Register a death

When someone dies, their death must be registered within 5 working days.

Who can register a death?

You can register a death if you are:

  • a relative (eg husband, wife or legal civil partner, brother or sister)
  • a person who was present at the person's death
  • the occupier of the premises where the death occurred
  • the person arranging the funeral (this does not include the funeral director).

Where to register a death

You should register the death at the register office in the borough where the death took place.

There is no charge to register a death.

Please note: Hillingdon's Register Office operates on an appointment-only system.
 


Required information and documents

At the appointment, you will be asked for your name and address. 

The registrar will need the following information about the person who has died: 

  • the date of their death and where the death occurred 
  • their full name, including any names previously used
  • their date of birth
  • where they were born
  • their occupation
  • the medical cause of death certificate from the doctor or hospital
  • the full name and occupation of any surviving spouse or civil partner.

It would also be useful to have the deceased person's:

  • birth certificate or passport
  • NHS medical card 
  • marriage/civil partnership certificate or divorce document
  • information or allowance received.

Medical Cause of Death Certificate

There will be no requirement for relatives to collect the Medical Cause of Death Certificate from the hospital, care home or GP.

A scan of the signed certificate can be sent to the Registrar directly by emailing registeroffice@hillingdon.gov.uk.

The green certificate for burial or cremation (if it is required) will be given to you along with any certificates you might purchase. (The cost of each certificate is £11).

Please note: If a doctor is unsure about the cause of death, or the death was caused by an injury or accident, they may not issue a medical certificate detailing the cause of death. In these cases, a coroner will carry out a post mortem. You will be unable to register the death until this has taken place. 
 


Making an appointment to register a death

Before booking your appointment, please ensure you have been contacted by either the hospital, GP or Coroners office to confirm that the required paperwork has been received by the Register Office.

Book an appointment to register a death (opens new window)

You can reschedule or cancel your appointment online.
Please note: You will need to enter the reference code from your email to amend your appointment.


Tell Us Once 

When a person dies, you also need to notify a number of different government departments and local services with a lot of similar information. The Tell Us Once service makes this process much easier.

Use the Tell Us Once service

Page last updated: 22 Jan 2024