Information
It is a legal requirement in Ireland that every death
that takes place in the State 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 apply for a copy of a death
certificate to any Registrar of Births, Marriages and Death or to the
General Register Office. Read
about applying for a death certificate here.
The Civil
Registration Act 2004 changed some
of the rules about registering a death. 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.
Rates
There is no charge to register a death that occurs in
Ireland. Fees are charged for a copy of a death certificate.
A certificate is issued for social welfare purposes at a
reduced cost. Evidence it is for social welfare purposes is required,
such as a note from the Department of Social Protection.
The fees charged for a certificate are as follows:
€20 for a full standard certificate
€1 for a copy for social welfare purposes (letter
from Department of Social Protection required)
€4 for an uncertified copy of an entry in the
Register
€10 to have a certificate authenticated (only
available from the General Register Office)
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
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 he/she didn't 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 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. You will require the
written permission of the Registrar General to register any death
that was not registered within one year.
You can approach any Registrar to get a copy of a Death
Certificate. If you are registering the death, you can get copies of
the Death Certificate at the same time. There is a reduced fee for
those who need the Death Certificate for social welfare purposes. You
do not necessarily have to wait for the Death Certificate 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.
You should approach a maternity hospital or your local
Registrar for information on how
to register a stillborn child.
An
application form for a copy of a Death Certificate
is available from the General Register Office.
You can also apply
online for a copy of a certificate.
Where To Apply
Contact information for Registrars
of Births, Marriages and Deaths
throughout Ireland is available on the HSE's website and from your
Local
Health Office.
You can apply online for a copy of a certificate.
Application for late registration only should be made
to:
General Register Office
Government Offices
Convent Road
Roscommon
Ireland
Tel:+353
90 663 2900
Locall:1890
25 20 76
Fax:+353
90 663 2999
Homepage:
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/General-Register-Office.aspx
Email:
gro@groireland.ie