Information Regarding Registration Of Death

Why register a death? 

By law all deaths occurring in Northern Ireland must be registered in Northern Ireland. A death should be registered as soon as possible to allow further arrangements to be made but no later than five days from the date of occurrence except where the matter has been referred to the Coroner.


Where can a Death be registered?

In any District Registrar's Office in Northern Ireland.


What do you need in order to register a Death? 

A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by a Doctor who has treated the deceased within twenty-eight days before the date of death. If the deceased had not been seen by a doctor within that period or where the death was not caused by a natural illness the case would have been referred to the Coroner - the Registrar or Funeral Director will advise you.

 

Death referred to Coroner

If a death has been referred to the Coroner, funeral arrangements should not be made before the consent of the Coroner has been obtained. The death can be registered and a death certificate issued only after the Registrar has received the necessary certificate from the Coroner. When the Registrar's office receives the appropriate form they will contact a relative of the deceased and ask them to call and register the death.

 

What does it cost to register a death?

There is no cost for registering a death. The only charge will be for the Death Certificate(s), if required. For deaths registered on or after 17th December 2012, there will be two types of certificates available. A full death certificate which/shows the cause of death and a short certificate which does not show the cause of death. Both types of certificate cost the same.

Please Note
Information collected on the registration is used for the preparation and supply of statistical information by the Registrar General. For purposes of detection and prevention of crime, information collected may also be passed on to other Government and approved organisations