Hong Kong - Obtain Certified Copy of Death Record

ProcedureEdit

Applying In Person

You may go to any one of the following registry offices to submit your request for a search of death records and a certified copy of a death entry:

The Births and Deaths General Register Office
Hong Kong Island Deaths Registry
Kowloon Deaths Registry
Sha Tin Births Registry
Tuen Mun Births Registry

Sending your request by post

Send your requests to:

The Births and Deaths General Register Office

3/F, Low Block

Queensway Government Offices

66 Queensway

Hong Kong

Send request online

To apply online click on the link

Note: No signature is required when you complete the online application form. However, you will need to sign on the printed copy of the relevant form when you collect the search result and/or certified copies.

If you need help in using the online service, you can call the Immigration e-Services Hotline at (852) 3128 8668 between 7:00 am and 11:00 pm daily.

Collecting the Search Result or Certified Copy of Birth Entry

For applications made in person:

If you submitted your request in person, you should collect the search result and/or certified copy of the entry concerned at the deaths registry where you made the application.

For applications submitted by mail:

If you submitted your request by post, the search result and/or certified copy of the entry concerned will be sent to you by post.

For applications submitted online:

If you submitted your request online, you are required to personally collect the search result and/or the certified copy of the entry concerned at your selected registry. The collection date is shown on the acknowledgement receipt.

Note: If you do not collect the search result and/or the certified copy of the entry concerned from the registry office where you are supposed to collect them within 6 months from the time it was available for pick up, the document will be cancelled.

Required DocumentsEdit

For applications made in person:

Hong Kong identity card or valid travel document.
If you apply for a certified copy of a death entry: You will need to produce the original or photocopy of the certified copy of the death entry or the result of a previous search of death records. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a search of death records in the first instance.

For applications submitted by post:

Application form for a search of death record (Form BDR41)
Application form for a certified copy of a death entry (Form BDR62)
Other relevant documents that needed to be submitted

For applications submitted online:

Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document
Printout of online application acknowledgement
Original or photocopy of the certificate of registration, or the result of a previous record search if an application for search of death records is not submitted
For organisation application: Letter of authorisation from the organisation

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

General Enquiries
Hotline : (852) 2824 6111
Fax : (852) 2877 7711
Email : [email protected]

The Births and Deaths General Register Office
3/F, Low Block,
Queensway Government Offices,
66 Queensway,
Hong Kong Map
(MTR Admiralty Station - Exit C1)
Phone : (852) 2867 2784

Office Hours:
Monday to Friday : 8:45 am - 4:45 pm (except General Holidays)
Saturdays: 9 am - 11:30 am (except General Holidays)
Sundays and General Holidays: 10:00 am - 12:30 pm (only for registration of deaths from natural causes)

Services provided: Birth and adoption registrations, search of birth, death and adoption records, issue of certified copies of birth, death and adoption entries, addition and alteration of name of the child in birth entries. (This registry office only handles death registration referred from the Coroner during weekdays and Saturdays.)

Hong Kong Island Deaths Registry
18/F, Wu Chung House,
213 Queen's Road East,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong Map
(MTR Wan Chai Station - Exit A3)
Phone:(852) 2961 8841

Office Hours:
Monday to Friday : 9:00 am - 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm 4:30 pm
Saturdays : 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Closed on Sundays and General Holidays

Kowloon Deaths Registry
1/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices
303 Cheung Sha Wan Road
Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon Map
(MTR Sham Shui Po Station - Exit C1)
Phone: (852) 2368 4706

Office Hours:
Monday to Friday : 9:00 am - 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm 4:30 pm
Saturdays : 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Closed on Sundays and General Holidays

EligibilityEdit

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FeesEdit

Search of Death Records

Particular Search: HK$140
General Search: HK$680

Certified Copy of a Death Entry

Local Applications : HK$140 per copy
Overseas Applications : HK$275 per copy plus an additional amount equivalent to the airmail postage at the normal rate

Payment Methods

For applications made in person:
Payments can be made in cash, crossed cheque or cashiers order in Hong Kong dollars payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region".

For applications submitted by mail:
Payments can in be in the form of a crossed cheque or cashiers order (for local applications) or bank draft (for overseas applications) in Hong Kong dollars payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Please do not send in cash.

For applications submitted online:
For search of birth records, the fee will be paid online (VISA, MasterCard or PPS) ; for a certified copy of a death entry, the application fee will be collected at the time of collection in your selected registry.

ValidityEdit

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to UseEdit

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Sample DocumentsEdit

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Processing TimeEdit

For applications made in person:
It will take about 10 minutes to process an in-person application at the counter. If the death record being requested has been converted into a computer record, the search result and/or a certified copy of the death entry will be issued within 10 minutes. For death records not yet converted into a computer record you will need to wait for:

9 working days for a search of death records
9 working days for issue of a certified copy of a death entry (if search of record is not involved)
14 working days for a search of death records and issue of a certified copy of a death entry

For a General Search of death record, there is no pledged processing time. You will be notified separately when the result is ready.

Note: Working days - Monday to Friday excluding General Holidays.

For online applications:
It will take about 10 to 20 minutes to process an online application. You will be notified when to collect the search result and the certified copy of death entry at your selected registry.

InstructionsEdit

To obtain a certified copy of a death entry, you are required to produce the original or photocopy of the certified copy of a death entry previously issued to you or the result of previous search of death records. If you do not have these documents or the death registration number on the documents cannot be read, you will be required to apply for a search of death records in the first instance.

You may submit your application for a search of death records and a certified copy of a death entry in person, by post or online.

Two types of search conducted:

Particular Search

A search for any given entry in relation to an identified person (i.e. the deceaseds exact name and date of birth [if available] can be provided for the search). The search conducted will not exceed a period of 5 years.
Unless otherwise specified by the applicant, the search will be conducted on the year of death as provided (e.g. 1990). In case no matched record is found against the year of death provided, the search will be conducted with 2 years preceding and 2 years following the year of death provided, with a period of 5 years in total. (by the above example, i.e. 1988-1992)

General Search

A search for any entry other than particular search, for example, in relation to a deceased whose personal information could not be specified (i.e. the deceaseds exact name and/or exact date of birth cannot be provided for the search).

Required InformationEdit

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e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Need for the DocumentEdit

A Death Certificate is a document issued by a registrar stating the date, location and cause of a person's death. This document will be issued after the death has been registered.

In Hong Kong, a certified copy of a death entry is issued as proof that the death was properly registered.

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