Registering death

When a death occurs it is a difficult time for everyone. Staff at Southwark's register office are here to help you and make the process of registering the death as simple and easy as possible.

You can obtain a copy of a death certificate online.

Where and when must I register the death?

If someone dies in Southwark the death must be registered with us within five days unless a coroner is involved. You need to make an appointment with us to register a death.

If you decide to register at any other register office in England or Wales you need to make a declaration. To do this you must produce a medical certificate indicating the cause of death. The death certificate will be issued by post and this could cause you delay in making the funeral arrangements. Remember, if you make your declaration by post you will have to include the fees for the certificates.

Who can register a death?

This can be done by

• a relative of the deceased
• any adult who was present at the death
• the person who instructs the undertaker about the funeral.

Information we need at the time of registration

From the information you provide us we can produce the death certificate, compile statistics of deaths in Southwark and forward pension details to other agencies.

You must provide the following

• medical certificate of death issued by a doctor, unless a coroner is involved
• when and where the death happened
• the full name and usual address of the deceased person
• the person's maiden name in the case of a married woman
• the deceased person's date and place of birth
• the deceased person's occupation
• if the deceased person was a married woman or a widow, her husband's name and occupation
• whether the person had a pension or allowance from government funds, for example a disability or war pension
• if the deceased person was married, the date of birth of the surviving widower or widow
• the deceased's medical card should be handed to the registrar

Do I have to pay for this service?

There is no charge for registering a death.

The Registrar will issue you with the Social Secuirty notification form and the Certificate for Burial or Cremation also referred to as the 'Green Form' free of charge for use by the undertaker and for the Department of Social Security.

You may purchase a death certificate for a small fee of £4.00 at the time of registration. Please note that the fee for copies of a certificate at a later date may vary.

Please download the document availible to the right hand side of this page under downloads for details of the new Registration fees.