Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Austria
You have ashes in Austria and need to bring them home. This page covers what Austria requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Austria require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: VIE (Vienna International Airport); GRZ (Graz Airport); INN (Innsbruck Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Austrian Airlines; British Airways; easyJet
Authority that must release the case: Institut für Gerichtliche Medizin, Medizinische Universität Wien (Medical University of Vienna)
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 Austria require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Austria 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 Austria, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Austria 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 Austria?
Austria is a Strasbourg Convention signatory alongside the UK; the Überführungsgenehmigung issued by the Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde is accepted by UK authorities without additional consular legalisation; Skiing is the primary context for British tourist deaths in Austria; the main resorts are in Tyrol (Innsbruck area), Salzburg (Zell am See, Saalbach), and Vorarlberg (Lech, Zürs); avalanche and off-piste accidents typically require Bergrettung (Alpine Rescue) recovery; Austria has a distinctive two-step death documentation process: the Totenbeschau (death examination by a local Totenbeschauer) precedes the official Sterbeurkunde; both documents are needed before the international transport permit can be issued; Innsbruck Airport (INN) is the most useful departure point for Tyrol ski resort deaths; Vienna (VIE) is the main cargo hub for all other Austrian cases; German documentation is required at every stage; certified English translations are needed for UK entry formalities; Austrian legal German has specific terminology that general German translators may not handle accurately
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Austria
Official support
British Embassy in Austria: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Institut für Gerichtliche Medizin, Medizinische Universität Wien (Medical University of Vienna) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Austria
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Translators and interpreters, for certified translation of the death certificate and permits
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Austria
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Austria
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.