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 closes an investigation after his 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 wish.

Where can I register?

To register a death in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area, please contact

The Register Office,
Municipal Buildings
Gelliwastad Road
Pontypridd
CF37 2DP

Ffôn: 01443 494024

To register a death in the Merthyr Tydfil area, please contact:

The Register Office
26 High Street
Merthyr Tydfil
CF47 8DP

Tel: 01685 727333

To register a death in the Bridgend area, please contact:

The Register Office
Ty’r Ardd
Sunnyside
Bridgend
CF31 4AR

Tel: 01656 642391

To register a death in the Powys area, please contact:

General Register Office
The Gwalia
Ithon Road
Llandrindod Wells
Powys
LD1 6AA

Tel: 01597 827468

To register a death in the Cardiff area, please contact:

General Register Office
City Hall
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3ND

Tel: 029 20871680/ 20871684

To register a death in the Vale of Glamorgan area, please contact;

The Register Office
Civic Offices
Holton Road
Barry
Vale of Glamorgan
CF63 4RU

Tel: 01446 700111

 

Once you have been told that you can register the death, call the Registrar’s Office on the relevant number (see above) to make an appointment.  We strongly suggest that you don't visit without an appointment as you may have a long wait.

What does registration involve?

The appointment will take about half an hour and you will collect copies of the death certificate 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.

As a rule of thumb to help your planning, it is generally safe to set a provisional date for the funeral 10 or more days after we inform you that a post mortem has been ordered.  However, this is not a guarantee, and regrettably we cannot take responsibility for meeting funeral dates that have been booked against our advice.

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

If your relative died outside hospital, they may have been transported to the hospital mortuary by a particular funeral director who has a contract with the Coroner's Office.  This does not mean that you necessarily need to engage them to carry out the funeral.  You are free to choose any undertaker you wish.