Burial: statutory forms

Burial form BF7: guidance notes

This Burial Form BF7 (available under Supporting documents) is for use only by an appropriately authorised person to apply for the burial of a body part or parts of an adult which are in the possession of a person licensed under section 3(2) of the Anatomy Act 1984, where the deceased died before 14th February 1988 or where the date of death is not known.

An appropriately authorised person includes a person licensed under section 3(2) of the Anatomy Act 1984 and may also include a person authorised by a university to carry out such arrangements (such as a Bequest Co-ordinator). If you are unsure about who is authorised to complete and sign this form then you should speak to staff at the burial authority where the burial is to take place.

Please use Burial Form BF6 for an application for burial of a body, body part or body parts of an adult following anatomical examination where authority was given under section 4A(1) or section 4(2) of the Anatomy Act 1984 for the person’s body to be used for anatomical examination.

Where no anatomical examination has taken place, there are other burial application forms (included under Supporting documents) which must be used. These are:

• Burial Form BF1 where the application is for the burial of the remains of an adult or child in a burial ground (other than a burial arranged by a local authority)
• Burial Form BF2 where the application is for the burial of the remains of a stillborn baby in a burial ground
• Burial Form BF3 where the application is for the burial of the remains of a pregnancy loss in a burial ground (by an individual)
• Burial Form BF4 where the application is for the burial of the remains of a pregnancy loss in a burial ground by a health authority or body
• Burial Form BF5 where the application is for the burial of the remains of an adult or child by a local authority where they are making arrangements under section 87 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016

Different forms are used for cremation. See the cremation forms.

Section 1: Burial details

Type of Burial

In this section please indicate whether the burial is for a coffin burial or for another casket (e.g. body part). The word “coffin” should be read to include coffin alternatives, e.g. woollen shrouds.

Type of lair

Please provide a description of the type of lair required. A lair is a Scottish term for a burial plot or grave.

Please indicate whether the lair is:

• A new lair,
• Existing lair but no previous burial, or
• Existing lair which contains a previous burial

And whether you have any preference for the location of the lair within the burial ground:

• Traditional lawn lair
• Woodland/green lair
• Faith section – please indicate which faith
• Baby section

The options available will depend on what your chosen burial authority offers so you may wish to check this in advance.

Section 3: Declaration

The applicant is required to declare that they are entitled to apply for the burial of a body part or body parts of an adult which are in the possession of a person licensed under section 3(2) of the Anatomy Act 1984, where the deceased died before 14 February 1988 or where the date of death is unknown. The application for burial may be submitted by the person licensed to carry out the examination or have possession of the body, part or parts or any other person authorised by the licensed person to submit it, and using the appropriate application form all as set out in regulation 3 of the Burial (Applications and Register) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly provide information which is false or misleading in a material way in, or in connection with, an application for burial and if a person does so then they may be liable to a fine of up to Level 3 on conviction.

Section 4: Funeral director declaration

Coffin/casket material (including handles)

Please state what material the coffin/casket (including any handles) are made from, for example, a coffin may be wicker, wool, cardboard, plywood, MDF, chipboard, solid wood; and handles could be: metal, rope, wood, plastic. If a shroud is used, please also note that here and describe the shroud material.

Coffin/casket shape

Please state the shape of the coffin or casket, e.g. traditional coffin, rectangular, rounded, tapered.

☐ Traditional coffin

☐ Rectangular

☐ Rounded

☐ Tapered

External coffin or casket measurements

Please state the external measurements of the coffin/casket to assist the burial authority with lair preparation. This should be recorded in cm and should be inclusive of any handles.

Section 5: Authorisation for burial

The burial authority should verify that the information contained in the application form is in order and that they have seen the appropriate documentation before the burial can proceed.

The burial authority signatory should then sign and date the application form when they approve the burial.

The burial authority should add their burial authority registration number to the top section on page one.

The Scottish Government expects each burial authority, cremation authority, hydrolysis authority and funeral director to be registered on the Funeral Sector Register where each organisation will be assigned its own unique registration number.

Under the 2016 Act burial, cremation and hydrolysis authorities have discretion whether to accept any application or to ask for additional information.

Details on how to register can be found by visiting the Funeral Sector Register.