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Cremation Certificate
If a person who has passed away in England or Wales requires cremation, two certificates can be issued; a Cremation 4 – Medical Certificate and a Cremation 5 – Confirmatory Medical Certificate.
Regulation 17 of the Cremation Regulations requires a medical practitioner with a licence to practise with the General Medical Council to complete Cremation 4. This requirement includes those who hold a temporary or provisional registration with the General Medical Council.
The same regulation also states the Cremation 5 needs to be completed by a fully registered medical practitioner who has at least five years post qualification registration. This means that the practitioner has been fully registered under the Medical Act 1983 for at least five years and has help a licence to practices for at least five years.
A Cremation 4 is usually completed by the medical practitioner who also completed the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This is usually the doctor that was treating the patient at time of death. A Cremation 5 is completed by an experienced medical practitioner who was not looking after the patient when they died.
There are several other Cremation forms. These include:
- Cremation 1 is an application for cremation of a body, which is usually completed with the assistance of funeral directors.
- Cremation 6 is a certificate issued by the Coroner if there has been a post mortem examination.
- Cremation 10 is a form where a medical referee gives authorisation for the cremation of a deceased person. This is the last document issued by a doctor who works at the crematorium which allows the cremation to be carried out.
Any of these documents can be notarised, but the Notary will need to see the original. The Notary may need to check the authenticity with the medical practitioner who signed the certificate, however.
If the certificate requires legalisation at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and contains an official signature, it may not need to be notarised.
Requirements should always be checked with the receiving party.
