in mind that, even once someone has died, a funeral cannot be legally held until the death has been officially registered.
The one exception to this is when someone’s death has been referred to the Coroner (or Procurator Fiscal) in Scotland. This can happen when the cause of death is unclear, or where the death was unexpected. While changes to the death-registration process in September 2024 have made this less likely, it can cause long delays when a death is referred to the Coroner. In recognition of this, the Coroner can issue an ‘Interim Death Certificate’ along with ‘Cremation Form 6’, which states that an investigation or inquest is under way, but that they are happy for the funeral to legally proceed. This means that the Coroner can continue to do their work, but that the person who has died is not kept without a funeral for an unacceptably long time.
Please note, it may not be possible to claim under a life insurance policy or handle pension matters until the Coroner’s work has been concluded and the ‘Interim Death Certificate’ can be changed for a full one, thus formally registering the death.
You may be wondering if arranging a funeral before registering the death is possible because you are worried about the registration timeframe. This can have an impact on the requirements of some religious funerals. With that said, make sure to bear in mind the legal implications of bypassing the registration process.
You have five days in England and Wales (eight in Scotland) within which you need to register a death. Failure to do so could be a criminal offence which can come with a fine.
Registering the death is not just important for allowing the funeral itself to proceed, but, given that you can’t receive the Death Certificate without it, it’s also a very important process for overseeing and administering the estate of the person who has died. If you intend to rely upon the personal savings of the person who has died, held within their bank account, or upon their over-50s life insurance policy to pay for their funeral, the Death Certificate could be vital for securing probate, or a payout.
While we have seen the decline of religion in the UK in recent decades, for many people, having a religious element in their funeral is still very important. There are different beliefs on death and funerals in religion, and these can sometimes clash with the registration processes of British bureaucracy.
For instance, in Islam, it’s very important that the burial of the person occurs as soon as possible after the death, and it is not generally considered acceptable for a body to wait for many days before it can be buried. Many local authorities have processes in place to recognise this, and offer guidance to Muslims who are looking to expedite a burial as quickly as possible, whilst remaining compliant with UK law.
Registering a death and arranging a funeral can be complex, multi-step processes that take a lot of time and effort; this can be especially difficult when we are attempting to cope with the death of a parent, or deal with the unexpected death of a loved one. You may wish to consider starting a funeral checklist to help you keep on top of things. In the meantime, here is a very simple list of the things you will need to do.
There is a wide range of bereavement support, with charities like Quaker Social Action and Sue Ryder pointing to financial resources, as well as counselling and social support that you can find to help you to cover all angles of the funeral arranging process, and its difficulties.
We hope that this article has helped make some of the administrative matters around funeral arranging clearer. If you currently find yourself planning the funeral of a loved one, or are interested in getting your own funeral plan together, we are here to talk to you. Our industry-leading team of Aura Angels are there to guide you step-by-step through the challenges of funeral arranging, making sure that all of the paperwork is in order and correct, as well as lending an ear if you’d just like to talk about what you’re going through. They are there on the phone whenever you need them.
Yes, you can begin making funeral arrangements (like contacting a funeral provider or discussing service preferences) before the death is registered. However, the funeral itself cannot take place until the death is officially registered and the required documents are issued.
Surprisingly, you don’t need the Death Certificate to hold the funeral. What you do need is the ‘Green Form’ (Certificate of Burial or Cremation), which is issued after the death has been registered.
In England and Wales, the death must be registered within 5 days.
In Scotland, you have 8 days.
Failure to register in this time could result in a fine or legal penalties.
If the death is unexpected or unclear, the Coroner may be involved. They can issue an Interim Death Certificate and Cremation Form 6, which allows a funeral to proceed while the investigation continues.
Certain religious practices (e.g. Islamic burials) require quick funerals. UK local authorities often try to accommodate these needs legally, but the registration process must still be followed — sometimes with assistance from the Coroner.
Yes. You can pre-select a funeral provider and even secure services with a prepaid funeral plan. While nothing can be finalised until after death is registered, early preparation can ease the pressure later.
You’ll need:
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) issued by a doctor or hospital.
Identification details of the person who has died.
Any supporting documents like NHS number or birth certificate (if available).
Once registered:
You receive the Death Certificate.
The funeral provider receives the Green Form.
You can formally finalise funeral arrangements and begin managing the person’s estate, pensions, insurance, and accounts.
Charities like Quaker Social Action and Sue Ryder offer emotional and financial support, including funeral cost resources and bereavement counselling.