Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Belgium
You have ashes in Belgium and need to bring them home. This page covers what Belgium requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Belgium require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: BRU (Brussels Airport Zaventem); CRL (Brussels South Charleroi Airport); LGG (Liege Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Brussels Airlines; British Airways; Ryanair; easyJet
Authority that must release the case: Institut National de Criminalistique et de Criminologie (INCC) / University Hospital Forensic Departments
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 Belgium require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Belgium 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 Belgium, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Belgium 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 Belgium?
Belgium is a Strasbourg Convention signatory alongside the UK; the transport permit issued by the commune is accepted by UK authorities without additional consular legalisation; Brussels has a large British expat community based around the EU institutions and NATO headquarters (SHAPE at Mons, 60 km south-west of Brussels); British military personnel at SHAPE are handled through military channels for service deaths; Belgium's three-language administrative system means documents are in Dutch (Flemish), French (Wallonia), or German (eastern cantons) depending on where death occurred; certified English translation is required for all; Brussels Airport (BRU) has direct daily flights to London Heathrow and Gatwick with multiple carriers; cargo handling for human remains is efficient and established; Tourist deaths in Belgium are most common in Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and the Ardennes; the Ardennes region sees outdoor activity deaths (cycling, hiking, kayaking) concentrated in summer
low
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Belgium
Official support
British Embassy in Belgium: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Institut National de Criminalistique et de Criminologie (INCC) / University Hospital Forensic Departments and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Belgium
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Funeral directors, for arranging local care and preparation
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Belgium
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Belgium
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.