Personal Details (Form 8)
What is it?
The Personal Details form collects information about the person who has died that is needed to complete the death registration process.
In Queensland, this information is used to prepare the death registration that is lodged with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The Queensland Form 8 – Death Registration Application asks for information about the deceased, including their name, date and place of birth, date and place of death, usual residence, occupation, relationship history, parents and children. It also records information about the burial or cremation and the person providing the declaration.
Other Australian states and territories have their own forms and processes, so the exact information requested can vary. However, families are generally asked to provide similar information about the person who has died so that their death can be formally registered.
Why do you need this information?
When someone dies, their death needs to be formally registered with the relevant government registry.
The information you provide helps establish the deceased person’s identity and creates the official record of their death. It is also used to produce the official Death Certificate.
This is why the form can seem surprisingly detailed. Some of the questions may feel unrelated to what needs to happen immediately, but they form part of the information required for the official record.
What information will I need?
Depending on where the death occurred, you may be asked for information such as:
- Full name and any other names the person was formally known by
- Date and place of birth
- Date and place of death
- Usual residential address
- Usual occupation and whether they were retired
- Information about their parents
- Relationship or marriage history
- Information about their children
- Cultural or other information required by the relevant registry
- Information about the burial or cremation
- Details of the person providing the information
In Queensland, the current Form 8 specifically asks for relationship history from the earliest relationship, including marriages, civil partnerships and de facto relationships. It also asks for parents’ details and, where applicable, the first names, dates of birth and life status of children.
What if I don’t know everything?
That’s okay.
You may not know every detail, particularly if you are completing the form soon after someone has died.
If you are unsure about something, don’t guess. Tell us that you are unsure and we can work out what can be confirmed, what can be left unstated, and whether anything further is needed.
Our Personal Details form also allows NS (not stated) to be used for information that you do not wish to provide.
Why are there questions about relationships?
Relationship history is part of the information used by the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
The current Queensland Form 8 asks for marriages, civil partnerships and de facto relationships, beginning with the earliest. It can include the person’s age when the relationship began, the partner’s name and where the relationship began.
This can sometimes feel intrusive or unnecessary, particularly when you are grieving. It is simply information required for the official registration process.
Why are you asking about parents and children?
The government record of a death can include information about the deceased person’s parents and children.
For example, the Queensland Form 8 asks for the names and usual occupations of the deceased’s parents, and asks for children to be listed in order of birth, including legally adopted children. It does not ask for stepchildren to be included in that section.
Providing this information accurately helps the registry create the correct official record.
Does everything I provide appear on the Death Certificate?
Not necessarily.
The Queensland Form 8 contains information collected for registration, including information identified as being for statistical, administrative and community planning purposes. The form states that information marked with an asterisk will not appear in the Registers.
The exact information displayed on a Death Certificate can depend on the relevant registry and certificate type.
What happens after I complete it?
We use the information you provide to complete the death registration process.
In Queensland, a funeral director will normally submit the death registration to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, generally within 14 days. The current Queensland Form 8 also requires information about how the cause of death was certified, the funeral director and the person making the declaration.
Once the registration has been processed, the Registry can issue the official Death Certificate.
Take your time
There is a lot of information on this form, and some of it may require you to stop and think or ask another family member.
You don’t need to know everything immediately.
If you are unsure about an answer, let us know. It is much better to identify something that needs checking than to guess.
The purpose of the form is not to make things harder for you. It is simply one of the practical things that needs to be taken care of after someone dies.
Want to understand more?
There are other articles in our Say Goodbye Your Way resource that explain some of these processes in more detail.
You can explore the other articles if you would like to understand more about what happens after someone dies, why certain information is required, or what happens next.