Registering a death, documents and certification

You’ll need to register a death before arranging the funeral. This is usually done by a relative but can be carried out by anybody present at the death, the occupier of the premises where the death occurred or the person accepting responsibility for arranging the funeral.

Generally, the hospital or GP will provide the Registrar with Form 11 (Medical Certificate of Cause of Death) along with the contact details of the next of kin. They will then phone you to proceed with the registration process.

As you are making a legal declaration, you must ensure that the information given is correct.  All deaths in Scotland must be registered within 8 days from the time of death.

Documents and information to have for the registration

• Death certificate
• Birth Certificate
  Or date and place of birth
• Marriage Certificate
  Or occupations & Full names of both parents including mother’s maiden name
• Full name of deceased
  Or full name of spouse and maiden name (if appropriate)
• Spouse’s date of birth
  Or spouse’s occupation and date of birth

The Registrar will then send a scanned copy of the Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) to us to proceed with the funeral arrangements.

Please note – when registering a death, the death may be chosen to be reviewed. This is a random selection which would involve the medical history of the deceased being reviewed to ensure procedures and documentation has been completed in a correct and appropriate manner. If chosen the Form 14 will not be issued until a review has been completed – there are two levels of review.

Level 1. – 10% of deaths will be investigated and will take an estimated day to complete.

Level 2. – 2% of deaths will be investigated in greater detail and will take an estimated 3 days to complete.

This process will not affect us bringing a loved one into our care, however a time and date for the funeral will NOT be able to be confirmed until the death has been registered, and any investigation (if chosen) has been completed and Form 14 issued. We will keep you informed at all the various stages of registering and give you appropriate guidance and support in all circumstances.

There may be a requirement for you to obtain additional copies of the death certificate, such as: to close bank accounts; make claims on insurance policies; or to have joint mortgages or bank accounts placed in the surviving person’s sole name.  These copies can be purchased for approximately £10.00 as you are only provided with the abbreviated extract entry of death.  Most institutions will usually return the copy to you once they have recorded the death on their systems, however the timescales for this vary so you do not necessarily need an additional copy for each institution that you contact.

Local Registry Offices

For more information please talk to Malone & Fox who will be able to explain everything to you in detail.