Death certificate NZ: how to get one, what it costs and who registers the death

A death certificate is the official record, issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages (part of the Department of Internal Affairs), that a death has been registered in New Zealand. Banks, KiwiSaver providers, insurers, the courts and Work and Income will each ask to see one before they release money or act on the estate. The certificate costs $35, and most people get theirs within one to two weeks of ordering, according to govt.nz's death certificate page (updated 15 September 2026).

Who registers the death?

If you are using a funeral director, they do. The director sends the notification of death to Births, Deaths and Marriages using the personal details you give them: full name, date and place of birth, parents' names, marriages or civil unions, and children. It is worth gathering those details early, because the director will ask for them at the arrangement meeting, and it is a hard time to be hunting for a parent's maiden name. What to do in the first hours covers what else happens at that stage.

If there is no funeral director, because the family is organising the burial or cremation itself, the duty falls to the family. Under the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act, as summarised by Community Law, the person in charge of the body, usually the executor or the closest relative, must notify Births, Deaths and Marriages within three working days of the burial or cremation. govt.nz's registering a death page gives the same three-working-day window and the form to use.

How a death is registered without a funeral director

• Fill in form BDM 28, Notification of death for registration, which govt.nz publishes as a download. The form includes its own instructions.
• Attach the cause of death certificate from the doctor or nurse who certified the death, or, if the coroner was involved, the coroner's authorisation to release the body.
• Post both to Births, Deaths and Marriages. Registration itself is free; DIA's May 2026 fee announcement confirmed that registering a birth or death stays free of charge.
• You can tick the box on the same form to order a death certificate at the same time, and pay the fee then, or order later.

What does a death certificate cost in NZ?

The fee for a standard death certificate is $35. It rose from $33 on 18 June 2026, when DIA increased most Births, Deaths and Marriages fees by about 5.6%. 1News reported at the time that the fee is scheduled to rise by a further $2 in June 2027 and again in June 2028, so check the current figure on govt.nz if you are reading this later.

• Official death certificate: $35 each
• Standard post within New Zealand or overseas: free
• Courier within New Zealand: $7 extra
• Printout of the register entry (for family history, not an official document): $26

Funeral directors often order the certificates for you and put them on the account. That is a convenience, and a few dollars of handling on top is normal. One Auckland funeral home's price list, for example, shows $38 a copy; see what a NZ funeral costs. You can always order direct from Births, Deaths and Marriages at $35 instead.

How to order a death certificate

• Online, through the Births, Deaths and Marriages ordering site linked from govt.nz. This is the quickest route.
• By phone, paying by credit or debit card. govt.nz says most people can order this way.
• By post, using form BDM93D, to Births, Deaths and Marriages, PO Box 10526, Wellington 6140.
• In person at the Auckland, Manukau, Wellington or Christchurch offices, with photo ID. govt.nz suggests booking an appointment first.

The death must have happened in New Zealand for Births, Deaths and Marriages to issue a New Zealand certificate. For a death overseas, the certificate comes from the country where it happened; the funeral director or the New Zealand embassy there can advise.

How long does it take?

govt.nz says most people receive their certificate within one to two weeks of ordering. The registration has to be complete first, which is why the advice is to wait until after the funeral: the funeral director lodges the notification around the time of the burial or cremation, and an order placed before that cannot be filled. Printouts are emailed after about eight working days.

How many copies do you need?

Usually more than one. Each organisation dealing with the estate may want to see an original certificate, and some keep it. A practical list for the executor:

• Each bank or building society the person had an account with
• KiwiSaver and any other superannuation or investment provider
• Life insurance, funeral insurance or a pre-paid funeral plan provider
• The High Court, if probate or letters of administration are needed
• Work and Income, if the family is applying for the Funeral Grant, or ACC if the death was from an accident
• A lawyer or Public Trust handling the estate, who may want one on file

Many families order three to five at the outset. At $35 each that is cheaper than the delay of re-ordering mid-way through sorting the estate. Community Law notes that where probate is not required, the certificate is often what a bank needs to release funds, so the first copy can matter for paying the funeral account itself.

Death certificate, cause of death certificate and cremation certificate

These three get confused. The cause of death certificate is the doctor's or nurse's medical form confirming how the person died; it goes with the registration and is not something you order. A cremation certificate is the medical paperwork a crematorium needs before a cremation can go ahead, and the funeral director arranges it; its doctor's fee is one of the extras on a direct cremation quote. The death certificate is the only one of the three that is a public record you can order copies of, and the only one the bank will accept.

When the coroner is involved

If the death was unexpected and the coroner has taken the person into their care, the coroner's authorisation to release the body takes the place of the doctor's cause of death certificate for registration. The death can still be registered and a certificate issued, but where the cause of death is not yet determined the certificate may record that, and an updated entry follows once the coroner's findings are in. The funeral director will know the timing; it is one of the reasons a coronial case can add days before a funeral.

Who can order one?

govt.nz does not restrict who may order a death certificate, and in practice the executor, a family member or the funeral director on the family's behalf all do. If you are a friend helping an estate along, ask the executor to order, because the certificates are theirs to hold.

Need help with the funeral itself? Our directory lists FDANZ members by region, and the Funeral Grant guide covers help with costs.