Registering a death

Once the doctor has completed the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, and the medical examiner has signed it off, 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 by the medical examiner service. If your relative/friend has died in hospital, the Care After Death service team will advise you when this has been done. If your relative/friend has died in the community, the GP practice should be able to advise you when this has been done, or you can contact the Care After Death team who can liaise with the GP on your behalf.

The appointment at the registrars will take place at the Register Office of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and it will be at the office in the jurisdiction where your relative/friend has died. If they died in Swansea, for example, you will need to register the death at Swansea Register Office.

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 will not 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.

There are two register offices in the Swansea Bay University Health Board area:

• Swansea Registrars, Register Office, Civic Centre, Oystermouth Road, Swansea, SA1 3SN.

Please be aware that your contact details will have been provided to the Swansea registrar, and they will contact you in the first instance to arrange an appointment. Should you need to contact them, their number is 01792 636188.

Further information about death registration at Swansea can be found by following this link to the Swansea Council website.

• Neath Port Talbot Registrars, Register Office, Forster Road, Neath, SA11 3BN.

Please be aware you will need to contact the Neath registrar to make an appointment once the doctor has completed the Medical Cause of Death Certificate. Their contact number is 01639 760021.

Further information about death registration at Neath Port Talbot can be found by following this link to the Neath Port Talbot Council website.