Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Armenia
You have ashes in Armenia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Armenia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Armenia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: EVN (Zvartnots International Airport, Yerevan)
Carriers serving the UK: Austrian Airlines (via Vienna); Lufthansa (via Frankfurt); Flydubai (via Dubai); Armenia Airlines (regional)
Authority that must release the case: Republican Institute of Forensic Medical Expertise, Yerevan
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 Armenia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Armenia 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 Armenia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Armenia 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 Armenia?
Armenian script is unique to Armenia; it is not related to Georgian or Cyrillic and requires a specific accreditation that very few UK translators hold; contact the British Embassy Yerevan immediately on notification of death and ask for their current recommended translators; Mount Aragats (4,090m) and the surrounding mountain areas attract British trekkers; deaths in the high Aragats region require rescue and evacuation before documentation can begin; Lake Sevan, the largest lake in the Caucasus, is a popular tourist destination and site of drowning incidents; Sevan is approximately 60 km from Yerevan and accessible by road; Armenia shares borders with Turkey (largely closed), Azerbaijan (conflict-sensitive), Iran, and Georgia; the Nagorno-Karabakh region remains contested; deaths near the Azerbaijani border should involve the British Embassy Yerevan from the first notification; Wizz Air operates a London Luton to Yerevan service but as a low-cost carrier does not carry human remains cargo; repatriation cargo routes operate via Vienna (Austrian Airlines) or Frankfurt (Lufthansa)
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Armenia
Official support
British Embassy in Armenia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Republican Institute of Forensic Medical Expertise, Yerevan and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Armenia
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 Armenia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Armenia
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.