Aftercare

Since December 2005, the process for registering a death in Ireland has changed. The responsibility now lies with the next-of-kin, as hospitals, nursing homes, or residential care units no longer handle the registration.

It’s important to note that a Medical Doctor does not issue the Death Certificate directly. The family must complete the registration process with the local registrar.

Register a death

A Medical Doctor or General Practitioner who attended the deceased will issue a Death Notification Form. The doctor must have seen the patient within 28 days of death and confirm the medical cause of death.

• Part 1: The doctor signs the form to confirm the cause of death.
• Part 2: The next-of-kin provides the deceased’s personal details (e.g., date of birth, PPS number, occupation, marital status, address, etc.).

This completed form must be submitted to a Registrar for Births, Marriages & Deaths within 90 days of the death.

After the death is registered, you can request an official Death Certificate from the same Registrar’s Office.

For complete details, visit the General Register Office website. The local office for Cork City & County is located at:

Civil Registration Service Cork
Adelaide Court, Adelaide Street,
Cork, T12 XKC4

If the death is sudden or unexplained, it will be referred to the Coroner, who will instruct a pathologist to carry out a post-mortem examination. The pathologist’s report will be sent to the Coroner, who will issue a Coroner’s Certificate with the cause of death in due course.

The funeral may be delayed due to the post-mortem, but typically, the body is released within 48 to 72 hours unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Obtaining a Death Certificate from the Registrar generally takes 6 to 12 weeks.

Available to dependents if the deceased passed away due to an accident at work or an occupational disease.

For parents financially dependent on a deceased child due to work-related death or disability.