Overview

You must register a death within 5 days of it happening, unless it has been reported to a coroner. You need to do this before you can hold a funeral.

We will guide you through the process of registering a death at our register office.

If you need to arrange an urgent burial for religious reasons, you can get a burial order without registration.

What happens after a death

When someone dies, the doctor involved in their care will complete a medical certificate cause of death. This will be sent to our register office within five working days.

Once our register office has received the medical certificate cause of death, we will call you to book an appointment.

If we have not contacted you within five working days, email us at registrar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

If a death has been reported to a coroner, you cannot register it until the coroner’s investigation is complete. Find out what happens when a death is reported to a coroner (GOV.UK).

Register the loss of a baby

Find out what you need to do to register a still-birth or neonatal death.

If your pregnancy ends before 24 weeks, you can get a certificate in memory of your baby (GOV.UK). It is free to get a certificate.