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Home At the register office

Your appointment from the Contact Centre will be at The Register Office (Queen Victoria House) in Barkingside. View map details for The Register Office.

The appointment lasts approximately 30 minutes where the registrar will need to know the following:

  • the date and place of death
  • the deceased’s last (usual) address
  • the deceased’s full names and surnames (and the maiden surname where appropriate)
  • the deceased’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the United Kingdom, and country if born abroad)
  • the deceased’s occupation and the name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner, and of previous spouses or civil partners (if appropriate)
  • whether the deceased was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds
  • if the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower
  • if the deceased had entered into a civil partnership, the date of birth of the surviving civil partner
  • other statistical information (some of which you are required to provide by law).

Important information for the death register

It is most important that the information recorded in the death register is correct. If any mistake is made, for example in the spelling of a name or surname or in the description of the occupation, it will give the relative or other person who registered the death some trouble to have it put right. The person registering the death should check the information in the register very carefully before the entry is signed.

If English is not the first language of the relative or other person registering the death and help is needed, it would be helpful for someone else to accompany him or her to the registrar's office and act as interpreter. However, the relative or other person must register the death personally as a helper cannot register instead of them.

What will I get from the registrar?

Typically you will receive all three of the following certificates.

Death Certificate

After a death has been registered, one or more certificates may be bought at the time of registration or at any time afterwards.

Certificate for burial or cremation

The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial or cremation of the body, which is normally passed to the funeral director by the relative who is making the arrangements. A funeral cannot proceed until this certificate is given to the burial authority or the crematorium. If there is a delay to the registration of the death, it is possible for a certificate for the burial of the deceased's body to be issued before registration provided the death does not need to be reported to the coroner. A certificate for cremation cannot be issued before the registration of the death.

If a death has been reported to the coroner, he or she may issue a certificate for burial or cremation where possible.

Certificate for applicable social security benefits

A certificate for sending to the Department of Social Security will also be issued by the registrar to the person registering the death or other applicant. The form serves a dual purpose; details of the death are given on one side and the other side is the application for applicable claim forms.

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