Help & advice

Registering a death in Scotland.

Death registration in Scotland is run by the National Records of Scotland and works slightly differently from England and Wales. This guide covers the timing, who registers, and what you receive.

Within 8 days

Any registry office in Scotland

Form 14 needed for the cremation

When and where to register

In Scotland, a death must be registered within eight days. Unlike in England and Wales, you can register at any registration office in Scotland — not only the office covering the place of death. Most families choose the office nearest where they live.

Most offices are appointment-only. Search for “register a death” plus your local council on the Scottish council’s website to book.

Who can register

The registrar will normally accept registration from:

Any relative of the person who died
Anyone present at the death
The deceased’s executor or other legal representative
The occupier of the premises where the death took place
Any other person who has knowledge of the particulars to be registered

What to bring

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Form 11) is sent to the registrar electronically by the doctor — you don’t bring a copy. You will be asked for:

Full name and any names previously used
Date and place of birth
Date and place of death
Last address
Occupation
Marital status, and the name and occupation of any spouse or civil partner
Names and occupations of the deceased’s parents
Whether the deceased was receiving a state pension or other benefits

Bring the deceased’s birth certificate, marriage certificate, and NHS card if you have them — not essential, but helpful.

What you receive

The registrar will give you:

An Abbreviated or Extract of an Entry from the Register of Deaths (the death certificate). The first extract is included; additional copies are charged per copy.
Form 14 (Certificate of Registration of Death), which the funeral director will need before a cremation can go ahead. This is the Scottish equivalent of the “green form”.
A unique reference for Tell Us Once if available in your council area. Tell Us Once is now widely available in Scotland and notifies most relevant government departments in one go.
Form BD8 (notification of death for benefits purposes).

If a Procurator Fiscal is involved

In Scotland, suspicious or unexplained deaths are investigated by the Procurator Fiscal rather than a coroner. If the death has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal, the registrar cannot register it until the Procurator Fiscal’s investigation is complete and they authorise registration. See our Procurator Fiscal guide.

How this differs from England and Wales

Timeframe: 8 days in Scotland vs. 5 days in England and Wales.
Where: any office in Scotland; in E&W you need the office covering the place of death.
Who investigates suspicious deaths: Procurator Fiscal in Scotland; coroner in E&W.
The cremation form: Form 14 in Scotland; the “green form” (Certificate for Burial or Cremation) in E&W.

We work with families across the UK regardless of which system applies. Call us on 0333 242 1405 if you have questions about the Scottish process specifically.