You need to register a death with us in person within five days of us receiving either:
- the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
- the coroner's paperwork, if the death is referred to the coroner
Who can register the death
A death can be registered by either:
- a relative of the the person who has died
- partner of the deceased (if the two of them were living as partners in an enduring relationship at the time of the deceased person’s death).
- a person present at the death
- the person arranging the funeral
- the manager of the home or hospital
- a person appointed by and acting on behalf of the deceased person’s family (such as a solicitor)
Where to register
You should register the death at the register office for where the death occurred.
You can check which council covers the area where the death occurred (GOV.UK).
If the death occurred in the London Borough of Hounslow, you should register the death at Hounslow Register Office. The address is:
Hounslow Register Office
Feltham Lodge
38-40 Harlington Road West
Feltham
TW14 0JJ
Hounslow Register Office on Google Maps.
You can usually book an appointment between the following times, depending on availability:
- Weekdays: 9am to 4.30pm
Book an appointment to register a death
What you need to bring with you
If the death has been referred to the coroner, the coroner will send the paperwork required for the registration directly to the registrar.
You are not legally required to supply any other documents. However, some documents will help to ensure accurate registration. These are:
- the passport or birth certificate of the person who has died
- the marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable) of the person who has died
- the NHS number of the person who has died
- a document showing the usual address of the person who has died
What we will need to know
When registering the death, you will need to tell us:
- the date and place of death
- the full name and surname of the person who has died, if they are known by any other name currently or previously (and the maiden surname if they were a woman who had married or formed a civil partnership)
- the sex of the person who has died
- the date and place of birth of the person who has died (town and county if born in the UK, and country if born abroad)
- If they were married or a civil partner, the date of birth of the surviving widow, widower or civil partner
- the occupation of the person who has died and the name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner
- the last (usual) address of the person who has died
- full name and address of the person registering the death
- whether the person who has died was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds
- NHS number
- whether there will be a burial or cremation, where it will take place and name of the funeral directors
If English is not your first language, a friend or relative can come with you. You must register the death yourself.
Certificate for burial or cremation
You will receive a certificate for burial or cremation, which is known as the Green Form. (This is unless the coroner has already issued an order for burial or a certificate for cremation.)
You can then take this form to the funeral director so that the funeral can take place. If you wish, we can email it straight to them instead.
There is no basis in law for the mortuary (or whoever is caring for the person who has died) to require sight of the Green Form in order to allow them to be collected. The certificate is issued to allow the funeral to go ahead and for no other purpose.
Death certificates
Death certificates cost £12.50. You need to have at least one death certificate, which you pay for when you book your appointment.
For additional death certificates, you can either:
- pay for them when you book your appointment
- buy them when your register
- order them later (see: Order a death certificate)
There is an option to purchase a standard death certificate or a short death certificate. The short death certificate does not show the cause of death.
Errors on the death certificate
When you register the death, you must carefully check the details you provided to the registrar. It’s important that the information is accurate before the registration is completed.
You are responsible for ensuring that all details are correct, including spellings.
This means that anything that needs to be corrected will need to go through a formal process and be considered by either our register office or the General Register Office.
This will cost a fee of either £83 or £99, depending on the correction needed.
You will also need to pay for a new death certificate or certificates showing the corrected information. The correct information will show as a marginal note at the bottom of the entry.
Tell Us Once service
The registrar will offer you the Tell Us Once (GOV.UK) service.
This is a free service that enables you to inform many local and central government departments of the death in one contact.
You will need to complete this within 28 days. Otherwise, you will need to notify each organisation individually.
