Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Georgia
You have ashes in Georgia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Georgia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Georgia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: TBS (Tbilisi International Airport); KUT (Kutaisi International Airport, Wizz Air hub)
Carriers serving the UK: Wizz Air (direct London Gatwick to Tbilisi TBS); Georgian Airways; Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul)
Authority that must release the case: Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, Tbilisi
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 Georgia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Georgia 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 Georgia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Georgia 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 Georgia?
Georgian documentation is written in the Georgian Mkhedruli script, which is unique to Georgia; very few UK-based translators are accredited in Georgian legal and administrative language, identifying and engaging a qualified translator should be done immediately, not after documentation is complete; Georgia is an increasingly popular British tourist destination: Tbilisi city breaks, wine tourism in the Kakheti region, skiing at Gudauri, and trekking in Svaneti and the Greater Caucasus; hiking and skiing deaths in mountain areas require mountain rescue involvement before documentation begins; Mountain rescue in Georgia: Kazbegi Mountain Rescue Service handles the Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) area; Svaneti is more remote with limited rescue infrastructure; deaths in the Greater Caucasus high-altitude terrain can take 24 to 72 hours to recover; Wizz Air operates direct flights between London Gatwick (LGW) and Tbilisi (TBS), which is the most practical cargo routing for human remains; Turkish Airlines via Istanbul is an alternative but human remains cargo pre-booking requirements differ; Georgia is a non-EU country with no Strasbourg Convention membership; authentication steps that apply to Strasbourg countries do not simplify the process; the full consular processing pathway applies
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Georgia
Official support
British Embassy in Georgia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, Tbilisi and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Georgia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Georgia
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.