You must register a death within 5 days of it happening, unless it has been reported to a coroner. We will call you to book an appointment to register the death.

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 in Woolwich Town Hall.

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 5 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 5 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.