What to do
Done in person at any Civil Registration Office in Ireland. No letter needed.
What to know
Nothing else on this list has to wait for the death certificate. Banks, Social Protection and utilities can all be told first. But most organisations will ask for a certified copy before they release or transfer anything, so it is worth getting done in the first week or two. The law requires registration within three months of the death. Register as early as you can: the death certificate is given to you at the appointment, and banks, the credit union and insurers will not pay anything without it. Ask for five copies, one for each organisation.
- The doctor who attended the person in their last illness completes Part 1 of the Death Notification Form. If you do not have it, ask the GP or the hospital.
- Fill in Part 2 (the personal details) yourself.
- Bring the form and your own photo ID to any Civil Registration Office in Ireland. It does not have to be the one nearest to where the person died or lived. Some offices take walk-ins, some ask you to book; phone first.
- The death is registered while you wait, and certificates are printed there and then at €20 each. Buy five. Banks, insurers and pension providers each want a certified copy, and going back for more is a nuisance.
- If the death was referred to the coroner, there is no Death Notification Form. The coroner issues an interim certificate within days; use it. Every organisation on this list accepts it while the final certificate is awaited, which can take months.
- A certified copy is a photocopy stamped and signed by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths, doctor, garda or bank official. Registrar-issued copies are already official and need no stamp.
Checked against the official information on 28 October 2026. Processes change, so check with them if anything looks different. LegacySteps is independent and is not connected to any of the organisations listed.