When someone dies it can be a stressful and upsetting time. This section will provide guidance and information to help you through the registration process.
If the death took place outwith Scotland it must be registered in the country the death occurred.
The medical certificate issued by doctor/hospital who certified the death; known as a 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)' or also known as a 'form 11' will now be provided electronically by the hospital/doctor to the Registration Office.
A registrar will contact the next of kin of the bereaved once they have received the Medical Certificate.
The death can be registered by:
Any relative of the deceased; or
Any person who was present when the person died; or
The deceased's executor or legal representative; or
Any person living in the premises where the person died; or if there is no such person;
Any other person with knowledge of the death
When you are notifying us of the death, we will ask you to verbally provide the information listed below to allow us to produce copies of the relevant certificates on your behalf:
The deceased's date and place of birth
The deceased's current or previous occupation.
The deceased's date and place of marriage or civil partnership and maiden surname, if applicable. Previous spouse information if applicable.
The deceased's NHS number that can be obtained from their doctors surgery.
The deceased's parents details including full names and occupation if known.
An abbreviated death certificate , which is issued free of charge
A unique reference number will be generated and provided for Tell Us Once (notification service of cancellation of government benefits or state pension (where applicable). More information provided below.
A full death certificate(s) can be purchased at the time of registration for the statutory fee of £10.00 per extract - this is an optional service.
Payment for any service can be paid by debit/credit card.
A certificate of registration of death (form 14) for the funeral director will be emailed directly to them.
Tell Us Once is a government service that lets you report a death to most organisations in one go. Once the registrar has been in contact with the next of kin, they will be given a unique reference number that is required when using the Tell Us Once service. For full details on the Tell Us Once service, please visit Tell Us Once (opens new window)
You'll also need the following details of the person who died:
surname
date they died
name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their 'executor' or 'administrator'
if there's a surviving spouse or civil partner, the name, address, telephone number and the National Insurance number or date of birth of the spouse or civil partner
if there's no surviving spouse or civil partner or their spouse or civil partner is not able to deal with their affairs, the name and address of their next of kin
if they died in a hospital, nursing home, care home or hospice, the name and address of that institution - you'll also be asked if the stay was for 28 days or more
You may also need:
if they had a passport, their passport number and town of birth
if they had a driving licence, their driving licence number
if they owned any vehicles, the vehicle registration numbers
if they were paying Council Tax or getting services from their local council, such as Housing Benefit payments, the name of their local council and which services they were getting
if they had a Blue Badge, their Blue Badge number if you know it
if they were getting any benefits, tax credits or State Pension, information about which ones they were getting
if they were getting money from an Armed Forces Pension or Compensation Scheme, details of that scheme
if they were getting money or paying into public sector pension schemes, details of those schemes
Yyou'll also need their National Insurance number if they were getting money or paying into any of the following pension schemes:
NHS Pensions for NHS staff in England and Wales
Scottish Public Pension Agency schemes for NHS staff, teachers, police and firefighters in Scotland
Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme
Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS)
Otherwise, you do not need their National Insurance number, however if you are able to provide it, it will help some organisations match their records faster.
You need permission from any surviving spouse or civil partner, the next of kin, executor, administrator or anyone who was claiming joint benefits or entitlements with the person who died, before you give their details.
