Registering a Death in Ireland

Registration Procedure
• Information
• Rules
• Costs
• How and Where to apply

Information
It is a legal requirement that every death that takes place in Ireland must be recorded and registered. Records of deaths in Ireland are held in the General Register Office, which is the central civil repository for records relating to births, marriages and deaths in Ireland. You can request a copy of a death certificate by applying to any Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths or to the General Register Office or to the Irish Certificates website.

The Civil Registration Act 2004 changed some of the rules about registering a birth and these changes took effect from December 2005.

Rules

A death can be registered with any Registrar, irrespective of where it occurs. Deaths must be registered as soon as possible after the death and no later than three months. It is usually registered by the next of kin. Alternatively, it may be registered by a person who was present during the death or final illness of the deceased, or by a near neighbour or, failing that, by the undertaker.

Costs

There is no charge to register a death that occurs in Ireland.

Fees are charged for providing a copy of a death certificate. A certificate can be issued for social welfare purposes at a reduced cost, when a letter from the Department of Social and Family Affairs is provided.

The fees for a certificate are:

• €10 for a full standard certificate – personal or postal application
• €25 for a full standard certificate – online application

How and Where to apply

How to register a death

To register a death, you must bring a Death Notification Form stating the cause of death to any Registrar. You can get this form from the doctor who attended the deceased during his/her last illness. You must complete Part 2 of the Death Notification Form. You must then sign the Register in the presence of the Registrar. This registration is free.

A doctor must be satisfied about the cause of death before he/she can certify it. If the doctor did not see the deceased at least 28 days before the death occurred, or if he/she isn't satisfied about the cause of death, he/she must inform a Coroner who will then decide if a postmortem is necessary. If the deceased died as the result of an accident, or in violent or unexplained circumstances the coroner must be informed. There may be a delay in registering a death where a postmortem is carried out. The death is automatically registered where an inquest or postmortem is held at the request of the Coroner. The Coroner issues a certificate to the Registrar containing all the details to be registered. Deaths should be registered as soon as possible and no later than 3 months from the date of the death.

A Death Certificate is not essential before claiming social welfare benefits, as a copy of the Death Notice from the newspapers will be accepted if there is a delay in getting the certificate.

Late Registration

Applications for late registration of death (after three months) should only be made to:

General Register Office
Government Offices
Convent Road
Roscommon
County Roscommon
Ireland
Tel: +353 90 663 2900
Locall: 1890 25 20 76

How and Where to obtain a death certificate

To obtain a death certificate, you can apply in person at any Registrars Office.

You can apply by post by completing the GRO death certificate application form, stating the deceaseds full name, date and place of death, and enclosing a cheque or postal order for the relevant fees in euro.

You can apply online by completing the death certificate application form, stating the deceaseds full name, date and place of death, and giving the required credit card details.