Eltham Register Office: Births, Deaths, Marriages

Eltham Register Office: Registering a Birth or Death and Marriage Notice in Royal Greenwich

Where the register office for Eltham is, how to book an appointment to register a birth, what happens after a death, and what the council and GOV.UK say about notice of marriage.

Eltham is covered by the Royal Borough of Greenwich's register office at Woolwich Town Hall, Wellington Street, SE18 6PW. Births must be registered within 42 days; book by calling 020 8921 5015 or 020 8921 5016. For a death the council calls you to book. GOV.UK says notice of marriage must be given at least 29 days before the ceremony.

Eltham.co Editorial3 October 2026

Eltham falls under the Royal Borough of Greenwich's registration service. The register office is not in Eltham itself but at Woolwich Town Hall. Fees, times and booking arrangements are the council's, so use the links below for the current position.

Where is the register office?

The council's venue directory lists Woolwich Town Hall at Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6PW, telephone 020 8921 5015, email registrar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk. The council's register a death page says deaths are registered at its register office in Woolwich Town Hall. The council's births, deaths and marriages hub is the starting point for all of the services below.

How do I register a birth?

The council's register a birth page says:

if your baby was born in the borough, you must register the birth with the council within 42 days
you make an appointment by calling 020 8921 5015 or 020 8921 5016, and you do not have to bring your baby
if the parents are married, either can attend alone; if they are not married, both must attend, or the father completes a witnessed statutory declaration of parentage form beforehand
you should bring the red book from the hospital, your passport, driving licence or birth certificate, and your marriage certificate if you are married
you cannot change the child's surname once registered
a full birth certificate bought at registration costs £12.50, as published

GOV.UK gives the same 42 day limit for England and lists the information you will need.

How do I register a death?

The council's page says:

when someone dies, the doctor involved completes a medical certificate of cause of death, sent to the register office within five working days
once the office has received it, the council calls you to book an appointment, aiming to book within five days of the death
if you have not heard within five working days, email registrar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
if the death has been reported to a coroner, you cannot register it until the coroner's investigation is complete
you need to register the death before you can hold a funeral

GOV.UK's what to do after someone dies says you must register within five days of getting the medical examiner's confirmation, counting weekends and bank holidays, and that you then receive a certificate for burial or cremation, the green form, which goes to the funeral director. The council's deaths pages also list Eltham Crematorium and council-arranged funerals.

How do I give notice of marriage?

The council's get married page says giving notice is a legal requirement, in which both people confirm their identity and their right to marry, that appointments can take a few weeks to get, and that you may have to delay your ceremony if you leave too little time. To arrange giving notice, contact the register office on 020 8921 5015.

GOV.UK says you must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony, hold the ceremony within 12 months, and usually make an appointment at your local register office, having lived in that district for the past seven days.

What about ceremonies at Woolwich Town Hall?

The council says:

to arrange a ceremony, email registrar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk with your contact details, the date, time and location, and it usually replies within 10 working days
Woolwich Town Hall has three rooms including Greenwich Register Office, which is very popular and may have at least a six-month wait, and you can only book it if at least one of you lives in the borough
the Register Office has space for the couple and two witnesses, the Edwardian Room for the couple and 36 guests, and the Victoria Hall for a larger group; the council's venue page and its venue directory give different capacities for it, so confirm with the register office
ceremonies last up to 30 minutes and cannot include religious music, readings or words

Marriage and civil partnership certificates are ordered from the contact centre, at £12.50 plus £4.62 postage per copy, as published on the council's schedules and documents page.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the register office for Eltham?

Greenwich Register Office is in Woolwich Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6PW, according to the council's venue directory, which gives the phone number as 020 8921 5015 and the email as registrar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

How do I register a birth in Royal Greenwich?

The council says you must register a birth that took place in the borough within 42 days, and that you make an appointment by calling 020 8921 5015 or 020 8921 5016. You do not need to bring your baby.

How do I register a death in Royal Greenwich?

The council says that once its register office receives the medical certificate of cause of death, it will call you to book an appointment, aiming to book within five days of the death. If you have not heard within five working days, email registrar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk. Registration takes place at Woolwich Town Hall.

How do I give notice of marriage in Royal Greenwich?

The council says giving notice is a legal requirement and that appointments can take a few weeks to get. GOV.UK says you must give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony, and hold the ceremony within 12 months. To arrange giving notice, use the council contact centre.

Can I marry at Greenwich Register Office?

The council says Woolwich Town Hall has three rooms including the register office, which has space for the couple and two witnesses, and that at least one of you must live in the borough to book it. It says you may wait at least six months for a booking.

How do I get a copy certificate?

The council says a full birth certificate bought at registration costs £12.50 each, and marriage or civil partnership certificates are ordered from its contact centre on 020 8921 5015 or 020 8921 5016 at £12.50 plus £4.62 postage per copy, as published.