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:
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the death will be recorded with the General Register Offices or the National Records Office of Scotland
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the death record will be held in the UK
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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.
How long it takes
It normally takes at least 5 working days to register a death with the UK authorities, plus courier or postage time. The Overseas Registration team will let you know if your application will take longer, for example, if you need to provide more evidence.
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.