Death registration

How to register a death

All deaths in Scotland must be registered within 8 days. You can register a death at any Scottish registration office — it doesn't need to be with us.

A death must be registered before a burial or cremation can take place. This applies even if the person who died wasn't normally resident in Scotland.

The hospital or doctor's practice will email the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD, or Form 11) directly to us.

Since 2022, you've been able to register a death remotely over the phone, although you can still book a face-to-face appointment if you'd prefer.

Information we'll need from you

To register the death, we'll ask you for the following information about the person who has died:

• Full name
• Date and place of birth
• Marital status
• Occupation
• Address
• The full names and occupations of any spouses or civil partners
• Their father's full name and occupation
• Their mother's full name, maiden surname (and any other surnames she used) and occupation
• Whether their parents are still alive, and if so, whether they're retired
• The name and address of their doctor

Once we've received the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, we'll contact the person who is to register the death, as notified to us by the funeral director.

After you've registered

You'll receive a free abbreviated death certificate, showing the person's name, date and place of death.

You can also buy a full death certificate for the statutory fee — this is the one you'll need for pensions, insurance policies, solicitors and similar purposes.

We'll email the relevant paperwork (a "Form 14") to your chosen funeral director so they can go ahead with arrangements for burial or cremation.

We'll also give you information on how to use the Tell Us Once service, which lets you tell the Department for Work and Pensions and other organisations about the death in one go — including cancelling a state pension, National Insurance number and other benefits.