Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Bolivia
You have ashes in Bolivia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Bolivia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Bolivia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: VVI (Viru Viru International Airport, Santa Cruz de la Sierra); LPB (El Alto International Airport, La Paz, altitude 4,061m)
Carriers serving the UK: LATAM Airlines (via Lima or Sao Paulo); Copa Airlines (via Panama City); Boliviana de Aviacion (BoA) domestic
Authority that must release the case: Servicio de Registro Civil (SERECI); Ministerio de Salud y Deportes (Ministry of Health and Sports); Instituto de Investigaciones Forenses (IDIF), La Paz or Santa Cruz; Fiscalia General del Estado; FELCC (Special Force Against Crime)
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 Bolivia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Bolivia 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 Bolivia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Bolivia 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 Bolivia?
La Paz El Alto Airport (LPB) sits at 4,061m above sea level, the world's highest commercial airport; altitude affects aircraft performance and cargo capacity; Deaths from altitude sickness (soroche) are common in La Paz and the Altiplano; these are treated as unnatural deaths requiring Fiscalia investigation; Bolivia is landlocked; all international cargo routing requires a hub in a neighbouring country, typically Santa Cruz connecting to Lima or Sao Paulo; The FELCC (Special Force Against Crime) investigates unnatural deaths alongside the Fiscalia; Documentation in Spanish; certified translations are straightforward compared to non-Latin script countries
high
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Bolivia
Official support
British Embassy in Bolivia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Servicio de Registro Civil (SERECI); Ministerio de Salud y Deportes (Ministry of Health and Sports); Instituto de Investigaciones Forenses (IDIF), La Paz or Santa Cruz; Fiscalia General del Estado; FELCC (Special Force Against Crime) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Bolivia
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 Bolivia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Bolivia
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.