Cremation in Luxembourg and Taking the Ashes Home to Ukraine

In 30 seconds.

• The cremation permit is issued by the civil registrar (officier de l'état civil) of the commune where the death occurred.
• You need the deceased person's expressed wish or an application from the nearest relative, a medical certificate, and a pacemaker certificate.
• Cremation takes place between 24 and 72 hours after death. This period can be extended with a justified request.
• Luxembourg law currently does not allow keeping an urn at home.
• 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 in Luxembourg

The state portal guichet.lu states: a cremation permit is issued based on a document where the person expressed the wish to be cremated, or a request from the closest family member. This means authorities first look at the wishes of the deceased, and if nothing was written down, the nearest relative decides.

Citizenship does not matter. A Ukrainian is cremated at the same crematorium and with the same documents. If the family is in Ukraine, the nearest relative signs the application and power of attorney, and we pass them on to the funeral home. Because of the short 72-hour deadline, this must be done in the very first days, so call us right away.

If a person died abroad while living in Luxembourg, the permit is issued by the commune of their registration based on official information that the civil registrar considers sufficient.

How long to wait for cremation

Here, Luxembourg is stricter than its neighbors. Burial or cremation must take place between the 24th and 72nd hour after death. The body cannot be taken before 24 hours, and cannot be kept past 72 hours. The period can be extended based on a justified application and a certificate from the medical inspector (médecin-inspecteur).

The crematorium in Hamm states that cremation is carried out no earlier than 24 hours after death or after the farewell ceremony by the coffin. The crematorium has two furnaces and cremated 3,120 people in 2022. Therefore, the day of cremation is scheduled in advance.

Urn for transport

After cremation, the ashes are placed in an urn of a model approved by the Ministers of the Interior and of Health. Each coffin has a refractory stone with a registration number so the ashes cannot be mixed up.

If the ashes are not scattered in the Gardens of Remembrance at the crematorium, the funeral home collects the urn and takes it to the chosen cemetery. For the journey to Ukraine, we recommend a sealed, sturdy urn that can be scanned by X-ray.

Airlines often allow an urn in hand luggage with prior approval. Each carrier has its own rules, so we check in advance.

Can you transport the urn yourself

Yes, you can, but in Luxembourg it is more complicated than in neighboring countries. The urn is usually released to the funeral home rather than the family, because the law does not allow keeping it at home. Therefore, taking it out of the country must be arranged in advance. At the airport, the urn is X-rayed, and documents in French or German without a translation can slow things down at the border.

If the family is in Ukraine, the easiest way is to entrust this to us. We will pick up the urn from the funeral home and bring it to you.

Burial of an urn in Ukraine

In Ukraine, an urn is buried in the ground, placed in a columbarium, or buried in an existing family grave. You need a permit from the cemetery, and for an existing grave, the consent of the person registered as the grave's holder. Read more in the article burial of an urn.