Register a death: Information based on your answers
You must register the death according to the regulations in the country where the person died. You’ll be given a local death certificate.
This death certificate will be accepted in the UK. If it’s not in English, you need to have it translated by an approved translator.
Register a death abroad with the UK authorities
You can also choose to register a death abroad with the UK authorities, if the death happened on or after 1 January 1983.
You do not have to do this, but if you do:
-
the death will be recorded with the General Register Offices or the National Records Office of Scotland
-
the death record will be held in the UK
-
you can order a consular death registration certificate - this is an optional document that says you’ve registered a death abroad with the UK authorities
You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities in order to use the Tell Us Once service.
Fees
It costs £150 to register a death with the UK authorities. You can also order a consular death registration certificate - it costs £50 per certificate.
You’ll also need to pay to have your documents sent back to you. This costs between £5 and £25 depending on which country the documents are returned to.
Apply online
Use this service to register a death abroad with the UK authorities.
This service is optional.
Get help with your application
If you have any questions about registering a death abroad with the UK authorities, email Overseas.RegistrationUnit@fcdo.gov.uk.