Make an appointment
From 25 March 2022, all death registrations must be registered in person, by appointment only.
To make an appointment, fill out our appointment request form:
Request an appointment
If you need any help completing the appointment request form, contact us:
Tell Us Once notification service
We offer a free notification service to various central and local government departments called Tell Us Once. The Registrar will register the details of the deceased and you will be given information which allows you to use this service within 28 days either online or using a Freephone number.
Find out more about Tell Us Once
Financial and utility notification services
In addition to using the Tell Us Once service, you can also use the Death Notification Service and Life Ledger. Both these services are free and will allow you to notify a number of financial institutions (banks, building societies etc) and utility companies of a person's death at the same time.
Find out more about the Death Notification Services
Find out more about the Life Ledger service
Registering a death
- A death should be registered within 5 days at the Register Office in the district where the death occurred
- If a death occurred in Redbridge, the medical certificate will be emailed to the Register Office by the GP, hospital or nursing home
- Once they have advised you that this has been done, you can 'Request an appointment'
- When the appointment has been booked, you will receive a confirmation email detailing the documents you should bring with you
- Please be advised you may only bring one other supporting person with you to your appointment
Please read the information below before booking an appointment.
If the Coroner has been involved, then the Coroner’s Office will advise relatives when the death may be registered as in some instances the 5 days may be extended.
We reserve the right to cancel your appointment if you arrive more than 5 minutes after the time your appointment is due to commence and you may need to re-book.
Who can register a death?
Certain people have a legal duty to give information for the registration of a death. Although a death is normally registered by a relative of the deceased, if there are no relatives, we accept the information from one of the following categories (in order of preference):
- a person present at the death
- the occupier of a house if he/she knew that the death had happened
- the person carrying out the burial or cremation of the body (this does not include funeral directors)
The Register Office is open Monday - Friday, 9am to 4pm with out of hours arrangements in place for days when the office is closed.
Registration by Declaration
If the death occurred within Redbridge and you cannot travel to Redbridge, you can give details of the death at any Register Office in England and Wales. No certificates will be issued by the Registrar. The information will be taken and sent to us, we will then register the death and post out documents and certificates.
We also take declarations of deaths occurring in other parts of England and Wales. The Registrar will provide details of cost and payment methods.
All information you provide to the Registrar's service is done so in the strictest of confidence, you can find full details in our privacy notice.
You need to know the following information;
- the date of and place of death
- Permission for Burial or Cremation Form. This will be given to you after the registration has been completed
- if you wish, we can email the form to the burial/crematorium/ funeral directors on your behalf. Please make sure you have the correct email address for us to forward the form to. We are required by law to keep the form if you request us to email the relevant organisation.
- the full name and surname of the deceased and any previous names they may have used or been known by
- in the case of a married woman, her maiden surname
- date and place of birth
- marital status and details of any current or deceased spouse/civil partner including their full names and occupations
- the occupation of the deceased
- the current home address of the deceased
You should also bring documents to support the above information:
- birth and marriage certificates
- passport or driving licence
- any name change documents
- confirmation of the address such as a utility bill or council tax bill
Please also bring some proof of your name and address.
If there are no documents available we will still be able to register the death.
Certificates
You will be able to purchase any death certificates required at the time of the registration.
The fee from 16 February 2019 is:
Certificates are always available to purchase from the Register Office where the death was registered.
Order a copy certificate online
Burial forms
In the case of Coronial involvement, the coroner will usually deal directly with the funeral director.
For advice about burials for faiths which require same day burials, call the Register Office on 020 8708 7123.
Emergency death out of hours and weekend service
This service is specifically for the issue of burial certificates, only when a burial is taking place on the same day in England and has not been referred to the coroner. This service is available on the days we are closed except for 25 December, Christmas Day.
A death registration is undertaken by appointment only during normal working hours Monday to Friday.
Burials taking place on the same day
To access the service during the times below please call
- 020 8708 7123 Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm; Saturday 9.30am to 11.30am
- 020 8554 5000 Sunday 9am to midday, Bank Holiday's (except for Christmas day) 9am to midday
There is no requirement for relatives to collect the medical cause of death certificate from the GP, hospital, or care home. A scanned copy of the signed certificate must be emailed direct to the Register Office from the GP, hospital, or care home to register.office@redbridge.gov.uk
The registrar will decide whether the burial certificate documents may be issued . This is a decision for the registrar alone.
The registrar will scan and email the green certificate for burial or cremation to the cemetery or crematorium / funeral director.
When the burial certificate is issued as an emergency, the family members or informants of the deceased will need to book an appointment to register the death at a later date.
No Liability Form (deceased died abroad but burial in England)
This form can only be issued by the Registration Service in the Borough where the burial is taking place.
This service is only available Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm.
The Funeral Director who will be taking care of the burial arrangements in this country will need to email the Register Officer with the following documents and information;
- Death Certificate
- Translation of Death certificate into English
- Permission for removal of deceased from the country e.g., Official documentation from the relevant country's authority - Coroners, Embassy, Home Office, Policing Department.
- Confirmation form East London Coroners that no further investigation is required and they have NOT issued a permission form for the burial.
- Please email the above to - register.office@redbridge.gov.uk
Taking bodies out of England and Wales (repatriation)
Anyone wanting to move a body out of England and Wales (including to Scotland) must have authority from a Coroner. This will normally be the Coroner for the jurisdiction where the person died.
This applies even if the death was completely natural and did not need to be reported to the Coroner before registration.
- The death must be registered in the usual way but before attending the Register Office (by appointment only), you must contact the Coroner’s office to make them aware that you wish to move the body abroad.
- Any certificate for burial or cremation already issued must be returned to the Register Office.
- The Coroner’s documents will take at least four working days, as necessary enquiries are required to be made with the certifying Doctor.
- The Coroner's office will guide you through what needs to be done and what documents will be required.
Once the documentation is received, the Coroner will contact you, usually within four days, to let you know when the body can be moved. In urgent situations, it may be possible to bring this forward.
You will be given a removal notice, to make arrangements for transporting the body. It is best to consult a funeral director; most carriers who permit the transportation of human remains will deal only with a funeral director.
You do not need authority from the Coroner to repatriate cremation ashes. If you intend to transport them by air, contact your airline for advice about their particular arrangements.
What happens if there is a mistake on a death certificate?
Each registration is a record of a life event. Correction of an error in a register can only be made in accordance with procedures set out by the General Register Office (GRO). You will have to apply for a correction in writing and support the request with documentary evidence.
What will a correction look like on a certificate?
The original information will still be shown as it was first given, but a marginal note will be added at the bottom of the certificate. This will describe what the correct information should be and the date the correction was made. All certificates issued thereafter will show the note in the margin.
How much does it cost to update or correct a death certificate?
From the 1 November 2017 - For consideration by Registrar/Superintendent Registrar of a correction will be £75.00
From the 1 November 2017 - For consideration by the Registrar General of a correction will be £90.00
If the correction is applied there will be an additional fee for a new certificate.
Should you require additional clarification please contact the Register Office.
How long does it take to sort out a correction?
In certain instances, we have the authority to deal with corrections without referral to the General Register Office (GRO). In most cases, however, you will need to submit correction requests to GRO.
Which correction requests can Redbridge deal with without the need to refer to GRO?
Please email register.office@redbridge.gov.uk for more information.
Register a death
