Registering a death

All deaths in the borough of Brent must be registered within five days of the death. There’s no charge for registering a death.

Registering a death during the Coronavirus pandemic

From Monday 30 March 2020 and for the duration of the pandemic period, deaths will be registered over the telephone by appointment.

Relatives do not have to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the hospital, care home or GP. A scan of the signed certificate can be sent to Brent directly at reg@brent.gov.uk . 

The green certificate for burial or cremation will be sent electronically to you or the Funeral Director, crematorium or cemetery office.

We appreciate that any loss is a difficult event and everyone will react differently. However, we ask that funerals are held without delay. Any delays in the arranging or holding of funeral services risks the ability of London’s funeral care sector to cope if the numbers of deceased rise steeply. 

By arranging a funeral service promptly, you are helping every other bereaved person in London to have the respectful, dignified funeral that you would wish for your loved one.

The number of people who can attend a funeral in England is set into law. It remains under review by the Secretary of State, but any changes will require a new law to be passed. Therefore delaying a funeral in the hope that more people can attend, if the law changes, may end up causing more distress.

Book an appointment

Please only book an appointment online once it is confirmed that we have received the Medical Cause of Death Certificate (MCCD) or the necessary paperwork from the coroner (if referred).

Alternatively, please contact us on 020 8937 1010.

The registrar will you call at your scheduled appointment time.

If you are unsure if the death took place in Brent you can check which register office covers the area.

You can register the death if you’re

• A relative
• A person who was present at the death
• The occupier of the premises where the death occurred. The informant must either be the Senior Resident Officer or Matron of the establishment where the death occurred
• The person arranging the funeral (not the funeral director). A person arranging the funeral should only register a death if there are no relatives available
• If the informant does not speak or understand English, they need to have someone who can translate for them.
• The Funeral Director (under the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020).

Certificates

Death certificates can be purchased online for £11 each by debit/credit card. We recommended 5-7 copies for various legal processes.

View more information on making a correction to a death registration

Out of hours Emergency Burial Certificate Service

An on-call service is available on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays between 9am and 11am to make an appointment between 11am and 1pm for full telephone registrations. This service is for a funeral that is to take place within 24 hours ONLY.

The on-call registrar will issue the burial certificate if:

• You can provide confirmation that the burial is to take place within 24 hours
• You have a correctly completed medical certificate of cause of death from the doctor
• The death does not have to be referred to the coroner
• You are qualified to register the death

Please contact us on 020 8937 1010.

Tell Us Once service

Tell Us Once allows you can notify report a death, when you have suffered a bereavement and need to tell central and local government departments.

When you use Tell Us Once either online or by telephone, the services notified will include;

• DWP Pensions and Benefits
• Passport
• Personal Tax
• Council Tax
• Driving Licence
• Blue Badge
• Electoral register
• Public Sector pensions

Find out more about the Tell Us Once service.

You can read more about registering a death on the Gov.uk website.