Register a death

What happens next?

When someone passes away, the attending doctor will complete a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). This certificate is then forwarded to the Medical Examiner for scrutiny. The Medical Examiner will contact the Next of Kin to address any concerns and, upon completion of the review, will send the necessary documentation to the Register Office.

Once the Register Office has received the MCCD, a registrar will contact the Next of Kin to arrange an appointment to formally register the death.

This appointment should be completed within five days of the Register Office receiving the certificate.

If the death is referred to the Coroner, the Coroner's Office will inform the Next of Kin when registration may proceed. In such instances, a Coroner's Certificate (CN2) will be issued in place of the MCCD.

If the person passed away outside Powys, you must contact the register office in the county where the death happened to register the death. If you are unable to travel to the county to register in person you may be able to register by "declaration" at your local office. Please be aware that if you complete a declaration, you will not receive the certificate for burial or cremation (the green form) or the death certificates - you will need to arrange these with the register office in the district in which the death occurred.

How do I make an appointment?

All registrations in Powys are by appointment only.

An appointment to register the death cannot be made until the register office has received the required documentation from the Medical Examiner or Coroner.

You can request an appointment to register a death that occurred in Powys by completing the notification form below. We will contact you to arrange your appointment once we have received the required documentation.

Request an appointment to register a death Request an appointment to register a death

Who can Register?

Certain people have a legal duty to complete the registration. In order of preference, they are as follows:

A relative or partner of the deceased.
A personal representative of the deceased
A person present at the death.
A senior administrator at the care home or hospital in which the death occurred.
The person arranging the burial or cremation

Medical Examiner

Following the introduction of the statutory Medical Examiner service on 9^th September 2024, all deaths in England and Wales without coroner involvement will be reviewed by the Medical Examiner Service.

The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership hosts the Medical Examiner Service, which independently reviews all deaths not being investigated by the coroner.

Medical Examiners, who are experienced doctors with specialised training in death certification, will ensure the cause of death is accurately recorded. They will identify any concerns for further investigation by the care provider or coroner if needed and consider the views of the bereaved.

More information: https://nwssp.nhs.wales/ourservices/medical-examiner-service/

Copy Certificates

You can obtain as many certificates as required at your appointment. They will be needed for the administration of the estate. There is a fee for certificates payable to the registration service.

If you need to order more certificates after the appointment you can call us on 01597827468 or order online

Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once is a free service offered by the UK government allowing you to inform various local and central government organisation without sending them certificates.

You will need a login code from the registrars to complete this service, this will be given to you at your appointment.

If you have received an interim certificate from the coroner, you can contact the registrar to obtain a code to complete the service on 01597 827468, or by emailing the interim certificate to registrar@powys.gov.uk

More information: https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once