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Registering a death abroad...
You can register the death with the nearest consulate if you live overseas or the Foreign & Commonwealth (FCO), Consular Services department in London, if you live in the UK.

The Coping with Death Abroad page also has practical advice about how the FCO can help if a relative or friend dies abroad.

Consular death registration is not a legal requirement but there are some benefits:

an entry will be made in the death register by the British Consulate in the country concerned

you’ll be provided with a British style death certificate

a record of the death will be held by the General Register Office in the UK

You’ll need to register the death with the foreign civil authorities and obtain a full foreign death certificate before you can apply for consular death registration. The consular death certificate won’t include a cause of death as many foreign death certificates don’t include this detail. If you are resident overseas you can apply for a consular death certificate from your nearest embassy or consulate.

Countries the FCO don’t register deaths for:

Please note that the FCO can’t register deaths which occurred in these countries:

Australia

Canada

New Zealand

Republic of Ireland

South Africa

UK Overseas Territories

The standard of registration in these countries is similar to that of the UK.

Registering a death at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London

If you are resident in the UK you can apply for the registration through the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. All applications are dealt with by post. The FCO recommend you send your application by special delivery and include two self addressed pre-paid special delivery envelope so they can return your documents and certificate safely to you.

The FCO send you an acknowledgement letter and return your documents to you within or just after 20 working days. It’ll take approximately 6 weeks for you receive the consular death certificate. The FCO may have to contact you for further evidence that the person who has died was British.

You can download and complete the registration form here

Fees to register a death

The current fee for registering the death is £92.00, plus £59.00 for each certificate requested e.g. one certificate = £92.00 + £59.00 = £151.00, two certificates = £210.00 etc.

It will cost you £59.00 for each additional copy of the certificate obtained from us. After March of the year following the registration copies can be obtained from the General Register Office.

Please note: the FCO no longer accept personal cheques, they can only accept bank drafts or postal orders. The fees are closely regulated by Parliament and are set to cover administration costs.