Whether you can start a life insurance claim without the death certificate depends on the insurer: some ask only for a copy "if available" when you first get in touch, while SunLife's claims line asks callers to confirm the certificate has already arrived. Every insurer quoted below lists it among the papers it needs, and where a coroner is involved, an interim certificate from the coroner is the document to ask the insurer about.

This page covers the paperwork only, at whatever pace suits you. If you would also like to talk over cover for yourself or your family, now or later, this page's form leads to an unhurried, free conversation with an FCA-authorised broker.

Can you start a claim before the death certificate arrives?

Insurers' own pages differ on this. Legal & General's page for people claiming after a death lists what it needs to begin processing, including "A copy of the death certificate (if available and the death occurred in the UK). Please note there may be some instances where we require the original death certificate". Aviva's general payouts guide, written for claims with any insurer, says "Most families contact the insurer as soon as they have the certificate, so the claim form and next steps can be set up." SunLife's phone route for its Guaranteed Over 50 Plan asks the caller to "Confirm the death has been registered and that the death certificate has been received".

So there is no single answer. A call to the claims team is the quickest way to learn what that insurer can set up now and what has to wait. You can say the certificate is delayed, and why, and ask what it would accept in its place. Each insurer's own route is set out on its claim page: Royal London, Aviva, Zurich, Vitality, British Seniors and SunLife.

Starting the conversation is not the same as being paid. Whichever route you take, the insurer will want to see a certificate before it decides the claim, which is why the delay matters.

Why a death certificate can take longer than expected

GOV.UK's step-by-step guide describes a short chain before a death can be registered. The person's doctor confirms the death, a medical examiner checks the cause, and "You must wait for the medical examiner's office to confirm you can register the death." The death is then registered within 5 days of that confirmation (8 days in Scotland).

In England and Wales, a coroner adds a longer wait. GOV.UK says that if a death is reported to a coroner, the documents needed to register it may be different. A coroner must hold an inquest if the cause of death is still unknown, if the person might have died a violent or unnatural death, or if they might have died in prison or police custody. The final death certificate comes from the registrar once the inquest is over, so how long the wait lasts is in the coroner's hands. In Scotland, mygov.scot says a sudden, suspicious or unexplained death is investigated by the procurator fiscal, and a death certificate can be issued once that investigation has finished.

Free, independent support is available from the Coroners' Courts Support Service. Its helpline for England and Wales is 0300 111 2141, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, and Saturday, 9am to 2pm.

What is an interim death certificate?

It is the coroner's proof of death while an inquest is still to be finished. GOV.UK says: "If you need proof of the death while you wait for the inquest to finish, ask the coroner for an interim death certificate." It comes from the coroner, not the registrar, and you ask for it.

The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, which apply in England and Wales, give the formal name. Regulation 9 is headed "Interim certificate of fact of death" and says a coroner who has begun but not completed an investigation "may" provide a "certificate of the fact of death" if the next of kin or personal representative asks. So the request comes from the next of kin or the executor, and the coroner decides.

In Northern Ireland, nidirect calls the coroner's interim certificate a Coroner’s Certificate of Evidence of Death, and warns: "However, not all financial organisations will accept this and you may need to wait for the final registration of the death before the administration of the deceased’s estate can be finished."

GOV.UK says either certificate can be used to apply for probate and to report the death through Tell Us Once, the government's one-stop notification service. Those uses are GOV.UK's; whether a particular insurer will take it for a claim is for the insurer, as the next section shows. If the payout is due to the estate, life insurance and probate explains why the executor's paperwork can also affect timing.

Original or copy, interim or final: what insurers' claims pages say

Some insurers are firm on the original, some make allowances, and the wording varies between products from the same company. Here is what five insurers' own pages and guides say:

Insurer and documentWhat it says about the certificate
Aviva, life insurance FAQs"We need to see the original death certificate and can’t accept a copy."
LV=, Life Protection Policy Conditions (print code 48926-2026)It needs "the original death certificate (not a photocopy)" before it can pay a claim. LV='s over-50s claim page adds that it will send an original back immediately.
Royal London, serious illness and over-50s claim page"we prefer to get an original copy but we can accept a standard verification form completed by a solicitor if that’s easier."
Royal London, Life Protection claims guide (March 2025), for former Aegon policiesOnce the death is registered it may be able to check it online; if not, it asks for the original or may accept a copy.
SunLife, Guaranteed Over 50 Plan claim pageLists the original death certificate among what to send by post.
Legal & General, page for people claiming after a deathA copy if available and the death was in the UK, though it says it sometimes needs the original.

On the interim certificate, Aviva's FAQs say: "You may get an interim death certificate if the death gets referred to a coroner and an inquest is opened. We can accept this, but we'll usually need to ask the coroner to give us some more information before we can start to assess the claim." It adds "You may need to wait until the inquest is complete before we can assess the death claim." Aviva's payouts guide also counts an interim certificate among the things that can speed a claim up. Legal & General says that after a claim starts it "might contact the GP, Coroner, or other relevant parties if needed", so a coroner may be approached as part of the claim. How long an Aviva payout takes covers timing in more detail.

For any other insurer, or an older policy, its claims team is the one to confirm whether an interim certificate will do; an FCA-authorised broker will happily explain the point for free, on a call-back you request through this page's form.

Where a page asks for the original, a photocopy will not do; LV= says so in as many words. Ask first, then send whichever form the insurer says it will take.

Getting through the wait

A few steps can make the paperwork lighter while the final certificate is still to come:

  • Phone the insurer early and ask what it will accept in place of the final certificate, and whether it can open the claim now. Note the name of the person you spoke to.
  • If a coroner is involved, ask the coroner for an interim certificate, as GOV.UK describes above.
  • Order more than one certificate once the death is registered. GOV.UK says certificates from the General Register Office in England and Wales cost £12.50 and "Extra copies are the same price." Aviva advises that ordering a few copies helps, since the bank, the executor and the insurer may all want one.
  • Keep copies of what you send. Aviva also advises keeping copies of whatever you send, and Aviva and LV= both say they return originals.

Who tells the insurer, and where the money goes, is set out in what happens to a life policy after a death, and our guide to how life insurance works covers the basics of cover itself.

None of this has to be done in one sitting. When it feels manageable, the enquiry on this page sets up a talk with an FCA-authorised broker about cover for your own household, at no charge.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a death certificate to claim life insurance?

The insurers quoted above all list it among the documents they need, though some ask only for a copy when you first get in touch. Ring the claims team, explain what is delaying yours and ask what they can do in the meantime.

Does life insurance need the original death certificate?

It depends on the insurer. Aviva says it cannot accept a copy and LV= wants the original "not a photocopy", while Royal London prefers an original but accepts a solicitor's verification form for its serious illness and over-50s claims.

Will life insurance accept an interim death certificate?

Aviva says it can, but will usually ask the coroner for more information and may not assess the claim until the inquest is complete. For any other insurer, ask before you send anything.

Who can ask the coroner for an interim certificate?

In England and Wales, the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 say a coroner may provide the certificate if the next of kin or the personal representative of the person who died asks.

How much do extra death certificates cost?

GOV.UK says certificates from the General Register Office in England and Wales cost £12.50 and extra copies cost the same. Certificates in Scotland and Northern Ireland are ordered through a different process.

Sources