To register a death, you need to book an appointment to go to a civil registration service.
To avoid delays, bring all the documents you need to your appointment. Without them, we will not be able to register death and order death certificate Ireland.
Who can register a death
Any family member or relative can register a death.
When to register a death
By law, you must register the death within 12 months. If you need to register a death after 12 months, phone our registration service for advice.
Documents to bring to your appointment
Photo ID
Bring the original of any of the following forms of photo ID:
- passport
- driver’s licence
- refugee asylum card
- National ID card from a country where it is an accepted form of travel document
- public services card
The ID is for the person who is registering the death, not the person who died.
Death notification form
If a person dies in a hospital or nursing home, the hospital or doctor will give the form to the next-of-kin or another relative.
The GP or doctor will have completed Part 1 of the form. You must then complete Part 2 of the form before you attend the appointment.
If someone dies outside of these places, the death is sometimes referred to as the coroner.
Deaths referred to a coroner
A coroner is responsible for investigating sudden, violent or unexplained deaths. They find out if a death is due to natural or unnatural causes.
If death is referred to the coroner, there may be a delay in registering the death. The coroner will tell you how long this might take.
They may give you an interim death certificate. This can be used to close bank and credit union accounts or to cancel social welfare or pension payments.
If there is an inquest or post-mortem, the coroner will send the civil registration service a certificate. We will then register the death. You do not need to do anything else. You can now order death certificate online Ireland from our website.