Emergency faith burial
If an emergency registration is required for religious reasons, we will try and accommodate.
We can only issue a burial certificate or green form if:
- the burial is to take place when 24 hours (proof required)
- we have received the MCCD from the doctor by email at SecureRegistrars@lincolnshire.gov.uk
- the death does not need to be referred to the coroner
- you can provide an email address for the funeral directors
- you are a qualified informant to register the death
Where possible, we will arrange for the next available appointment at a Registration Office (which may not be local to you).
If not possible, we will arrange for the green form to be issued to the funeral director and book an appointment for you to register the death.
Please email registration@lincolnshire.gov.uk for further information.
Register a death that occurred outside of Lincolnshire
If you live in Lincolnshire and cannot attend the Register Office where the death occurred, you may book an appointment at your local Register Office to register by death declaration.
We will contact that registration district to obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), which must be received before the appointment can go ahead.
After the appointment, all details will be sent to the registration office where the death occurred, and they will send documentation to you.
Register a death that occurred in Lincolnshire from outside of Lincolnshire
If you wish to register a Lincolnshire death outside of Lincolnshire, you must make an appointment with your local registration office.
They will contact us for the MCCD, and following your appointment with them, the information will be sent to Lincolnshire.
We can then register the death and scan the 'green form' to your chosen funeral director.
You will then be able to purchase certificates online.
Death overseas
Where a death occurs abroad or on a foreign ship or aircraft, you should register the death according to the country's local regulations and get a death certificate. You may also be able to register the death with the United Kingdom authorities.
Depending upon the circumstances of the death, this may have to be reported to a coroner (or equivalent) in the same way as if the death occurred in England or Wales.
Funeral abroad
You can arrange a burial or cremation in the country where the person died. The British consulate, embassy or high commission can advise you. You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a coroner at home to investigate their death.
Bringing a body back to England or Wales
You may be able to bring the body back to England or Wales. Most funeral directors can advise you on the practicalities and the likely cost. You will need a certified translation of the death certificate and permission to remove the body issued by a coroner (or equivalent) in the country where the person died. You can ask for advice from the British consulate, embassy or high commission in the country where the person died.
Arranging the funeral in England or Wales
To arrange a funeral in England or Wales, you will need the following:
- A certified English translation of the foreign death certificate or a death certificate issued in Scotland or Northern Ireland which must show the cause of death.
- a Certificate of No Liability to Register from the registrar in England and Wales, in whose area it is intended to bury or cremate the body or a certificate for burial or cremation issued by a coroner.
If the death is not due to natural causes, it may be the subject of a United Kingdom coroner's inquest. In these cases, the coroner will issue a certificate for burial or cremation upon opening the inquest.
Bringing ashes home
Each country has its own rules about travelling with human ashes. You should contact the British consulate, embassy or high commission in the country where the cremation occurred for advice.