Professional funeral directors

It’s perfectly normal to feel unsure of what to do when someone dies and we understand how difficult it can be when they are a relative or close friend. Here we provide some practical advice on how to register a death and start making funeral arrangements. 

What to do when someone dies 

When a death occurs at home, a doctor should be contacted as soon as possible. Then, once the doctor has granted authorisation, we will arrange with you to take the deceased person into our care. If a death
occurs in hospital or a nursing home, you can contact us directly and we will liaise directly with the hospital or home and take care of all the practical matters.
 
When a death is sudden, unexpected or the result of an accident, it is very likely that it will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal for further investigation. This may mean a delay before we can make definite funeral arrangements. However, if you contact us as soon as possible after death, we can guide you through the whole process and
provide you with regular updates. 

When you are ready to organise the funeral arrangements, we can arrange to meet with you in the comfort of your own home, or at our offices, whichever you prefer. We will take you through all aspects of the funeral, step-by-step, ensuring that you have everything you need, and nothing you don’t. 

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funeral arrangements

Registering a Death in Scotland 

All deaths in Scotland should be registered within 8 days (or as soon as possible if death certificate is delayed). It is usually a relative of the deceased who is responsible for registering the death. However, if a relative isn’t available, then any of the following people can register the death: 

  • Any person present at the death. 
  • An executor or another legal representative. 
  • The occupier of the place where the death took place. 
  • The person taking responsibility for arranging the funeral. 


Until registration is complete, the funeral date cannot be confirmed.


Since 2020, the medical authority (generally a Hospital or Local GP Practice) will send an electronic death certificate to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. In Aberdeenshire, the Registrar will contact you for further information and to carry out the registration over the phone. Where the death certificate has been sent to Aberdeen City Registrars, you are required to call them on 01224 522616 to arrange a telephone registration appointment.

It streamlines the registration process if you have the deceased's birth and marriage certificates available.


In the event that the birth and marriage certificates are not available, the following information should be supplied to the Registrar:

  • Full name of deceased (including maiden name)
  • Occupation - and whether still working
  • Date of birth
  • Full postal address including postcode, and how long at this address
  • Former address if less than 10 years
  • Country of birth
  • Marital status
  • Spouse(s) name, maiden name and occupation
  • Date of birth of surviving spouse
  • Deceased's parents' full names, maiden name of mother, occupations and whether still surviving
  • Name and address of GP
  • NHS CHI number - if available


The Registrar will also offer their "Tell Us Once" service. This enables them to notify certain organisations on your behalf. To access this service you should have available (where applicable) the deceased's:

  • National Insurance number
  • Passport
  • Driving licence
  • Blue badge parking permit
  • Details of Public Sector Pension


Deaths in England must be Registered in England, unless the coroner is involved. For deaths abroad, or for people being taken abroad, extensive documentation is required and varies between countries. We can advise fully on these matters, and make arrangements for repatriation to or from the U.K.


Funeral arrangements can begin before a death is registered but the funeral arrangements can only be confirmed once the death is registered.


The Registrar will issue the following documents: 

  • Form 14 (white form) which will be emailed direct to your Funeral Director.
  • An Abbreviated Death Extract (excludes cause of death). 
  • Full Extract of Registration (death certificate). Usually required for Banks, Insurance, Private Pensions, etc (£10 per copy at time of registration).


These will be sent to you by post or they can be collected by appointment.

Useful contacts

Aberdeenshire Registrars
Email: registrars@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01467 468468


Aberdeen City Registrars
Email: registrars@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Telephone: 01224 522616