Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Argentina
You have ashes in Argentina and need to bring them home. This page covers what Argentina requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Argentina require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: EZE (Ministro Pistarini International, Buenos Aires); AEP (Jorge Newbery, Buenos Aires domestic)
Carriers serving the UK: Aerolíneas Argentinas; Iberia; LATAM; British Airways (via connections)
Authority that must release the case: Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the jurisdiction of death; Ministry of Health provincial or national authority; Cuerpo Medico Forense (Forensic Medical Corps); Judiciary (Poder Judicial), judge orders release for unnatural deaths
The rules that apply on any route, and what you may do with ashes once home, are covered in bringing ashes into the UK.
What are the airline rules for carrying ashes?
What does Argentina require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Argentina due to religious or legal reasons. If you are dealing with ashes from a previous cremation held elsewhere, the export rules may differ. Contact us for guidance specific to your situation.
What affects the cost?
Carrying ashes home yourself is the least expensive way to bring someone back from Argentina, and for many families it costs little more than the return flight they are already taking. We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.
| What changes the cost | Why |
|---|---|
| Whether the cremation has already taken place | Arranging it locally adds funeral director and crematorium involvement |
| Where the death happened | Distance to the nearest crematorium changes local transfer |
| Carrying versus shipping | Hand luggage costs nothing extra; a specialist courier is a separate arrangement |
| Documentation Argentina requires | Export permits and translation, where they apply |
Send us the details of your situation and we will give you a figure, with no obligation.
What else is worth knowing about Argentina?
No direct flights from Argentina to UK; routing typically via Madrid (Iberia) or São Paulo, add 1-2 days for cargo; Patagonia deaths (hiking, trekking, mountaineering near Bariloche or El Calafate) require land or domestic flight transfer to Buenos Aires, add 1-3 days; Argentine judicial system for releasing bodies in unnatural death cases can be slower in provinces than in Buenos Aires; Adventure travel insurance with body repatriation cover is strongly recommended for Patagonia trekkers
high
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Argentina
Official support
British Embassy in Argentina: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the jurisdiction of death; Ministry of Health provincial or national authority; Cuerpo Medico Forense (Forensic Medical Corps); Judiciary (Poder Judicial), judge orders release for unnatural deaths and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Argentina
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Argentina
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Argentina
Tell us where the ashes are now and where home is. We will explain what is needed and send you a quote. We send ashes home to the UK, Ireland or any other country.