Register a Death
Deaths in Scotland should be registered within 8 days from the date of death at any Registration Office in Scotland. This can be done in any area and not necessarily the one in which the person lived or died. The death however must be registered within the UK country in which it occurred, i.e. if a person dies in Scotland, their death must be registered in Scotland, even if they did not usually live in Scotland. Details of registrars are available from local council websites or offices with registration often done remotely via the telephone or an online call.
National Records of Scotland provides useful information including:
- Who can register a death and how to do it including the paperwork needed
- The requirement for a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD, Form 11) to enable a death to be registered. (Please note that the MCCD should go directly from the certifying doctor to the registration office that the family choose to use and should not be given to the family or the funeral director).
- The requirement for a Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) to enable funeral arrangements to be made
- What happens after registering a death and information about the documents received
- Advice on funeral support payments
- Advice on the Tell Us Once service
Registering a Stillbirth
A stillbirth is the birth of a baby after 24 weeks of pregnancy which did not show any signs of life at time of delivery. The Stillbirth Register is separate from the Register of Births and the Register of Deaths. Stillbirths in Scotland should be registered within 21 days at any Registration Office in Scotland. Details of registrars are available from local council websites or offices.
National Records of Scotland provides useful information including:
- Who can register a still birth and how to do it
- The requirement for a Certificate of Stillbirth (Form 6) from a doctor or a midwife to allow the stillbirth to be registered
- The requirement for a Certificate of Registration of Stillbirth (Form 8) to allow the funeral to proceed
Babies delivered dead before 24 weeks are not registered. In this instance, there are currently no statutory forms required to be completed, and the family are not required to register the death with the registrar although there is a non-statutory Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Prior to 24 Weeks held by National Records of Scotland.
Further information:
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists good practice guide (no 4): Registration of Stillbirths and Certification for Pregnancy Loss Before 24 weeks of Gestation.
The Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Prior to 24 weeks: The Memorial Book - National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Advance Registration of Death
If an MCCD is selected for review, the person registering the death may apply to the Death Certification Review Service (DCRS) for an advance registration (sometimes referred to as an expedited review or not staying registration) before the review is complete. The application form is completed by the registrar of births, deaths and marriages using information from the person registering the death.
People can apply for advance registration for three reasons:
- for religious or cultural reasons – e.g., some religious traditions require burial within 24 hours, and some communities have a tradition of burial within three days
- for compassionate reasons – e.g., in the death of a child under 16 years where a delay may cause significant additional distress
- for administrative or practical reasons – e.g., where the family does not reside in Scotland and the deceased will be in transit to another part of the UK or international destinations for a funeral
If the request is granted, registration of the death may go ahead if the MCCD is considered by the medical reviewer (from the DCRS) to be in order, while the full review continues to be carried out. This is important as it will allow the burial or cremation to proceed. The registrar will subsequently advise the certifying doctor if any changes are required to the content of the MCCD following review.
If the MCCD does not appear to be in order then the advance registration will not be granted, and registration (and hence burial or cremation) will need to wait for the outcome of the review.
Further information:
Information leaflet for people who are bereaved - A Guide to Death Certification Review in Scotland
Death Certification Review Service: Advance Registration Death Certification Review Service: advance registration – Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Advance Registration and Death in Primary Care Out of Hours and During Public Holidays
Primary care out of hours doctors are expected to provide MCCDs (to the best of their knowledge and belief) for deaths occurring in the out of hours period during weekends and public holidays, but only in those exceptional circumstances where a burial is required within 24 hours. GPs will need to assess the request and make a judgement on a case-by-case basis on whether they are able to agree to provide an MCCD.
Further information:
DL (2015) 8 Rapid Provision of Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) in Exceptional Circumstances First Tier
Additional resources
Spiritual and Faith Related:
SAD webpage Spirituality and Death | Culture and Death | Support Around Death
NES Spiritual Care: a multifaith resource for healthcare staff (2021) 332b981c-06e9-4689-b04c-b013fe0cf203_Multi-Faith Resource for Healthcare Staff final interactive version May 2021.pdf
NES Spiritual Care Matters: an introductory resource for all NHS Scotland staff (2021) e7d02664-e382-440a-bc12-c06646bde9d2_Spiritual Care Matters.pdf