Cremation in the UK and Taking Ashes Abroad to Ukraine

In 30 seconds.

• The cause of death is first reviewed by a medical examiner, then registered within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). After registration, you receive a "green form" for the crematorium.
• The cremation application (form Cremation 1) is submitted by the executor or a near relative aged 16 or over.
• Council crematorium fees differ from council to council. Examples from official fee lists are below.
• We found no separate UK permit for taking ashes abroad in official sources. You need the death certificate and the certificate of cremation, plus a document for Ukrainian customs.
• Transporting an urn with ashes to Ukraine costs from €800, with no prepayment.

Call +380 77 882 77 77Ask about urn transport

Who can apply for cremation

In England and Wales, the application for cremation is submitted by the executor or a near relative who is at least 16 years old. This is set out in Regulation 15 of the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008. Near relatives here include a spouse, civil partner, parents, children, or another relative who usually lived with the deceased.

If there are no such people or they cannot apply, another person may submit the application. In that case, the crematorium's medical referee must be satisfied that this is a suitable person and that relatives do not object.

Citizenship does not matter. A Ukrainian is cremated under the same rules as a British citizen. If the family is in Ukraine, one of the near relatives signs the application, while a local funeral director handles the paperwork in practice. Each crematorium decides for itself how to accept a signature from abroad, so we check this before starting.

In form Cremation 1, the applicant states right away what should be done with the ashes: release them to the family, hand them over to the funeral director, or bury them on site. This determines who will receive the urn later.

How long you wait for a cremation

The law does not set a minimum waiting time between death and cremation. Time goes into the medical examiner's review, registering the death, and waiting for a slot at the crematorium. If a coroner is involved, everything takes longer because cremation is only allowed after their decision.

The exact date is given by the crematorium. Early morning slots without a service are usually easier to book. For example, in Lambeth, cremations without family present take place at 8:00, 8:30, or 9:00.

After cremation, the urn is kept at the crematorium. If the ashes are left there temporarily, the crematorium cannot bury or scatter them until it has tried to give the applicant 14 days' notice. Still, it is best not to delay for too long, as some councils charge for storage.

The urn: flying with ashes

The cremation price usually includes a simple container for the ashes. In Lambeth, for example, one container is included, while a wooden casket costs £110.

Source: Lambeth and West Norwood crematoria fees, 2026–2027

For air travel, people usually choose a lightweight urn made of wood, cardboard, or solid plastic. Hand luggage goes through an X-ray scanner, and if security cannot see what is inside, they may not let the urn through. A metal or stone urn is riskier here. You can buy a permanent urn for the burial once you are in Ukraine.

GOV.UK advises telling the airline in advance that you are carrying ashes and keeping the certificate of cremation with you. Every carrier has its own rules, so check them before buying a ticket. Do not open the urn during the journey, as the documents are issued specifically for that sealed container.

Can you carry the ashes yourself

Yes, the family can collect the urn from the crematorium and carry it themselves. This is legal. Common issues include:

• the urn cannot be scanned by X-ray, so airport security refuses to let it into the cabin;
• the airline was not notified in advance and asks to check the urn in differently;
• at the Ukrainian border, there is no legalised certificate of the urn's contents, and the customs officer stops the clearance process;
• the documents are in English without a translation.

If you are short on time, are in Ukraine, or do not want to deal with the paperwork, it is easier to leave this to us. We can arrange the cremation through local partners or collect an already prepared urn from the crematorium or the family. Then we handle the documents and bring the urn home.

Burying an urn in Ukraine

To bury an urn, you need a place: a new grave, burial in an existing family grave, or a niche in a columbarium. Permission is given by the cemetery administration or the local council. For burial in an existing grave, you usually need the consent of the person registered as the grave's holder. Read more about the procedure in our article on burying an urn in Ukraine.

We advise making arrangements with the cemetery while the cremation is taking place in the UK. That way, the urn can be buried right after it arrives.