Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from The Bahamas
You have ashes in The Bahamas and need to bring them home. This page covers what The Bahamas requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does The Bahamas require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: NAS (Lynden Pindling International Airport, Nassau); FPO (Grand Bahama International Airport, Freeport)
Carriers serving the UK: American Airlines (via Miami to London Heathrow); British Airways (via New York JFK); Bahamasair
Authority that must release the case: Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Nassau (New Providence) / Rand Memorial Hospital, Freeport (Grand Bahama)
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 The Bahamas require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in The Bahamas 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 The Bahamas, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 The Bahamas 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 The Bahamas?
The Bahamas is a Commonwealth country; the British High Commission in Nassau handles consular cases with regularity given the high volume of British tourists, cruise passengers, and second-home owners visiting the islands; The Out Islands (Family Islands), including the Exumas, Abacos, Eleuthera, Long Island, and Cat Island, have no local forensic or documentation capacity; deaths there require air or boat transfer to Nassau before any official process can begin; Abacos deaths in particular received significant BHC attention following Hurricane Dorian in 2019; There are no nonstop scheduled flights from the Bahamas to the UK; all cargo routes connect via Miami (American Airlines, typically the most direct) or New York; charter and cruise ship deaths have separate processes; Drowning, snorkelling, and diving deaths are the most common British tourist fatalities; the Bahamas has extensive shallow reef systems and some deep-water sites; current fatalities at sites like Thunderball Grotto (Exumas) occur; Grand Bahama (Freeport) has its own administrative jurisdiction and forensic facility at Rand Memorial Hospital; do not assume Nassau-based contacts apply to Grand Bahama cases
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from The Bahamas
Official support
British Embassy in The Bahamas: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Nassau (New Providence) / Rand Memorial Hospital, Freeport (Grand Bahama) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from The Bahamas
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from The Bahamas
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.