Births, marriages, deaths and nationality Register a death

Urgent burials

Issuing the paperwork for an urgent burial

If the deceased needs to be buried within 24 hours of death for religious reasons, we can issue the necessary paperwork every day of the year. You’ll need to email us to let us know about the death and your need for an urgent burial.  

Sometimes we need to report the death to the coroner or there’s a problem with the paperwork that the doctor has issued. In these cases we might not be able to issue the burial paperwork until the next day.

If we can issue the paperwork you need for the funeral, it will be emailed to you and/or your funeral director, as this is the most efficient way to issue it to you.  We ask that you don’t come to the Register Office to collect it, as it can be issued to you much quicker by email.  

Once the registrar has all the documentation they need to issue the burial authority (the ‘green form’) they will call you to get the details they need from you.  

The registrar cannot issue the burial paperwork without the fully completed Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by a qualified doctor, or paperwork issued by the Coroner.  

If you need the green form to arrange a same-day funeral, send an email to registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk including the following details (if you can’t email us yourself, ask your funeral director to do it on your behalf). Please make sure that you include the words ‘URGENT FAITH DEATH’ in the subject line when emailing the Register Office, otherwise it may not be picked up quickly:

  • The name of the deceased  
  • The place and date of death  
  • If possible, confirmation as to whether or not the death has been referred to the Coroner  
  • A phone number you will be available on  
  • If possible, the name and email address of the funeral director  

Availability through the week

If you are contacting us on a weekday (Monday to Friday): 

A registrar is available from 8.30am until 3.30pm. If either the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, issued by the doctor, or any Coroner’s paperwork arrives after 2.30pm we might not be able to deal with your request the same day, although we will always try to do so. Please note that the office closes at 1pm on the first Tuesday of each month, after which time no registrar will be available to issue burial paperwork. Email registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk

If you are contacting us on a Saturday: 

A registrar is available between 9am and 2pm but could be busy with other duties and may not be able to respond immediately. If either the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, issued by the doctor, or any Coroner’s paperwork arrives after 2pm we might not be able to deal with your request the same day, although we will always try to do so. Email registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk  

If you are contacting us on a Sunday or Bank Holiday:

A registrar is available between 10am and 2.30pm. If either the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, issued by the doctor, or any Coroner’s paperwork arrives after 2pm we might not be able to deal with your request the same day, although we will always try to do so. Email registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk  

If the body is to be buried outside England and Wales  

If you need to remove a body for burial outside England and Wales a special form will be sent to your funeral director by the Coroner, but the death must be registered before this can be issued.  

Registering the death 

You must also register the death within 5 days, so an appointment will be made for you to come to the Register Office. You’ll need to attend this appointment to complete the registration and collect the death certificate.  

If a death occurs out of hours and the body needs to be removed from the country, let us know by email to registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk and we’ll contact you as soon as possible to arrange to register the death.

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