A Quick Guide to Cremation Documents

Losing a loved one is difficult and we understand that families often feel a lot of pressure when it comes to the protocols which follow the death of a family member. This is why we have created this quick guide to cremation forms to ease you through the process.

This is just a short introduction into cremation forms. More detailed forms can be found on the government website. Your funeral director will also advise you on the details and can assist you in completing all of the forms that are required.  

Copy of the death certificate

You will need a copy of the death certificate (Certificate of Registration of Death) from the local registry office. This will also be needed by the funeral director, if you wish to use one, in order to proceed with making funeral arrangements. You can order a copy for England and Wales (£11), Northern Ireland (£8), and Scotland (£10) by following the links provided.

Certificate for Burial or Cremation

You will need to obtain a certificate for cremation which is given to you when you register the death. As with the death certificate, this form needs to be given to the funeral director and the crematorium. This can be sourced from the local registry office with no fee.

Application for Cremation

The application for the cremation of a loved one who has passed can be found on the government website here. 

This application gives the authority for a deceased to be cremated. The completed form must be passed to the funeral director and the crematorium.

You will be asked what you want to happen with your loved one’s ashes. They can be collected by the one who signs the application form or a funeral director. Alternatively, the crematorium may have memorial spaces where you can have your angel's ashes put to rest. 

You must take care to report to the crematorium about any implants that the deceased might have had as some implants can damage the machinery, such as a pacemaker and ventricular assist devices. Therefore, these must be removed before the cremation process.

Cremation Medical Certificate and Confirmatory Medical Certificate

There are two different medical certificates that you need in the case of cremation. Doctor’s fees for these certificates, each costing £82 each, £164 in total. 

In most cases, your funeral director will liaise with the hospital or GP to arrange for a doctor to perform the necessary checks in order to sign the Cremation Medical Certificate. This will be the same doctor who issued the Medical Certificate Cause of Death. 

On the other hand, the Confirmatory Medical Certificate will be signed by a different doctor who will check and confirm the details provided by the first doctor.

These cremation papers are usually collected by the funeral director with no need for interaction with the bereaved, however, the family does have a right to access these medical forms if they wish. 

Authorisation for Cremation

This is the final medical sign off which takes place at the crematorium allowing the cremation to take place. It is simply a confirmation that everything is correct and the cremation can go ahead. 

After the cremation: The Cremation Certificate

Once the cremation has taken place, there will be a certificate confirming this. This can be collected from the crematorium along with the ashes. This is a confirmation of who was cremated and when. You will need this if you are wanting to travel abroad with your ashes and possibly for other things you wish to do with the ashes.