Urgent burial within 24 hours

Issuing the paperwork for an urgent burial

If the deceased needs to be buried within 24 hours of death for religious reasons, we can issue the necessary paperwork every day of the year. You will need to email us to let us know about the death and your need for an urgent burial.

Sometimes we need to report the death to the coroner, or there’s a problem with the paperwork that the doctor has issued. In these cases we might not be able to issue the burial paperwork until the next day.

If we can issue the paperwork you need for the funeral, it will be emailed to your funeral director, as this is the most efficient way to issue it.

The Registrar will then call you to get the information they need to release the burial authority (the ‘green form’). 

The Registrar cannot issue the burial paperwork without the fully completed Medical Certificate Cause of Death - issued by a qualified doctor, or paperwork issued by the Coroner.

If you need the green form to arrange a same-day funeral, email creweregisteroffice.gov.uk including the following details (if you cannot email us yourself, ask your funeral director to do it on your behalf). Please make sure that you include the words ‘URGENT FAITH DEATH’ in the subject line when emailing the Register Office, otherwise the email will not be picked up quickly. Please also include the following information in the email:

• the name of the deceased
• the place and date of death
• if possible, confirmation as to whether or not the death has been referred to the Coroner
• a telephone number you will be available on
• if possible, the name and email address of the funeral director

If you need to remove a body for burial outside of England and Wales, a special form will be sent to your funeral director by the Coroner, but the death must be registered before this can be issued.

Contact the Register Office

Email creweregisteroffice@cheshireeast.gov.uk or see Gov.UK.

Page last reviewed: 23 November 2023