Register a death medically certified before 9 September
You should register a death with us if it happens in the Â鶹ÊÓƵ area. If it has happened in a different council area, you should contact that council.
To give us your contact details and to check if the correct paperwork has been received send an email to
Appointment to register the death in person
When a doctor issues a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) they share it with us, along with contact details for next of kin or the person reporting the death.
When the doctor or hospital sends us the MCCD you can book an appointment at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Register Office. Booking online is the fastest and simplest way to .
We are currently very busy, but we will provide and appointment as soon as possible. You must not arrange a date for the funeral until you have an appointment to register the death.
If you have not booked an appointment to register the death within a few days of us receiving the MCCD, we may use the contact details provided by the doctor or hospital that sent us the MCCD to call or email you.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing and would like support during the appointment, email us: RORegistrations@birmingham.gov.uk.
At the appointment, we will:
- complete the registration of death
- ask you how many death certificates you want to buy
Death certificates cost £12.50 each. You can only pay by debit or credit card.
It is a good idea to buy several copies of the death certificate. You can buy more copies in the future if you find you need them. They will cost £12.50 each and you will have to pay for postage.
After registration is complete
We will send your funeral director a Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form). This tells them that the funeral can happen.
If you have chosen not to have a funeral director, you can hold the funeral yourself at this point.
When the coroner is involved
Coroners are officers who investigate deaths that are referred to them. When a death is unexpected, or the cause of death is unclear, it will be referred to the coroner.
The death cannot be registered until the coroner has established a cause of death.
If the coroner decides to open an inquest, they may issue an interim certificate. This will allow you to use the Tell Us Once service, see below.
If the process is taking a long time, you may want to hold a memorial service before the body is released.
There is further information on on GOV.UK.
Tell Us Once service
Tell Us Once is a government service that lets you tell various government departments that someone has died. It means you do not have to contact all the departments one at a time.
At your appointment to register the death, we will give you a reference to use this service.
Page last updated: 11 September 2024