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Written by Adam McIlroy.
16 minute read
When having suffered a recent bereavement, many families find themselves wondering how to get a death certificate in the UK. It’s one of the most important documents in such times, alongside the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). In this article, we will talk about what a death certificate is and how to get one, as well as provide general information about the admin that needs to be done following a death.
We’d also just like to say that, whatever has brought you to this page, we recognise the complexity of the situation that you could be in at the moment. If you find that you currently need to arrange a funeral for someone who has recently died, or that you may soon need to confront that reality, then you are in the right place. Aura is a top-rated provider of funeral services in the UK, and we can offer our direct cremation services at the point of need, as well as for those looking for a prepaid funeral plan for the future.
Key takeaways:
The death certificate is an important part of registering a death in the UK. Once the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) has been completed and verified by the Medical Examiner, it is sent to the local Registrar’s office. You can then arrange an appointment to officially register the death, after which the registrar will issue the death certificate.
A UK death certificate is the official legal proof of death and is accepted by government departments, financial institutions, insurers, and legal bodies when managing the practical affairs of the person who has died.
The simplest way to think about it is that, on the one hand, the MCCD is the certificate relating to medical matters; it certifies the immediate and underlying causes of death of the person who has died, and is signed off by a Medical Examiner. On the other hand is the death certificate, which is more focused on the legal process. It allows the family to process the estate of the person who has died, apply for probate, close their bank accounts, and make claims under over-50s life insurance policies. The cause of death from the MCCD also appears on the death certificate.
It’s also helpful to understand the difference between a cremation certificate and death certificate, as they serve different purposes but are both important after someone dies.
A UK death certificate contains important personal and legal information about the person who has died and the registration of their death. This usually includes:
This information is used for legal, financial, and administrative purposes after a death has been registered.
A death certificate is an important legal document that is needed for many practical and financial matters after someone has died. Organisations will often ask to see an official copy before they can update or close an account.
You may need a death certificate to:
Because several organisations may ask for an original certified copy, many families choose to order extra copies when the death is first registered.
Anyone, whether they are the next of kin, the executor of the will, or just an interested party, can apply to obtain the death certificate of anyone else in the UK. It can be done upon request from the General Register Office of the UK government, as death certificates are considered to be matters of public record, so need to be publicly accessible. In Scotland, requests should be made to the National Records of Scotland.
With that being said, the death needs to have been officially registered before copies of the certificate can be requested. Only someone who was there when the person died; an administrator at the hospital (if the person died there); or someone arranging the person’s funeral can actually register the death.
As the death certificate is vital for matters relating to the finances of the person who has died, it might be that their bank, insurance company, stock broker, or any other financial institution could request a copy of it for proof that they’ve died.
In order to obtain a death certificate in the UK, there are a number of steps that need to be completed.
Before a death certificate can be issued, a doctor must complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). This confirms the medical cause of death and is usually prepared by the doctor who cared for the person before they died.
Following recent changes to the death-registration process in England and Wales, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is now reviewed by a Medical Examiner before the death can be registered. The Medical Examiner checks the cause of death and may speak with the family if needed. If the death is unexpected or unclear, it may be referred to the coroner.
Once the MCCD has been approved, you can arrange an appointment to register the death at the local register office. In England and Wales, this should usually be done within five days. In Scotland, the timeframe is normally eight days.
After the death has been registered, the registrar will issue the first certified copy of the death certificate. You may need this document for practical and legal matters, such as closing bank accounts, arranging probate, or organising the funeral.
At the same time, the registrar may also offer the government’s free Tell Us Once service, which helps you report the death to several government departments in one step, including HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the DVLA, the Passport Office, and your local council.
Anyone can request a copy of a death certificate, once the death has been formally registered, and this can be done online by filling in a Death Certificate Application Form on the government website. Requests can also be made through the post, or even in person at the local Registrar’s office, or at the General Register Office.
When ordering additional copies through the General Register Office (GRO), you will need the registration district, the entry number, and the year of registration, all of which appear on your first death certificate.
Whilst death certificates are available publically, there is a fee-per-copy which starts at £12.50. The price will rise to £16.00 if you don’t apply with a GRO (General Register Office) index reference number. If you need the certificate in the short-term, you can pay £38.50 for the government’s priority service, which should help it to arrive more quickly.
If other family members want their own copy of a relative’s death certificate at the point of registration of the death, this can be facilitated, but, again, there is a per-copy-charge.
No, you do not need a death certificate in order to register a death. Rather, the death certificate is given to you by the Registrar once you have registered the death. In order to do this, the Medical Examiner will have already needed to send the MCCD to the Registrar, detailing the cause of death of the person who has died. In cases where the death has been referred to a coroner, they will send an ‘Interim Death Certificate’ instead, which will allow you to register the death as usual, possibly followed by other paperwork.
In England and Wales, according to Bereavement Advice, writing on when and where to register a death, it needs to be registered in person, in the local region where the person has died. If it’s impossible to attend at the local Registrar’s office, then it should be possible to attend at a different office. However, this may delay the ultimate issuance of the death certificate, as it will then need to be physically sent between different Registrar’s offices.
