How to register a death

You have eight days to register a death in Scotland. In exceptional circumstances, there may be a delay in the issue of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD/Form 11). Medical Certificate of Cause of Death' (MCCD/Form 11) are emailed directly to the Registrar office. 

You can register a death at any Scottish registration office. 

In September 2022 the law in Scotland changed to allow deaths to be registered remotely. This means that all death registrations in Aberdeen will take place over the telephone. If a telephone appointment is not suitable, please contact us to discuss alternative options. 

Below explains how to register a death in Aberdeen. 

A death must be registered before a burial or cremation can take place. All deaths that have occurred in Scotland must be registered with a Scottish Registrar even if the person is not normally a resident of Scotland.

If someone who is normally a resident of Scotland dies abroad, you should register the death according to local regulations of that country. You may also be able to register the death with the British Consul in that country for a fee and a record of the death will be sent to Scotland. If you do, you would be able to obtain a copy of the death certificate from The National Records of Scotland.

• Any relative of the deceased.
• The deceased's executor or other legal representative.
• Anyone present when the person died.
• Anyone who lived at the premises where the person died.
• The occupier of the premises where the death took place
• Any other person with knowledge of the particulars to be registered
• Anyone that knows the information required to register a death (see section below).

You will be asked to provide the registrar with the following information about the deceased to register the death:

• Full name
• Date, place, and country of birth
• Marital Status
• Occupation
• Address
• The full names of all spouses and civil partners and their occupations
• Father's full name and usual occupation
• Mother's full name, maiden name and usual occupation
• Any other surnames for the mother
• If the parents are still alive and whether they are retired
• Name and address of their registered doctor.

You can give the registration information by calling 03000 200 292 (option 6)

Once the required information and the 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death' (MCCD/Form 11) have been received, a Registrar will call the person who is registering the death to verify all the information. 

After registration has been completed, you will receive the following documents via post or collect in person at Marischal College. Collection time for certificates is Monday to Friday 11am-4pm . 

• An abbreviated death certificate: this is free of charge and shows the person's name, date and place of death.
• You can purchase a full death certificate for £10. This is a certified extract and is needed to notify organisations about the person's death. 

We will email a Form 14 - certificate of registration of death to your chosen Funeral Director. 

When someone has died, we can help you by telling certain organisations that need to know. Depending on where the deceased was living, the Registrar can contact other organisations such as the Department for Work and Pensions with the information given at the time of registration.

To use this service, please give details about the person that has died:

• National Insurance number
• Passport 
• Driving licence 
• Disability Blue Badge
• Accord Card
• Details of public sector pension
• Details of any vehicle they owned or kept.