Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Finland
You have ashes in Finland and need to bring them home. This page covers what Finland requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Finland require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: HEL (Helsinki-Vantaa Airport); OUL (Oulu Airport); TMP (Tampere-Pirkkala Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Finnair; British Airways; Norwegian Air Shuttle
Authority that must release the case: Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos (THL), Forensic Medicine Unit, Helsinki
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 Finland require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Finland 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 Finland, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Finland 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 Finland?
Finland is a Strasbourg Convention signatory alongside the UK; the Matkustuslupa issued by Valvira is accepted by UK authorities without additional consular legalisation; Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) has direct connections to London Heathrow and Gatwick with Finnair and British Airways; cargo handling procedures are efficient; Finnish Lapland is a significant British tourist destination for Northern Lights holidays and winter wilderness experiences; the area around Rovaniemi, Saariselkä, and Levi carries cold-weather and outdoor activity risk; Deaths in Lapland (north of Oulu) require transfer to Oulu for forensic pathology; this adds one to two days compared with Helsinki cases; Finland has significant lakes and forested wilderness; summer activities (kayaking, hiking, cycling near lakes) and winter activities (ice fishing, snowmobile safaris, skiing) are the contexts for most tourist fatalities
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Finland
Official support
British Embassy in Finland: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos (THL), Forensic Medicine Unit, Helsinki and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Finland
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 Finland
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Finland
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.