Registering a death

You can register the death with the register office in the district where the death occurred, or you can go to any register office in England and Wales and make a declaration of the information required. Please note that registering a death by declaration will mean a delay in receiving the paperwork necessary to allow the funeral to take place.

Please call us on 01495 742132 to make an appointment to register a death in the Torfaen District.

There is no requirement for a relative/informant to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) from the hospital, care home or GP surgery. A scanned copy of the signed certificate will be sent to us directly at registrars@torfaen.gov.uk

You will be contacted by the Register Office once the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been received and reviewed. We will then arrange a date and time for you to attend the register office to register the death.

Please note: If the death has been reported to the coroner, we would be unable to register the death until the coroner has completed an investigation and issued the necessary paperwork.

When should I register a death?

The law requires that a death be registered within 5 days. This includes weekends and bank holidays and applies to all deaths with no coroner involvement.

Who can register a death?

• a relative who was present at the death
• a relative present during the person's last illness
• a relative living in the district where the death took place
• anyone else present at the death
• an owner or occupier of the building where the death took place and who was aware of the death
• the person arranging the funeral (but not the funeral director)

Please note: You cannot delegate responsibility for registering the death to anyone else.

How much does it cost to register a death?

There is no charge to register a death.

How much does it cost for a copy of the death certificate?

Death certificates are £12.50 each at the time of registration.

What information will the Registrar need to know regarding the deceased?

The Registrar will talk to you privately at the register office and will ask you for the following information:

• The date and place of death
• The full name and surname of the deceased person (and the maiden surname if the deceased was a married woman/civil partner)
• Their date and place of Birth
• The occupation of the deceased and, if the deceased person was married or in a civil partnership, the full name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner
• The date of birth of a surviving spouse or civil partner
• The National Health Service Number (NHS) of deceased. This can be obtained from a Medical Card
• Details of any public sector pension e.g. civil service, teacher or armed forces

If I register the death in the district where the death occurred, what documentation will I receive following the registration?

• Any death certificate(s) requested - £12.50 each
• The green certificate for burial or cremation will be transmitted electronically to the Funeral Director, crematorium or cemetery office immediately following the registration

What happens if I am unable to register the death in the district where the death occurred?

If you are unable to register the death in the district where the event occurred, the information for the registration may be given to any registrar in England or Wales. You will need to attend your chosen registrar’s office to make a declaration of the particulars for the registration. This declaration will then be forwarded to the registrar in the district where the death took place.

If I register a death by declaration, what documents will I receive and when will I receive the documents through the post?

The following documents will be sent out to you after the death has been officially registered in the district where the event occurred.

• A form for the Undertaker (the 9W green form) which gives the authorisation to make the funeral arrangements;
• Any death certificate(s) requested - £12.50 each;

Please note: There will be a delay of up to 7 days from the date of declaration before you receive the above documents via the post

If you require further assistance on the declaration process, please contact The Register Office on 01495 742132.

What if I make a mistake when completing a Death Registration?

When completing a registration, you must check details from the register page carefully. Once the entry is signed you are stating that everything is accurate and that it is a true statement.

If you fail to notice an error when checking and signing the registration (birth death, marriage, civil partnership) the fee to apply for a correction will be £83 or £99 depending on the type of correction required. New certificate fees will also apply.

Please note: This fee does not guarantee the correction can be made.

Religious Faith Funeral

In certain religious and cultural beliefs it is customary for a funeral to take place soon after the death (usually within 24 hours). If you have lost a loved one and need to arrange an urgent death registration appointment, please contact us on 01495 742132. If you need to speak to us outside of standard office hours, please call the out of hours contact Centre on 01495 762200 for assistance.

Please note: In certain circumstances the death may need to be reported to the coroner. This may mean that we are unable to issue the necessary paperwork required to allow the burial to take place within the required timeframe.

Last Modified: 28/05/2024 Back to top