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Register a death in Ireland
From Department of Social Protection
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In the first instance, all COVID-19 deaths are reportable to the Coroner in whose operational area the death occurs. Deaths resulting from this disease may be registered upon receipt of a Coroner’s certificate and there is no requirement on any other family member or next of kin to act.
Following a death, a registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased must complete and sign part 1 of the Death Notification Form (DNF). Part 1 includes the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (MCCD).
This form is given to a relative or civil partner of the deceased, or if there are none, to another qualified informant (see list below of other qualified informants).
This form is then used to register the death. A relative, civil partner or another qualified informant must register the death within 3 months of the death occurring.
You do not need to attend at your local civil registration office to register a death.
A relative, civil partner or another qualified informant must register the death within 3 months of the death occurring.
To register a death you must:
1. Complete Part 2 of the Death Notification Form (personal details of the deceased)
2. Sign the declaration
3. Send the death notification form and copy of your photo ID:
- By email or post to your local Civil Registration Office , or
- By email to gro@welfare.ie , or
- By post to the General Register Office, Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon, F42 VX53.
The General Register Office (GRO) will send Death Notification Forms to the appropriate registration office in order for the death to be registered.
For more information you can email the GRO at gro@welfare.ie
A qualified informant is:
(a) a relative of the deceased who has knowledge of the required particulars
(b) a person present at the death
(c) any other person who has knowledge of the required particulars
(d) if the death occurred in a building used as a dwelling or a part of a building so used, any person who was in the building or part at the time of the death
(e) if the death occurred in a hospital or other institution or in a building or a part of a building occupied by any other organisation or enterprise, the chief officer of the institution, organisation or enterprise (by whatever name called) or a person authorised by the chief officer to perform his or her functions
(f) a person who found the body of the person concerned
(g) a person who took charge of that body
(h) the person who procured the disposal of that body
(i) any other person who has knowledge of the death
There is no charge to register a death that occurs in Ireland. Fees are charged for a copy of a death certificate.
A certificate is issued for social welfare purposes at a reduced cost. Evidence it is for social welfare purposes is required, such as a note from the department.
The fees charged for a certificate are as follows:
- €20 for a full standard certificate (No fee is payable if the certificate refers to a deceased child under 12 months of age)
- No fee for a copy for social welfare purposes (letter from department is required)
- €5 for an uncertified copy of an entry in the Register (No fee is payable if the uncertified copy refers to a deceased child under 12 months of age)
- €10 to have a certificate authenticated (only available from the General Register Office)
Contact any local civil register office or the General Register Office to get a copy of a death certificate. If you are registering the death, you can get copies of the death certificate at the same time.
If the deceased was an EU national and their death is also required to be registered in their EU country of birth, you can get both the Irish death certificate and a Multilingual Standard Form (in a language of your choice) by applying directly to the GRO using our online order form, which can be downloaded here .
A Multilingual Standard Form (MSF) is a translation and authentication document for Irish death certificates which can be used throughout the EU. There is no additional charge for this document.
See here for information on how to apply for certificates.
Where an Irish citizen dies abroad and they were ordinarily resident in Ireland within 5 years of their death, it is possible to have the death recorded in the record of deaths abroad.
The Department of Social Protection asks for your opinion on the current process for notifying and registering deaths. For further information on the Public Consultation on Revision of Death Registration Process click here
