Record of Death Abroad

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.

This is a voluntary process that allows a relative of the deceased to notify the Civil Registration Service of the death, to have the death recorded and to obtain a certified copy of the record.

You should complete the form below and send it, along with supporting evidence, to your local Civil Registration Office. You can find your nearest office by visiting the Civil Registration Service website.

Evidence of death abroad

A certified copy of a Record of a Death Abroad is not a legal death certificate. For most legal and administrative purposes, a death certificate from the country where the death occurred may be required.

There are jurisdictions that do not civilly register events relating to foreign nationals and/or where no system of civil registration exists – in such cases, please contact the General Register Office directly.

A qualified informant should complete the form below and send it, along with supporting evidence, to your local Civil Registration Office.

A qualified informant can be:

• a relative
• a civil partner
• a co-habitant
• If none of the above are available, any person who has sufficient knowledge of the death

You will need to provide:

• evidence that the deceased was an Irish citizen (for example: passport, Irish birth certificate)
• evidence that the deceased was ordinarily resident in Ireland within 5 years of the death (for example: utility bills, financial statement, Tax/Social Welfare records )
• a certified copy of the foreign death certificate, with translation if necessary
• if a death certificate cannot be obtained, evidence that the death occurred abroad (for example: death notice or obituary )

There is no fee for this service and certified copies of records of Deaths Abroad may be obtained free of charge from the registrar.

Click here for information on sending a body from Ireland for burial or cremation abroad.

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