What is this application for?
Use this application to order a Victorian-issued death certificate. This will provide a legal certificate for a death registered in Victoria.
The death of a family member or friend is a difficult time. Grief support services are available to help you.
Certificates for people who died over 30 years ago
Are you looking for a death certificate for someone who died over 30 years ago? Use our family history search tool. You won't need to provide proof of identity or proof of eligibility.
Who can apply?
In most cases, you won't need to apply directly for a death certificate. The funeral director will usually do it for you.
If you do need to apply yourself, we can only issue a death certificate after we have registered the death.
Learn more about death certificates and packages.
What you'll need
We'll ask for information about the person named on the certificate. You’ll also need to provide proof identity.
Details of the person named on the certificate
At minimum, we ask for:
- Your name and date of birth
- Name and age of the person that's died
- Your relationship to that person
- Date and place of death.
If some information is missing, such as if an adult was separated from their birth family at a young age, let us know.
Proof of identity
You can prove your identity two ways.
The easiest way to prove your identity is online.
You can use this proof of identity questionnaire if you are not sure which option is best for you.
Proof you're eligible to get the certificate
You need to prove your status as the person's next of kin in order to get the death certificate or package. Examples of the proof you can provide is below.
If you're not the next of kin, you also need to provide third party authority from the next of kin.
How long will it take to get my certificate?
When you apply for a certificate or registration, we email you details of documents you need to provide. Our processing times start when we receive all required documents.
If you didn’t receive an email after applying, contact us.
| Type of application | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Death registration and certificate in the last 3 months | Up to 7 days (1 week) |
| Death certificate | Up to 14 days (2 weeks) |
Allow extra time for public holidays and postage.
Types of certificates
Legal certificates
All death certificate applications include a legal death certificate. Learn more about death certificates and packages.
Certificate fees and postage
The fees are non-refundable except as set out on our Refunds page. A fee waiver may be available in certain circumstances of financial hardship.
Certificate fees
| Type of certificate | Price |
|---|---|
Death certificate package Includes:
Learn more about death certificates and packages. | $93.30 |
Death certificate - cause of death Accepted as a legal Australian death certificate. Learn more about death certificates and packages. | $57.50 |
Death certificate Accepted as a legal Australian death certificate. It does not provide the cause of death. Learn more about death certificates and packages. | $57.50 |
Postage
We send legal certificates by express post, for security.
For commemorative certificates, you may only choose standard post. This is because they're not official identity documents. Legal and commemorative certificates will arrive separately.
| Postage type | Price |
|---|---|
| Express post (within Australia) | $10.40 |
| Express post (International) | $57.10 |
Payment methods
Pay via credit/debit card or BPAY.
After your application is submitted
You‘ll receive an email after submitting your application.
If you didn’t receive an email after applying, first check your spam inbox. If you still don’t have the email, read about common causes of delay.
Once we have everything we need, we’ll complete your application within processing timeframes. We’ll email to let you know when we’ve posted your certificate.
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