When someone dies, only a few things have to happen straight away. A doctor needs to confirm the death and the cause of death has to be certified. After that, the death must be registered, usually within five days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and within eight days in Scotland. Everything else, including the funeral, telling organisations and sorting out the estate, can be done step by step over the following days, weeks and months. This guide takes you through it in order.
What should you do in the first few hours?
What happens first depends on where and how the person died. You do not need to call a funeral director immediately unless you want the person moved from home. There is time to pause, sit with them and call family.
If the death was expected and happened at home
If the person was ill and their death was expected, call their GP surgery. Outside surgery hours, call NHS 111 (in Scotland, NHS 24 on 111). A doctor or nurse will come and confirm the death. Once that is done, you can call a funeral director to take the person into their care. There is no rush. Many families spend some time at home with the person first.
If the death was sudden or unexpected
Call 999 and ask for an ambulance. If it is clear the person has died, the paramedics will confirm it. The police may also attend. This is routine after any sudden death and does not mean anyone has done anything wrong. The death will usually be reported to the coroner (in Scotland, the procurator fiscal). Try not to move anything in the room until the police say you can.
If the person died in hospital, a hospice or a care home
Staff will confirm the death and tell you what happens next. The hospital’s bereavement office will explain how the medical certificate and the medical examiner process work. The person will normally be cared for in the hospital mortuary until your chosen funeral director collects them. Care homes usually ask families to name a funeral director within a few hours.
If the person died abroad
Register the death in the country where it happened and contact the British embassy, high commission or consulate for help. You can also register it with the UK authorities. A funeral director who handles repatriation can bring the person home. The government’s guide to what to do if someone dies abroad sets out the steps.
What needs to happen in the first few days?
The medical certificate and the medical examiner
A doctor who cared for the person completes a medical certificate of cause of death. In England and Wales, a medical examiner then reviews the cause of death. This is a senior doctor who was not involved in the person’s care. Their office may phone you to explain the cause of death and ask whether you have any concerns. Talking to them is voluntary, but it is a good chance to ask questions. When the review is complete, the medical examiner’s office lets you and the register office know that the death can be registered.
If the cause of death is not clear, or the death was sudden, violent or unnatural, the doctor reports it to the coroner instead. See when a coroner is involved below.
Register the death
In England and Wales you must register the death within five days of being told by the medical examiner’s office that you can. Weekends and bank holidays count. If you need more time, tell the register office. In Scotland you have eight days from the death, and in Northern Ireland five days.
The registrar gives you the certificate for burial or cremation (often called the green form), which the funeral director needs before the funeral can go ahead. You can buy certified copies of the death certificate at the same time. In England and Wales these cost £12.50 each at the time of writing (October 2026). Order several, because banks, insurers and pension providers often want to see an original. The guide on how to register a death explains who can register, what to take and what happens in each part of the UK.
Look for a will and any funeral wishes
Check whether the person left a will, a letter of wishes or a pre-paid funeral plan. Look among their papers, or ask their solicitor or bank. The will names the executors, who are the people responsible for dealing with the estate, and it may include wishes about burial or cremation. A funeral plan may already name a funeral director and cover part of the cost.
Choose a funeral director
You can choose any funeral director, and you do not have to use the first one you speak to. Funeral directors must publish a standard price list, so it is worth comparing two or three. Ask whether they are independent or part of a larger group, and get a written estimate before you agree to anything. You can search funeral directors by county, and the guide on how to arrange a funeral covers the questions to ask.
Make the home and belongings safe
If the person lived alone, lock their home, take any valuables or important papers somewhere safe and arrange for any pets to be looked after. Check that heating and water are safe if the property will be empty. Do not drive their car unless you are sure your own insurance covers you, because their policy may no longer apply.
What should you do in the first few weeks?
Tell government departments with Tell Us Once
If the person lived in England, Scotland or Wales, the registrar will offer you Tell Us Once. This service tells HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Passport Office, the DVLA, the local council and several public sector pension schemes in one go. You must use it within 28 days of getting your reference number. It is not available in Northern Ireland, where nidirect explains who to tell.
Tell banks, utilities and other organisations
Tell Us Once does not cover banks, building societies, mortgage lenders, insurers, private pension providers, utility companies or employers. You will need to contact these yourself. Many banks belong to the Death Notification Service, which lets you notify several of them at once. There is a full checklist in the guide on who to tell when someone dies.
Hold the funeral
Most funerals take place two to three weeks after the death, depending on how busy the crematorium or cemetery is, the family’s wishes and any faith requirements. Some faiths ask for burial as soon as possible, and funeral directors are used to arranging this quickly. You will decide between burial, cremation and direct cremation. The guide to burial, cremation or direct cremation explains the differences.
Check what help is available with money
If you get certain benefits and are responsible for the funeral, you may be able to get a Funeral Expenses Payment (Funeral Support Payment in Scotland). If your husband, wife or civil partner died, or you were living together as if married, you may be able to get Bereavement Support Payment. Claim within three months of the death to get the full amount. The guide to funeral costs and help paying explains both.
Banks will often pay the funeral director’s bill directly from the person’s account, even before probate, if you show them the invoice and the death certificate.
