Registering a Death

Update 7 November 2022

Registering the death of a loved one can be a stressful and upsetting time. This webpage will provide information and guidance to help you through the registration process.

Remote registration service

Death registrations now take place remotely (over the phone). The service operates Monday - Friday 9.00am until 3.30pm. See below for further information on the process for registering a death.

What do I need to know?

All deaths in Scotland must normally be registered within 8 days.

If the event took place out with Scotland, it must be registered in the country the death occurred.

Who can register a death?

The death can be registered by:

Any relative of the deceased
Any person who was present when the person died
The deceased's executor or another legal representative
The occupier of the property where the person died; or if there is no such person,
Anyone else who knows the necessary information to register the death

You must be at least 16 years of age to act as a qualified informant.

For more information please visit NRS - Deaths.

What documents do I need to register a death?

To assist the registration, it would be helpful if you had the following available;

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) issued by the doctor or hospital who certified the death (this should already be with the Registrar prior to your call).
The deceased's birth certificate
The deceased's marriage or civil partnership certificate, if applicable
The deceased's medical card

What is the process for registering a death?

Before the death registration process can begin, we must be in possession of a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Form 11) (MCCD). It is the responsibility of the GP or certifying Doctor to email this certificate/form through to the Registrar in the local area, as identified by the informant (The person who registers the death). MCCD's should only be sent to one local Registration Office, usually the office in the district where the death took place or the office nearest the address of the deceased. Sending MCCD's to multiple offices can result in delays and could also result in the death being registered more than once.

If the death is to be registered in Glasgow then this should be emailed to genreg@glasgow.gov.uk.

It would greatly assist the registration process if contact details of the informant e.g. a family member could be included when the MCCD is sent to the Registry Office. If no contact details are provided it is then the responsibility of the informant to contact the Registration Office to start proceedings/initiate the process.

Thereafter, the original copy of the MCCD should be posted to the Registration office by the GP or certifying Doctor at:

Registration Office, Mail Room, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DU

As soon as the MCCD is received by the registration office, the process of registration can begin, and a member of the registration team will contact you. This is normally within 2 -3 days of receiving the paperwork. Please note the call may be from an unknown number.

Registrations are dealt with in the order in which the paperwork is received.

Please note it may take more than a single phone call with the informant to finalise the registration process. Please be available for your scheduled appointment time if you are contacted in advance.

It is recommended that whilst preliminary arrangements can be made regarding the funeral service a date for the service should not be finalised until the registration of the death has been completed. Your chosen Funeral Director should advise you of the same.

What is the Death Certification Review service?

NHS Scotland carry out a random review to help improve the quality and accuracy of all Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCD). The randomisation will be made during the registration process and if selected for review, there may be a short delay in registering the death and making funeral arrangements. The doctor who signed the certificate will be able to give you more information on this

What documents will I receive following the completion of the registration?

An abbreviated Death Certificate, which is issued free of charge
A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) which will be required by the funeral director before any burial or cremation service. If the Funeral Undertaker's details are known at the time of the registration, this form is normally sent to them directly by email.
A social Security Registration or Notification of Death Certificate (Form BD8) to allow you to obtain or adjust social security benefits
Tell us once letter, if you wish to utilise this service

A full Death Certificate can be purchased for the statutory fee of £10.00 per copy.

How do I pay?

Payment for extracts will be taken over the phone by a credit or debit card.

Notifying other council services

Once the death has been registered the registrar will notify Council Tax and the electoral registration office.

Tell Us Once

Once you have registered the death with a registrar, you will be given a unique reference number for Tell Us Once where you will be able to go online to use this service to notify other services i.e. Department for Work and Pensions.