Your stillbirth registration appointment

Once Medway Register Office has got the medical certificate of stillbirth from the hospital, they'll phone you to make a registration appointment within 2 working days (or when is convenient for you).

You do not need to bring ID to the appointment. If you want to bring ID to confirm spellings and details, you must bring an accepted form of ID.

At your appointment 

Your appointment will take around 30 minutes.

During the appointment, you'll be asked:

  • the place and date of the stillbirth 
  • the first name and surname of the baby (you do not have to give a name if you do not wish to)
  • the sex of the baby
  • the parents’ names (current and former) and address(es)
  • the parents' places and dates of birth
  • the date of parents’ marriage or civil partnership (if appropriate)
  • parents’ jobs.

The registrar will ask you to check the information and they'll produce the:

  • stillborn certificate
  • certificate for burial or cremation.

You'll be given both a standard and short version of the stillborn certificate.

Your certificate for burial or cremation can either be:

  • sent directly to your funeral director and crematorium or cemetery by the register office
  • given to you to give to your funeral director (who'll share it with your chosen crematorium or cemetery).

Stillbirth declaration

Find out what a stillbirth declaration is

Once the stillbirth is registered, the certificate will be available at the register office local to where the birth took place.

Find a register office

Accepted ID for a birth registration appointment

  • passport 
  • birth certificate 
  • deed poll 
  • driving licence 
  • proof of address (for example a utility bill) 
  • Council Tax bill 
  • marriage or civil partnership certificate.