The death should be registered within five days of your loved one’s passing.
You should register the death with the registration service in the council area where the death occurred. If the death occurred in Swindon, you will need to book an appointment at Swindon Register Office.
You can check which council you will need to register with by using the council area look-up tool.
Please note:
The following places are not in the borough of Swindon:
Cricklade, Purton, Marlborough, Broad Hinton, Aldbourne and Royal Wootton Bassett – these are in Wiltshire.
Watchfield, Faringdon and Shrivenham – these are in Oxfordshire.
Before taking any action, the register office will need the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). This is issued by the GP, hospital or bereavement office and sent directly to the register office in Swindon.
If it is difficult to go to the register office within five days, you can arrange to present the information to any other register office (Registration by declaration). They will pass it on to us, which means the death is still registered in Swindon.
If the death has been reported to the coroner, you will not be able to register the death until the coroner has completed their investigation.
If this is Swindon, the registrars office will call you to book an appointment when they have the MCCD from the Doctors Surgery. If they have not been in contact in 4 days of contacting the Doctor then please call them on 01793 522738 to make a telephone appointment to register the death.
Who can register the death?
You can register the death if you are:
- a relative present at the death
- a relative present during the last illness
- a relative living in the registration district
- a non-related person present at the death
- the occupier of the premises, if aware of the death happening
- the person arranging the funeral (but not the funeral director)
Other people may be able to register the death in certain circumstances.
Meeting with the registrar
When you register a death, the registrar will meet you in private and ask questions about the person who has died. They will ask you to check the information entered in the register carefully and to sign that it is correct.
What they will need to know.
To register a death, they will need the following information about the person who died:
- Date and place of death
- Full name
- Maiden surname, if applicable (and information about other names used)
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation
- Address
- Full names and occupation of their spouse or civil partner if they were married or in civil partnership.
- NHS number or medical card (if possible)
- Details of any benefits or entitlements they were getting, such as state pension.
You will also need to tell us your name and address.
What you need to bring
You will need the following documents with you:
- The deceased’s birth certificate (if possible)
- The deceased marriage or civil partnership certificate (if possible)
- The deceased’s NHS medical card (if possible)
The registration process takes approximately 30 minutes.
You will be given the opportunity to purchase death certificates for a fee of £11 each. These may be required to advise financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies and pension providers.
You will also be offered the ‘Tell Us Once’ service, which enables you to notify relevant local authority and government departments, for example electoral roll, Blue Badge, the DWP, HMRC and the DVLA, via one phone call or online form.