Registering a death

To be able to register a death we must have either:

  • the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD)
  • Coroner's paperwork

You will be contacted by the medical examiner’s office to confirm you can register the death.

You must register the death within 5 days of being contacted by the medical examiner. This includes weekends and bank holidays.

Book an appointment

Please, before booking an appointment to register a death, confirm that the necessary documents have been sent to us by:

  • the medical examiner’s office
  • the coroner’s office

We cannot make an appointment for you to register until we have received the documentation from one of the above.

You must contact us to make an appointment.  We are not provided with contact details for informants so we cannot contact you.

To book an appointment:

  • call 0191 2787878 (and ask for registrars)
  • email us

Where to register the death

If someone has died in Newcastle you can:

  • register the death with Newcastle Registration Service
  • make a declaration of a death at any other office in England and Wales

If you choose to register at another register office you won’t be given any documents. The details will be passed to us and we will do the registration and issue your certificates at a later date. This can slow down the process.

If someone has died outside Newcastle you can:

  • register at the local office in England and Wales
  • make a declaration in Newcastle

We will then send the information to the relevant office and they will register. You will then need to contact the relevant office for certificates.

After the registration is complete

Once the registration is complete, the registrar will issue a certificate for burial or cremation. This is also known as the green form, and you should pass this to your funeral director. The green form gives you permission for a burial or to apply for a cremation. A funeral cannot take place without this certificate.

We will carry out the Tell Us Once service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.

Ordering copies of the death certificate

You can order certificates at the end of the registration appointment.

The cost is £12.50 per certificate. Please have a credit or debit card with you to pay as cash payments are not accepted.

If you don't have a payment card let the registrar know so they can discuss how you can get your certificates following registration.

Correcting a mistake on a death certificate

If you notice something is wrong, you can apply to correct mistake on a death certificate.