Death certificates UK: how many you need and where to use them

Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical tasks after someone dies. Most families underestimate how many they will need. Running out part way through notifying organisations adds delay at a moment when there is already too much to deal with.

This guide covers how death certificates are issued, how many to order, where they are needed, what they cost, and how to get more copies if you need them later.

What a death certificate is

A death certificate is an official document issued by a register office confirming the fact of a death. It records the deceased's name, date of birth, date and place of death, and the cause of death as certified by a doctor.

In England and Wales, death certificates are issued by the General Register Office (GRO) and local register offices. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own registration systems.

The death certificate is not the same as the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD), which is the document a doctor issues to confirm the cause. The MCCD is what you take to the register office to register the death. The death certificate is what the register office gives you in return.

How to register a death and get the certificate

Before a death certificate can be issued, the death must be registered at the local register office. In England and Wales, this must usually be done within five days of the death. In Scotland, the deadline is eight days. In Northern Ireland, it is five days.

The person registering the death (known as the informant) is typically a relative of the deceased, someone present at the death, or the occupier of the premises where the death occurred.

You will need to bring:

• The medical certificate of cause of death (issued by the attending doctor or, if there was a coroner's inquest, the coroner)

• The deceased's NHS medical card if available

• Any other identification documents you have for the deceased

The registrar will record the death and issue you with a certified copy of the entry (the death certificate) and a certificate for burial or cremation (sometimes called the green form) which the funeral director will need.

At this appointment, you can order additional certified copies of the death certificate. The cost is £12.50 per copy in England and Wales (correct as of 2026). You can order as many as you need at this stage.

For more on the registration process, see our guide on [how to register a death in the UK].

How many death certificates do you need?

Most families order too few and later wish they had ordered more. There is no standard number; it depends on the complexity of the estate. As a working guide:

One copy for each of the following:

• Each bank or building society account

• Each investment or stockbroker account

• Each pension provider

• Each insurance policy (life, health, home, car)

• The mortgage lender (if applicable)

• HMRC

• The Probate Registry (if applying for a grant of probate or letters of administration)

• DWP (for state pension and benefits)

• The employer (if the deceased was still working or had a company pension)

• Tell Us Once (this service notifies multiple government departments from a single notification, so one copy covers several)

For a typical estate with a few financial accounts, a pension, and property, ten copies is a reasonable starting point. For more complex estates with multiple accounts, foreign assets, or business interests, fifteen or more is not unusual.

The practical rule: order more than you think you need at registration. Additional copies ordered later cost the same per copy but require a separate application and take time to arrive, which delays the administration.

Where death certificates are needed

Financial institutions

Every bank, building society, investment platform, and credit card provider will require a certified copy of the death certificate before taking any action on an account. Most will retain the copy you send, so you cannot reuse the same one across multiple organisations.

Pension providers

Both private pension providers and the DWP (for state pension) require a death certificate. If the deceased had multiple pensions (a workplace pension from an earlier job, a personal pension, and the state pension) each needs its own copy.

The Probate Registry

An original certified copy of the death certificate must accompany the probate application. It will be retained by the registry.

HMRC

HMRC requires a death certificate when notifying them of the death and when submitting an inheritance tax return.

Insurers

Life insurance, critical illness cover, and any other policy with a death benefit will require a certified copy before paying out.

The mortgage lender

If the deceased had a mortgage in their sole name, or as tenants in common, the lender will need a copy.

Tell Us Once

The government's Tell Us Once service allows you to notify multiple central government departments (HMRC, DWP, DVLA, and others) from a single notification. You only need one death certificate for this process. However, Tell Us Once covers only government bodies. Every private sector organisation still needs to be notified separately.

For a full explanation of what Tell Us Once covers and what it does not, see our guide on [Tell Us Once].

Overseas assets

If the deceased held property or financial accounts in another country, you will typically need an apostille (an internationally recognised certification) attached to the death certificate for use abroad. This is handled through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Contact the relevant overseas authority or a solicitor to confirm requirements for the specific country.

What a death certificate costs

In England and Wales, certified copies cost £12.50 each, whether ordered at registration or later through the GRO.

In Scotland, the cost is £10 per copy when ordered at the local register office within one month of registration, rising to £15 after that. Ordering through Scotland's People (the NRS online service) costs £12 for the first certificate and £10 for additional copies of the same entry.

In Northern Ireland, certificates cost £8 each when purchased at the time of registration. Copies ordered later through GRONI cost £15.

Copies ordered at the time of registration are generally issued the same day or within a few days. Copies ordered later through the GRO in England and Wales take around 4 working days with a GRO index reference number, or 15 working days without one. A priority service is available for £38.50, dispatched the next working day.

How to order more copies later

If you need additional copies after the registration appointment, there are three routes:

The General Register Office (GRO): applies to deaths registered in England and Wales. You can apply online, by post, or by phone. Online applications are the fastest.

Local register office: the register office where the death was registered can often provide copies more quickly than the GRO for recent deaths.

Scotland: copies are ordered from the National Records of Scotland.

Northern Ireland: copies are ordered from the General Register Office for Northern Ireland.

You will need to provide the deceased's full name, date of death, and the district where the death was registered.

Death certificates and the broader notification process

The death certificate gets you through the door with each organisation. What happens next varies considerably: how each institution processes the notification, what additional documentation they require, and how long they take.

Banks, pension providers, insurers, and other organisations each have their own bereavement processes. None are connected. Each requires separate contact and, in most cases, will retain the copy of the death certificate you send.

Legacy Trail helps families and executors identify accounts and notify organisations centrally, reducing the number of individual contacts required. Find out more at legacytrail.co.uk

Useful links

• Order a death certificate in England and Wales (GRO): gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

• Register a death in England and Wales: gov.uk/register-a-death

• Tell Us Once: gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once

• National Records of Scotland (death certificates): nrscotland.gov.uk/registration/how-to-order-civil-registration-records

• General Register Office Northern Ireland: nidirect.gov.uk/articles/death-certificates

• Apostille service (FCDO): gov.uk/get-document-legalised