Registering a death

When must a death be registered

You need to register a death within five calendar days from the actual date of death, unless a coroner is investigating the circumstances surrounding it. In this case, paperwork will come from the coroner rather than the doctor which can take longer, and so the five calendar day rule will not apply.

A death must be registered in the district in which it took place and Deaths which take place outside Salford cannot be registered with ourselves. We can complete a declaration which is sent to the appropriate office where the deceased passed away, but you would not be issued with a death certificate or paperwork for the burial or cremation to take place.

Death registration booking 

The Registrars team will contact a next of kin to arrange an appointment for them to attend the register office to register the death. You cannot currently book an appointment online. Alternatively, please ring 0161 793 2500 to talk to us. All deaths must be registered by attending the office in person and completing a face to face appointment.

Your appointment will take place at:

• Salford Register Office, Swinton (Monday to Friday)

What we will need

• After Death a doctor will issue a Medical Certificate Cause of Death (MCCD). The GP Surgery, hospital or hospice will send the MCCD to the Medical Examiner’s Office for scrutiny and when given authorisation will send the Registrars team an electronic copy of the MCCD. These must be scanned to the Register Office Prior to your appointment.  We cannot register without this.
• If a Coroners post mortem takes place, the paperwork is issued direct from the coroner. This will be emailed to us by the coroner's office.
• The Registrars team will only contact the next of kin to book an appointment for the death registration, once all the required documentation relating to the death has been received

Who can register a death

A relative must always register the death in the first instance.

If there are no relatives, you may register if you:

• were present at the time of the death; or
• you are in charge of making the funeral arrangements: or
• you are an administrator from the hospital (if the person died in hospital)
• you are the manager of a care home (if the person died within that establishment)

Documents you need to produce

In respect of the deceased:

• Identification to prove name, date of birth and place of birth. This may be a passport or full birth certificate.
• If the deceased was married you should also produce the marriage certificate.
• Proof of address should be shown which can include a driving licence, a recent utility bill or council tax bill.
• If you have the NHS medical card for the deceased, you should also show this to the Registrar.

For the person registering the death:

• Identification such as passport or driving licence.
• You also need to bring proof of address for yourself such as a driving licence, council tax bill or recent utility bill.

During the appointment

Information we will need

Details of the deceased:

• Date and place of death
• First name, middle names (if applicable), and surname
• Any other names the deceased was otherwise or previously known by
• Maiden name (if applicable)
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation and whether retired or not
• Address

Details of the spouse/civil partner of deceased:

• First name, middle names (if applicable), and surname
• If deceased or not
• Occupation
• If retired or not
• Date of birth
• Whether the deceased received a pension or allowance from public funds

We will also ask if the deceased is to be buried or cremated, where this is due to take place and who is dealing with the funeral arrangements.

Signing the register

• You will be required to check and sign the register very carefully
• Should you notice a mistake it can be corrected before you sign
• If you notice a mistake after you have signed the register you are now required to pay a fee to apply for a correction:
  • £83 for consideration of a correction which can be authorised and completed by the Register Office
  • £99 for consideration of a correction which has to be sent to the General Register Office.

After your appointment

• We will scan your green form to the undertakers you have chosen. It would be helpful if you could decide on your funeral director prior to completing the death registration.
• At the time of the appointment each certificate will cost £12.50, which can be paid for by card and the certificates will be handed to you during your appointment. You will also be advised on the Tell us Once service.

Salford Register Office has introduced the tell us once service that allows you to report a death just once and tell those parts of central and local government that require informing, about that death. You will be given a unique reference when you register a death and you can then go online and access the system.

The following departments can be informed - Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Blue Badge, the Electoral Roll, Libraries, Passport Authority, Pensions and Benefits such as tax Credits, Disability and carers service, Job Centre plus, Overseas health team, DVLA, War Pension Scheme.

If you are unable to attend at the correct district, you can make a declaration to any other register office in England and Wales. Further information, including a list of register offices, is available on the General Register Office website.

The registrar will record the relevant information and act as an intermediary, sending the details to Salford by post. It can take up to ten working days for us to receive your declaration, register the death and post out the paperwork to you.

• If you require certified copies of the death certificate, these may be purchased from the registrar for £12.50 per copy at the time of registration.
• You may need copies of the death certificate for:
  • Dealing with the will
  • Bank and building society accounts
  • Insurance companies
  • Tax rebates
• Post registration, copy certificates can be applied for online or by post. The cost is £12.50 plus £2 postage

Inquests

• If the death has been reported to the coroner and an inquest is needed, the next of kin will be issued with an interim death certificate from the coroner. This will allow funeral arrangements to be made.
• Once you have received the interim death certificate from the coroner you can complete the Tell Us Once service which will notify many different government organisations of the death, making it easier to sort out the deceased persons affairs.
• To complete the Tell us Once, please email a copy of the interim death certificate to registeroffice@salford.gov.uk along with a contact name and number, a Registrar will then provide you with your unique reference number for the Tell us Once service.

Once the inquest has been carried out, the coroner will send the Registrars team an electronic copy of the inquest investigation. The death will then be registered by the registrar, without the next of kin having to attend the register office. Once the death following an inquest has been registered a certificate copy of the Death entry is available to order.

Request a baby loss certificate

If your pregnancy ends before 24 weeks, you can get a certificate in memory of your baby. It’s free to get a certificate.

You do not need to request a certificate if you prefer not to. It’s optional.

The certificate is not a legal document - for example you cannot use it to claim benefits. The certificate will not be added to your GP record.

If your pregnancy ends from 24 weeks onwards, you need to register a stillbirth instead.

This page was last updated on 17 June 2024