Registering a death
Once the doctor has completed the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, you will then be able to register the death of your relative/friend.
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be sent electronically to the registrar for you, either by the Medical Examiner Service or the bereavement officers.
The appointment at the registrars will take place at the Register Office of Births, Deaths & Marriages, and it will be at the office in the area where your relative/friend has died:
- Rhondda Cynon Taff Tel: 01443 494024
- Merthyr Tydfil Tel: 01685 727333
- Bridgend Tel: 01656 642392/93/94/91
The registrar will ask you for:
- the date and place of death
- the full name and surname of the deceased person (and the maiden surname if the deceased was a married woman/civil partner)
- the date and place of birth
- the occupation of the deceased and, if the deceased person was married or in a civil partnership, the full name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner
- their usual address
- the date of birth of a surviving spouse or civil partner
- Details of any public sector pension e.g. civil service, teacher or armed forces.
If you have them, it would be useful to take with you your relative/friend’s Birth Certificate, Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate and NHS Medical Card, or recent hospital letter with the NHS number.
You may also need to take with you your own identification documents, such as:
- Passport/Driving Licence/Birth Certificate
- Proof of Address (like a utility bill or bank statement)
The registrars will take you step by step through the process of registration, and at the end of your appointment you will be given certified copies of the Certificate of Cause of Death, sometimes referred to as a death certificate.
The Certificate of Cause of Death is often required for bank accounts, insurance purposes, or any other financial or legal purpose, so it is often worth purchasing some copies if needed - most places won’t accept a photocopy, only an original copy. You can purchase official copies at the time of your appointment with the registrar.
The registrar will also issue a Green Form. The official name of this form is the Certificate of Burial or Cremation. The registrar will send this form electronically to your funeral director.