Skip to main content

beta This is the improved Camden website. Tell us what you think.

Register a death in Camden

When someone dies, the death must be registered. We’ll explain the process and what support is available. 

On this page: 

When to register a death 

After someone dies, a medical examiner will check the cause of death and create the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. They’ll send this to us. 

If we have not received this paperwork, we cannot register the death, nor issue a green form for burial or cremation. 

The medical examiner’s office will contact you to confirm you can register the death. You must do this within 5 days of being contacted. This includes weekends and bank holidays. 

If the coroner is involved 

If the death was unexpected or the cause was unclear, a coroner might be asked to investigate. This can cause a delay to registration.  

Coroners post mortem 

If you’ve received confirmation that the coroner has completed their work and has sent the paperwork to us, you can book an appointment to register the death. 

Coroner’s inquest 

If you’ve received confirmation that the coroner has completed their work and has sent the relevant paperwork to us, you can order the certificates online. You do not need to visit the register office. If you have any questions about this, contact us. 

Stillbirth and neonatal death 

If your baby was stillborn, there’s a different registering process to follow. Find out how to register a stillbirth. 

If your baby died after they were born, you need to register both the birth and the death. Contact us instead of booking online, and we’ll guide you through the process. 

Miscarriage 

If the baby dies before 24 completed weeks, it's known as a miscarriage or late foetal loss. You do not have to register this. 

You can get a baby loss certificate in memory of your baby.  You do not have to get one, but it’s available if you want to. There’s no time limit on requesting a certificate. Find out how to request a baby loss certificate on GOV.UK.  

Who can register a death 

You can only register a death if you are:  

  • a relative or partner of the deceased, present at the death 

  • a relative or partner of the deceased, in attendance during the last illness 

  • a relative or partner of the deceased, residing or being in the sub-district where the death occurred; in the case of an out of district declaration, the relative is deemed to be in the sub-district where the death took place at the time of giving the information for the declaration 

  • a personal representative of the deceased 

  • a person present at the death 

  • the occupier of the house if he/she knew that the death had happened 

  • any inmate of the house if he/she knew that the death had happened 

  • the person causing the burial or cremation of the body 

How to register a death 

Where to register a death 

The death should ideally be registered with the local authority it happened in. If it happened in the borough of Camden, you should register it with us.  

If the death happened outside Camden, you should contact the appropriate register office. 

If you cannot visit us, you can go to another register office in England or Wales. Contact them before your appointment to ask them to request any relevant paperwork from us. 

Once you have attended the appointment, the office you attended will pass the details on to us, but this will delay the process. You should not do this if you expect the funeral to happen within 2 weeks. 

Book an appointment 

To register a death, you’ll need to make an appointment to visit our register office at Camden Town Hall, 5 Judd Street, WC1H 9JE. We do not take walk-in appointments. If the coroner is involved, contact us to check what you should do first. 

Book an appointment 

If you cannot book an appointment online or need help to book, contact us. 

Our register office is step-free. Let us know in advance of your appointment if you need: 

  • a translator or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter (this can take several weeks to arrange, so bring a friend or relative to do this if you can) 

  • support for a disability or health condition 

What you should bring 

If you have any of the following for the person who has died, bring them to the appointment: 

  • passport, driving licence or birth certificate 

  • marriage or civil partnership certificate, if relevant 

You do not have to bring them, but it can help us record details accurately. We’ll tell you when we confirm your appointment if you should bring anything else 

What happens at the appointment 

At your appointment, you’ll meet with a registrar, who is responsible for creating legal records of deaths. You’ll meet with them in a private room and your appointment will take around 30 minutes. You can bring someone with you for support. 

The registrar will confirm details about the person who has died, including: 

  • their full name, including any other names they used 

  • their date and place of birth 

  • their address 

  • their occupation 

  • where and when they died  

  • the name, date of birth and occupation of any married or civil partner 

The registrar will create the death record and you’ll be asked to sign it. Check this carefully before signing. If you later realise there’s an error, you’ll have to pay a fee to correct it. Find out more about corrections on death certificates. 

What happens next 

Once you’ve registered the death, you can get a:  

  • certificate for burial or cremation, known as the green form  

  • death certificate 

  • form 9 - part D, which advises the undertaker of any medical devices 

Green form 

The green form is the document you need to arrange a burial or cremation. Give the green form to the funeral director or whoever is making the arrangements. 

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to get help to pay for a funeral. 

Death certificate 

You’ll need the death certificate for dealing with: 

  • the estate (such as their property or belongings) 

  • banks and insurance companies 

  • pensions and benefits 

  • legal matters 

There’s a fee for certificates and you can buy them before or during your appointment. If you need more, you can order copies of the death certificate online at any time. You might need copies because some organisations require an original certificate. 

Tell Us Once service 

The Tell Us Once service lets you report a death to most government services at the same time. 

The registrar will give you a reference number and explain what to do at your appointment. 

Find a video about Tell Us Once on the government’s YouTube, as well as a British Sign Language version of the video. 

Same-day or urgent burial 

If you need a same-day or urgent burial, for religious or other reasons, book the first available appointment online. If there are no appointments available, you should call us on 020 7974 4444: 

  • Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 3pm  

  • Saturday to Sunday, 9am to midday 

  • bank holidays, 9am to midday 

  • by SignVideo, for British Sign Language users 

A registrar will call you back - our calls will show up as ‘no caller ID’ or similar. We’ll do our best to provide you with the documents you need.  

Support when someone dies 

No matter your circumstances, there’s emotional and practical support available. Find out more about bereavement support. 

Contact us 

If you have any questions or want advice if the death has been referred to the coroner, you can contact us:  

  • by phone on 020 7974 4444, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm 

  • by SignVideo, for British Sign Language users, 24 hours a day 

Find our privacy notice, which explains how the information we collect about you is used and your rights in relation to this.