Cremation in Croatia and Taking Ashes to Ukraine

In brief (30 seconds).

• The oldest crematorium has operated at Zagreb's Mirogoj Cemetery since 1985, and the second one opened in Osijek in 2021.
• Cremation is arranged by a funeral director, a family member, or the person organizing and paying for the funeral (Law on Cemeteries, Article 14).
• In Zagreb, under the City Cemeteries price list, the price for cremation is €146 including VAT, plus €21.43 for the pre-cremation medical check.
• For the Ukrainian border, a sealed, airtight metal urn is required.
• Transporting an urn with ashes to Ukraine costs from €800, with no prepayment.

Call +380 77 882 77 77Ask about an urn

Who gives consent for cremation

The new Law on Cemeteries (Zakon o grobljima, NN 78/2025, Article 14) puts it simply: farewell ceremonies, burial, and cremation are arranged by a funeral director (pogrebnik), a family member, or another person who organizes and pays for the funeral. The cremation itself is carried out by the cemetery administration (upravitelj groblja).

This law does not set a specific order of priority among relatives for giving consent to cremation. Therefore, our main guide is the wish of the deceased: if they expressed a preference for cremation during their lifetime, we follow that wish. If there is a disagreement within the family, it is best to resolve it before placing the order.

For a Ukrainian citizen who died in Croatia, the rules are the same. If the family is in Ukraine, there is no need to travel. You sign a power of attorney at a notary's office, and we add an apostille and translate it into Croatian. Both Croatia and Ukraine are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.

How long is the wait for cremation

There are no official waiting times. In practice, the timeline depends on three things: how quickly the paperwork is completed, whether an autopsy is needed, and available slots at the crematorium. From Dalmatia or Istria, the body must be driven several hundred kilometers to Zagreb, which adds another day. Zagreb publishes the schedule of farewells and cremations on the City Cemeteries (Gradska groblja) website.

The urn for transport

Croatian law allows placing an urn in an urn niche (kazeta za urne), a columbarium, or a grave, while scattering ashes is permitted only in places approved by the local council. An urn can be moved to another location at any time, regardless of when it was buried (Article 4).

For bringing ashes to Ukraine, Ukrainian law is what matters most. Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine "On Burial and Funeral Affairs" requires that ashes crossing the border be placed in an airtight, sealed metal urn. For this reason, we immediately choose a metal urn with an official seal. You can buy a decorative urn later at home.

By plane, the urn is usually carried in hand luggage after prior approval from the airline. It may be screened by X-ray. Each carrier has its own rules.

Can you transport the urn yourself

Yes, you can. Difficulties usually arise not in Croatia, but at the Ukrainian border: if the urn is not metal and sealed, or if the certificate of no foreign objects or consular legalization is missing. In that case, customs may not let the ashes through. Air transport must also be cleared with the airline in advance.

If you are on site and have all the paperwork, you can handle it yourself. If the family is in Ukraine, it is simpler to entrust the entire process to us.

Burying the urn in Ukraine

In Ukraine, an urn can be buried in a grave, placed in a columbarium, or interred in an existing family grave. You will need permission from the cemetery administration or local council. We explain how this works in our article on urn burial.