Register a death

A qualified clinician (for example a doctor, nurse or paramedic) will verify that the person has died. How this happens may depend on where the deceased passed away.

A doctor who has seen them during life (Attending Practitioner) will then refer the death to either His Majesty’s Coroner for investigation, or the Medical Examiner Service for Wales for independent scrutiny.

There are several reasons why a death may need to be referred to and investigated by the Coroner, including accidents, trauma, self-harm or simply where the cause of death is unknown.

Most deaths do not need to be referred to the Coroner, and even when the Coroner does need to be informed, this does not always mean there is a problem or that a post-mortem is needed.

If the death does not need to be referred to the Coroner, the doctor must draft a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death and send this, along with details of the next of kin and copies of the medical notes to the Medical Examiner Service. 

The Medical Examiner Service provides independent scrutiny of all deaths that occur in Wales that are not referred directly to the Coroner for investigation. It aims to improve public safety, ensure death certificates are accurate, as well as avoid unnecessary distress for bereaved persons.

When scrutinising a death, the Medical Examiner Service will review the medical records and consider if there were problems with any of the care provided to the deceased. During this process, the Medical Examiner Service will also speak to the next of kin or family to explain the cause of death and answer any questions they may have.

Any concerns raised by the next of kin or family will be referred to the care provider or the Coroner for further investigation if required. 

Once the Medical Examiner Service has scrutinised the death and the doctor has completed the Medical Certificate Cause of Death, the certificate will be countersigned by the Medical Examiner and sent electronically to the Registrar in the local authority area (district) where the death occurred. The Medical Examiner Service will also share the contact details for the next of kin or family to allow the Registrar to plan for the death to be registered. 

Once the Registrar has received the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, an appointment can be made to register the death. The Registrar aims to register the death within five days of receiving the Medical Certificate Cause of Death from the Medical Examiner Service.

Funeral planning can start before the death has been registered and families can speak to the Funeral Director to arrange to see their loved ones before burial or cremation, where possible. Once the death has been registered, the Registrar will issue a green form which confirms that the Funeral Director can proceed with the burial or cremation.

Everyone in the death certification process will work together to ensure that a death can be registered at the earliest opportunity and to avoid delays wherever possible. However, matters such as access to medical records, contact with families, seasonal demands and further investigation by the Coroner may impact on timeliness.

The aim is for death certification to be completed within nine days however please note that in some circumstances this may take longer, for example where the cause of death is complex, or information has not been made available in a timely manner.

The death needs be registered at any of Gwynedd’s register offices by appointment. 

When we receive the relevant paperwork, we will contact the person named by the Medical Examiner or the Coroner to arrange the appointment. The registration will take about 30 minutes. If it is not possible for you to attend one of the register offices in Gwynedd within 5 days of us receiving the paperwork, it is possible for you to attest a declaration of the death at any register office within Wales or England.  In these instances, let us know which office is more convenient so that we can forward the paperwork to them.

When you attend the other register office, you will be giving the Registrar the information about the death and will need to sign the declaration.  The declaration will then be forwarded to us here in Gwynedd so that we may register the death.  You will need to contact Gwynedd after attending the other office in order to purchase the death certificate. 

The death needs to be registered in the area where the person died. You may give a declaration of the death at any of Gwynedd’s register offices by appointment if the person has died in Wales or England.  The details will be sent to the register office in the area where the person died after the appointment. In this instance, the register office in the area where the person died will be producing the relevant documents, not Gwynedd.

For further information or advice, please call 01766 771000. 

We will contact the person that has been named by the Medical Examiners or the Coroner to make an appointment to register the death.  There is a responsibility on one of the persons named below to register the death (in order of priority):

1. a relative or partner of the deceased, present at the death

2. a relative or partner of the deceased, in attendance during the last illness
3. a relative or partner of the deceased, residing or being in the district where the death occurred
4. a personal representative of the deceased
5. a person present at the death
6. the occupier of the house of where the death happened
7. the person causing the burial or cremation of the body

We will need the paperwork from the Medical Examiner or the Coroner before we are able to make an appointment for you to attend the office to register.

You will need the following information about the person who has died:

To register the death of a person under 16 years old:

• full name of the deceased
• date and place of birth 
• home address
• name and occupation of both parents
• name and contact details of the Funeral Director

To register the death of a person over 16 years old:

• full name of the deceased (including maiden name and any other name(s) the deceased used)
• date and place of birth
• home address
• occupation of the deceased
• if the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, we will also need the wife/husband/civil partner’s full name, date of birth and occupation
• name and contact details of the Funeral Director

Copies of the death certificate can be purchased at the appointment to register the death. Please bear in mind that a few establishments will ask for a copy of the death certificate when you close bank accounts etc, therefore it is likely you will want to purchase more than one copy of the death certificate.

Cost
£12.50 each during the registration.

How to pay?
You can pay during the appointment with cash, debit or credit cards, cheque or postal order made payable to ‘Cyngor Gwynedd’.

Additional copies of death certificates can be purchased at any time. For prices of additional copies go to the copies of death certificates page.

Many different organisations need to be told about a death. You may use the Tell Us Once service, ran by the Department of Works and Pensions, for a person who has died in Wales or England.  The service informs a number of public establishments about the death (e.g. the Council, HMRC, DVLA, the Passport Office).  You must have a reference number from the Registrar before you are able to use the service.

If the Coroner decides to hold an inquest, there is no need for you to register at the time of the death. You will receive an Interim Death Certificate from the Coroner in order to start dealing with the estate. 

It is still possible for you to use the service “Tell Us Once” by contacting the register office on 01766 771000 for a reference number.