Funeral Plans Scotland

Who can register a death in Scotland?

The death can be registered by:

• Any relative of the deceased, or
• Any person present when the person died, or
• The deceased's executor or other legal representative, or
• The occupier of the property where the person died, or if there is no such person,
• Anyone else who knows the information to be registered.

How and where do I register a death?

Any death which occurs in Scotland must be registered within eight days by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The law requires the death to be registered either in the registration district where the death took place or in the registration district where the deceased lived (the district of "usual residence", which for this purpose means the deceased's permanent home in Scotland, not an address such as a holiday address where he or she may have been staying at the time of death). You can obtain the address of the local registrar from the undertaker, the hospital, the doctor, the telephone book (see under 'Registration of Births, Death and Marriages') or the Directory of Registrars in Scotland. You will wish to note that a burial can take place before the registration but that a cremation can only take place after the death has been registered.

What documents should I take to the registrar?

You should take with you:

• The medical certificate of cause of death;
• The deceased's birth and marriage certificate;
• The deceased's NHS medical card;
• Any documents relating to the receipt of a pension or allowance from government funds.

Do not worry if any of these documents are not available as the registrar can still proceed to register the death. When the registration is complete the registrar will give you, free of charge:

• A certificate of registration of death for production to the person in charge of the burial ground or crematorium;
• A Social Security registration or notification of death certificate for use in obtaining or adjusting Social Security benefits.
• Any extracts of the death entry can be obtained for a fee.

This site is restricted to customers resident in the UK.

We are introducers to Dignity Funeral Plans who are regulated by the Funeral Planning Authorities Independant Board. Funeral Plans are an unregulated product.