A death must be registered by a qualified ‘informant’. Please note that by registering a death an Informant is not accepting responsibility for making a funeral arrangement. Please refer to our guide to the Registration Informant.
A death is legally required to be registered in the registration district in which death occurred within 5 days of the Registrar accepting the electronic version of a completed medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) received from the Medical Examiner Office (MEO). This includes weekends and bank holidays. If this is not possible or convenient, details may be given to any registration officer of deaths in England or Wales who will forward the details to the correct registration district. This is called making a ‘Declaration’. Death certificates cannot be produced or the ‘Green Form’ issued until the receiving office has registered the death from the Declaration.
Please be aware that if a deceleration is made, copies of death certificates and the Green form will be issued by the receiving office's registration district. If there is going to be an investigation into the cause of death this may not be possible.
In general, registration of the death should be carried out before the funeral can go ahead. Exceptions can be made if deaths are subject to investigation by the coroner. Permission for burial may also be issued before full registration in certain circumstances, usually for urgent faith or religious reasons.
If the informant does not speak or understand English, they need to bring someone to the registration appointment who can translate for them.
Registration with no involvement from the Coroner:
No Coroner’s involvement: If the death occurred in Kingston Borough and no post mortem or inquest is to be held, the MEO will send the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) to the Kingston Register Office via electronic means, together with the contact details for the Next of Kin. A Registrar will check the paperwork and contact the named Next of Kin to arrange an appointment to attend the civic office to complete the Registration. We may telephone you to book your appointment or email you with a link to book your own.
Registration with a Coroner’s Post Mortem
The Coroner’s Office will let you know when they have sent the necessary paperwork to our office. As above, you will need to attend an appointment to Register. You must still register even if you have been issued with paperwork to make the funeral arrangements.
Registration with a Coroner’s Inquest
There is no need to Register in person. Please contact Kingston Register Office by email at registrars@kingston.gov.uk after the Coroner’s Office has advised that the inquest has concluded to order your certificates.
What will the registrar want to know at your appointment?
A registrar will talk to you in private about the person who has died and will ask for:
The full name of the person who has died
Any previous names, e.g. a maiden name
Their occupation
The full name, date of birth and occupation of a spouse or civil partner (even if they are deceased)
Whether the deceased was receiving a state pension or other benefits
Documents issued after a death registration
A ‘green form’ for burial or cremation - unless the Coroner has already issued a form to the relevant Burial or Cremation Authority on your behalf. There is no charge for either of these forms
A Certified Copy of an Entry to the Death Register ‘death certificate(s)’ - these may be bought at the time of registration or at any time afterwards at a cost of £12.50 per copy.
A registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service to you and provide you with a unique reference number which you must use within 28 days of issue.
Bereavement Office
Bonner Hill Road
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 3EZ
Free parking is available along the verge to the right hand side past the office, or in the main car park located further down the main drive.