A death must be registered within 5 days unless the Coroner is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
All deaths are reviewed by the Medical Examiners Office and they will contact the next of kin once the review has been completed to discuss the cause of death and the care received.
If the death was subject to a Coroner's inquest you do not need to register the death as this will be done automatically after the inquest has been concluded.
You can book an appointment to register the death using our online form. Please wait until you have been told that the medical certificate has been emailed by the Medical Examiners to the Registrars office.
You will be able to pay for your death certificates at the same time.
These are £12.50 each.
Certificates can also be paid for at your appointment using a credit or debit card. You will receive the certificates during your appointment, together with the green form that allows you to make funeral arrangements (different procedures may apply if the Coroner is involved).
The Registrar will also provide you with a Tell Us Once reference number. This service enables you to notify most government organisations and council departments of the death in a single step.
To register the death, please attend the Register Office at the time of your appointment. The appointment will take approximately 30 minutes.
Urgent burials
Residents can contact the service to arrange urgent burial paperwork on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays.
The out-of-hours service is available by calling 0161 770 8960 between 9.30am and 12.15pm on these days.
The service is not available on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
Charges
Oldham Council has decided to stop charging for death certificates related to unmarked communal graves.
If you were charged for this in the past year, you can get a refund.
To request your refund, contact the Registrars:
- Email: registrars@oldham.gov.uk
- Phone: 0161 770 8963
Please provide the application reference number (starting with "D") or details of the payment date and amount to help process your refund.