What happens in the following months?
Value the estate and check for Inheritance Tax
The estate is everything the person owned, such as money, property, investments and belongings, minus what they owed. The executors (or the next of kin if there is no will) need to value it and work out whether Inheritance Tax is due. At the time of writing, the tax threshold is £325,000. It can be higher if the home is left to children or grandchildren, or if the person was married or in a civil partnership. Anything left to a husband, wife or civil partner is normally exempt.
Apply for probate if you need it
Probate is the legal right to deal with someone’s estate. You may need it before banks and other organisations will release larger sums or before a house can be sold. You may not need it if the estate is small or everything was jointly owned. In Scotland the equivalent is called confirmation. The guide to probate takes you through the process, and probate solicitors can do it for you.
Pay debts and share out the estate
Once probate is granted, the executors collect the money, pay any debts, taxes and funeral costs, and then distribute what is left according to the will. If there is no will, the law decides who inherits. Keep a careful record of everything that comes in and goes out.
Arrange a headstone or memorial
After a burial, you will usually need to wait several months before a headstone can be fixed, because the ground has to settle. Six to twelve months is common, but the cemetery or churchyard will tell you their rules. The guide to choosing a headstone or memorial explains the permissions you need, and you can find stonemasons and memorial masons near you.
A checklist of what happens when
| What | When | Who usually does it |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm the death (doctor, nurse or paramedic) | Straight away | GP, NHS 111, 999 or hospital staff |
| Medical certificate and medical examiner review | First few days | Doctor and medical examiner |
| Contact a funeral director | When you are ready, usually within a day or two | Next of kin or executor |
| Register the death | Within 5 days (8 days in Scotland) | A relative or other qualified informant |
| Use Tell Us Once | Within 28 days of getting the reference | Whoever registers, or the executor |
| Tell banks, utilities and other organisations | First few weeks | Executor or next of kin |
| The funeral | Usually 2 to 3 weeks after the death | Family with the funeral director |
| Claim Bereavement Support Payment | Within 3 months for the full amount | The surviving partner |
| Claim Funeral Expenses Payment | Within 6 months of the funeral | The person responsible for the funeral |
| Value the estate and apply for probate | Weeks to months | Executors or administrators |
| Headstone | Often 6 to 12 months after a burial | Family with a memorial mason |
What happens when a coroner is involved?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a death is reported to the coroner if the cause is unknown, or if it was sudden, violent or unnatural. The coroner may order a post-mortem examination, and families cannot object to one ordered by a coroner. If the cause of death is then clear, the coroner sends a certificate to the registrar and the death can be registered. If an inquest is needed, the coroner can give you an interim death certificate. You can use it to tell organisations about the death and to apply for probate.
A coroner’s investigation can delay the funeral, so speak to the coroner’s office before you fix a date. The Coroners’ Courts Support Service offers free, independent help on 0300 111 2141. In Scotland, sudden or unexplained deaths are reported to the procurator fiscal, who has a similar role.
How is it different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
- Scotland: register the death within 8 days, at any registration office in Scotland, in person or remotely by phone or video call. Sudden deaths go to the procurator fiscal rather than a coroner. Funeral Support Payment replaces Funeral Expenses Payment, and confirmation replaces probate.
- Northern Ireland: register within 5 days. Registration is free and certificates cost £8 each when bought at registration. Tell Us Once is not available, so you tell government departments yourself. Probate is dealt with by the Probate Office in Belfast.
Looking after yourself
There is a lot to do after a death, and it often falls on one or two people at a time when they are grieving. Share the tasks if you can, and do not feel you have to sort everything out at once. Most things on this list can wait a few weeks.
If the death was sudden, or by suicide, you may be dealing with shock as well as grief. Specialist help is available from Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide and from Cruse Bereavement Support on 0808 808 1677. If you are struggling, you can call Samaritans at any time, day or night, on 116 123. The guide to bereavement support lists more organisations that can help.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do when someone dies at home?
If the death was expected, call the person's GP surgery, or NHS 111 out of hours, so that a doctor or nurse can confirm the death. If it was sudden or unexpected, call 999. Once the death has been confirmed, you can contact a funeral director when you are ready. There is no need to rush.
How long do you have to register a death?
In England and Wales you must register a death within five days of the medical examiner's office telling you it can be registered. In Northern Ireland the limit is five days, and in Scotland it is eight days from the death. Weekends and bank holidays count. If you need longer, tell the register office.
Do I have to use a funeral director?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a funeral director, and some families arrange a funeral themselves. Most people do use one, because they look after the person who has died and handle the paperwork, bookings and arrangements. You can choose any funeral director, and it is worth comparing price lists first.
Who pays for the funeral?
The funeral is usually paid for from the person's estate, often by the bank paying the funeral director's invoice directly from their account. If the estate cannot cover it, the person who arranges the funeral is responsible. People on certain benefits may be able to get a Funeral Expenses Payment, or Funeral Support Payment in Scotland.
How soon after a death is the funeral?
Most funerals take place two to three weeks after the death. The date depends on when the death can be registered, availability at the crematorium or cemetery, the family's wishes and any faith requirements. If a coroner is investigating, the funeral cannot happen until the coroner releases the body.