In Scotland, the law changed in September 2022, making it possible to register a death at any Registrar’s office in the country, and even to do so remotely, whether online or over the telephone.
Once the MCCD has been sent to the Registrar’s office, and you’ve met with them to discuss the death, then you will typically receive the death certificate. You can’t receive the Green Form without the death certificate, which is what allows the funeral to proceed. And the death certificate itself is essential for concluding the financial matters of the person who has died, and maybe even for paying for the funeral, if the family is relying on their estate for funding.
Copies can be requested at any time from the GRO or the local Registrar’s office, even many years after the person has died, as long as their death has already been officially registered.
In some cases, the coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) may become involved in the death certification process, which could lead to some delays. They may also issue specific paperwork.
Typically, the coroner will become involved in the death-certification process when the death was sudden, suspicious, unexpected or unclear. It might be that the coroner needs to order a post-mortem examination in order to determine the cause of death, which is to say a pathological, surgical exploration of the body of the person who has died. In some cases, even a post-mortem examination doesn’t establish the cause of death, at which point the coroner may decide to launch an ‘inquest’. A coroner’s inquest is a fact-finding exercise which aims to establish:
Depending on whether the coroner thinks a post-mortem examination and an inquest are necessary, there could be delays to the official death-registration process.
An interim death certificate, sometimes called a temporary death certificate, is a document issued by the coroner while they continue investigating a death. It is usually provided when the cause of death is still being established and an inquest or post-mortem examination is pending.
Although it is not the final death certificate, an interim death certificate can still be used for many practical and legal tasks. For example, it may allow families to begin probate applications, notify banks and financial providers, or manage parts of the person’s estate while waiting for the investigation to conclude.
You can usually request an interim death certificate directly from the coroner’s office handling the case. Once the investigation has finished, the coroner will provide the information needed for the death to be formally registered, after which the final death certificate can be issued.
Naturally, the coroner’s involvement can lead to delays in the process of registering a death. In September 2024, the law in England and Wales changed to make it less likely that a death would need to be referred to the coroner, allowing the ‘Medical Examiner’ to handle parts of the process with more autonomy. But, if the death is referred to the coroner, depending on the circumstances and the success of any post-mortem investigation, there could be delays to the final registration of the death.
We hope that this article has helped you feel more comfortable about how to get a death certificate in the UK and about the legal requirements of funerals in general. If you’re currently organising a funeral for a loved one, we want you to feel as comfortable and as well informed as can be. If you’d like Aura’s help with funeral arrangements, whether in the here and now or as part of a prepaid funeral plan for the future, our Angel team is always ready to take your call. If you have any questions on funeral documents, or about direct cremation in general, they’re here to support as much as is needed.
The MCCD is completed by a medical professional and confirms the cause of death.
The death certificate is issued by a Registrar and is the legal document required for administrative purposes. You must have the MCCD before you can obtain a death certificate.
Anyone can apply for a copy of a death certificate once the death has been officially registered—whether you’re the next of kin, the executor of the will, or an interested party. Death certificates are considered public records in the UK.
A doctor or medical examiner sends the MCCD to the Registrar.
You book an appointment with the Registrar to officially register the death.
During the appointment, the Registrar will issue the death certificate.
You may also request additional copies online, by post, or in person through the General Register Office (GRO) or local Registrar’s office.
You typically receive the death certificate at your appointment with the Registrar after the MCCD has been submitted. This usually occurs within five days in England and Wales, and eight days in Scotland, unless delayed by a coroner’s investigation.
No. The death certificate is issued after the death has been registered. What you need beforehand is the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), which is sent to the Registrar by a medical professional.
Standard copy: £12.50
Without GRO index reference: £16.00
Priority service: £38.50
These fees apply per copy, and multiple copies can be ordered at registration or later.
In England and Wales, you must register the death in person at the local Registrar’s office (where the death occurred).
In Scotland, it is possible to register remotely, by phone or online, thanks to changes made in September 2022.
The Green Form (officially the Certificate for Burial or Cremation) is issued after the death is registered and allows the funeral to proceed. It is usually sent directly to the funeral director or crematorium.
Yes. If the death is sudden, suspicious, or unclear, a coroner (or Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) may open an investigation. This can involve:
A post-mortem
An inquest
Issuing an Interim Death Certificate to prevent delays in key admin steps
Final registration of the death may be delayed until the investigation is complete.
An Interim Death Certificate is a temporary legal document issued by the coroner while they investigate the cause of death. It can be used for urgent matters like applying for probate or arranging the funeral, but some insurers or pension providers may require the final certificate.
Yes. As long as the death has been officially registered, you can request additional copies at any time, even years later, through the General Register Office or local Registrar’s office.
Yes. Additional or replacement copies of a UK death certificate can be ordered online through the General Register Office (GRO). However, you cannot register a death online. The initial registration must usually be completed in person at your local register office before any certified copies can be issued.