Registering a death

A death must be registered by the Registrar of Births and Deaths for the district in which the death occurred within five days unless the Registrar says that the period may be extended.

From 25th March 2022 all death and still-birth registrations will be conducted in person at the Mansion House by appointment only. You should arrive at the allocated time. If you arrive late, we may not be able to see you and your appointment may have to be rearranged.

Telephone 01633 235510 to make an appointment once the certifying doctor (a GP or hospital doctor) has issued the medical certificate of cause of death. 

Since March 2020 the doctor’s certificate has been emailed to the Register Office. This will continue to happen in most cases, however, if the GP gives you the medical certificate you will need to bring it with you when you attend the register office.

Coroner

It is sometimes necessary for the Registrar to report a death to the coroner which may mean a delay in registering the death.

How to register a death

The death should be registered by a relative of the deceased or someone who was present at the death, for example, a senior administrator of the establishment in which the death occurred, or the person instructing the funeral director may register.

Being an executor of a will alone does not qualify you to register a death.

You should allow approximately 30 minutes for the registration and if the Registrar has to refer to the coroner a return visit may be necessary.

The Registrar will need to know:

  • the date and place of death
  • the full name of the deceased (and maiden name where appropriate) 
  • the date and place of birth of the deceased
  • the deceased's occupation (even if retired) and the full names and occupation of their husband/wife/civil partner
  • the deceased's usual address 
  • whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension from public funds or a works pension
  • whether the deceased was in receipt of any benefits from public funds

Supporting documents

Please bring at least one of the following documents with you when you come to register a death.

Documents are required for both the deceased and the informant to support the information held in the register and to help ensure the accuracy of information recorded, reducing the need for inconvenient and potentially costly corrections in the future.

For the deceased

  • passport
  • proof of address
  • medical card
  • birth certificate
  • all marriage or civil partnership certificates
  • change of name deed

For the informant

  • passport
  • driving licence
  • proof of address, e.g. utility bill

NB: the absence of these supporting documents will not prevent the appointment being made - the Registrar can still register the death.

Child burials and cremations

In Wales, local authorities do not charge any fees related to burial and cremation for children under the age of 18. In addition, families in Wales that have registered the loss of a child under the age of 18 are entitled to receive £500 as a contribution towards the funeral and other related costs.

The registrar will discuss this with families when registering the loss and can provide further information.

Download Child burials and cremations (pdf)

Certificates

After the death has been registered, the Registrar may issue you with the following document free of charge:

  • A certificate for burial or cremation (known as the green form) for you to take to the funeral director so that the funeral can take place. If you already know which funeral director you will be using, the Registrar can arrange to email the green form to them on your behalf. In some circumstances this is issued by the coroner.

Standard death certificates
You may also need to purchase some death certificates. 

A death certificate is a certified copy of the entry in the death register and may be required by banks, building societies, insurance companies, solicitors or for pension claims. 

You may wish to ask for several death certificates at the time of registration as the price increases if you need one at a later date. 

The Registrar will advise you about the type and number of certificates which you may need.

Download and print an application for a Death Certificate (pdf).

Tell Us Once

Once a death has been registered, the Tell Us Once service can help you to give the necessary information to the Department for Work and Pensions, other government departments and local council services.

Please continue to monitor this website and Newport City Council social media feeds for further information on when the service will resume. 

Further information

Information about benefits, probate and help with funeral expenses is available on the Directgov website.