Registering a death
Brent Registration and Nationality Service 020 8937 1010
We are responsible for helping the public carry out their legal duties to register all deaths that happen in Brent.
All deaths that take place in the borough, whether in hospital or at home, must be registered with us within 5 days. You can also register a death at the Bereavement Centre at Central Middlesex Hospital, by appointment.
You can walk-in if registering an urgent death, but may have to wait to be seen according to registrar availability. Alternatively, contact the office in advance to book an appointment. An appointment can usually be booked the same day or by the following day. Brent Registration and Nationality Service operate a seven day service.
To register a death you need to bring with you the medical certificate. This is issued by the doctor who last treated the deceased and will give the cause of death. If the death has been passed to the coroner, they will send a document recording the cause of death to us.
A death can only be registered by a relative of the deceased or other person qualified by law. This includes a person present at the death or the administrative officer of a hospital or nursing home. The person instructing the funeral director can also register the death if nobody else is available.
Once the death has been registered, we provide you with a document which allows the funeral to take place. This needs to be given to the funeral director. We will also issue a document for the Department of Social Security (DSS). This clears up any outstanding pension entitlement, if appropriate, and also gives the DSS information on the benefit entitlement of the surviving spouse. Both these documents are issued free of charge. Certificates are issued at £3.50 same day and £7.00 on the next day.
We hold records of all deaths registrations in Brent from 1837. We can supply certified death certificates for a set fee, which can be used for legal purposes. We also provide help with correcting legal records once the authority is granted by the General Register Office.
Contact us at reg@brent.gov.uk or 020 8937 1010 Town Hall or 020 8965 2106 Central Middlesex Hospital.