Registration and funeral arrangements
When can I register my relative's death?
If the Coroner confirms death is due to natural causes straight after reviewing the doctor's report, you can then register the death. You should do this within 5 days of the death and the registrar will give you paperwork allowing you to hold the funeral.
If the Coroner confirms death due to natural causes after a post mortem examination, we will tell you that you can register when we call with the post mortem results. Again, you should do this within the next few days. If you have chosen a burial service, the registrar will give you paperwork to allow the burial. If you have chosen a cremation service, the Coroner's Office will give your funeral director authority for the cremation. The same will happen if the Coroner opens an investigation and then closes it after their inquiries have shown a natural cause of death.
If the Coroner opens an inquest, you will not need to register the death at all. We will send you interim death certificates that you can use to manage the estate. When the inquest hearing has been held, we will register the death for you. You can then phone the registrar and order final death certificates to be posted out to you if you want them.
Where can I register?
Manchester Register Office is in Manchester town centre at the address below:
The Register Office
Heron House
47 Lloyd Street
Manchester
M2 5LE
United Kingdom
In addition, there is a special priority service for children's deaths and an emergency weekend service for families needing an urgent burial. Register a death in special circumstances.
Once you have been told that you can register the death plese visit Register a death | Register a death | Manchester City Council to book an appointment
If you are not from Manchester and do not plan to travel here, you may be able to register at your local Register Office by declaration. Call your local office to arrange this.
What does registration involve?
The appointment will take about half an hour and you will collect copies of the death certificate if these have been ordered and, if relevant, paperwork to allow the funeral to proceed.
The Coroner has ordered a post mortem. What do I do about the funeral?
When the Coroner orders a post mortem, we unfortunately cannot give you an exact date for when the body will be released. This is because it depends on what the Pathologist finds and what follow-up action is necessary.
We advise families that they can appoint a funeral director and decide everything about how they would like their service to be, but they should not set a firm date. If you tell the funeral director that the Coroner is involved, they will be familiar with the process and will know what to do. When we tell you that the Coroner has released your relative's body, you can then confirm the date.
Please do not set a date for the funeral until you have been advised by one of the Officers that the Post-Mortem has been completed and the Coroner is ready to complete the appropriate paperwork for release.
The same advice applies to repatriation flights - please do not book the flight until we have confirmed that the body can be released.
Important note on choosing a funeral director
You are free to choose any undertaker you wish.