Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Ghana
You have ashes in Ghana and need to bring them home. This page covers what Ghana requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Ghana require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: ACC (Kotoka International Airport, Accra)
Carriers serving the UK: British Airways; Africa World Airlines; Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa)
Authority that must release the case: Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry (BDM); Ghana Health Service; Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine; Ghana Police Service (for unnatural deaths); BDM Registry
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 Ghana require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Ghana 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 Ghana, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Ghana 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 Ghana?
British Airways operates direct flights from Accra ACC to London Heathrow, simplifying cargo booking; Ghana is a Commonwealth country; the representative is the British High Commission, not Embassy; Documentation is in English throughout, which reduces translation requirements compared to Francophone West Africa; Deaths outside Accra (Cape Coast, Kumasi, Tamale) require transfer to Accra for post-mortem and Ghana Health Service processing; Cremation is available in Accra but not widely practiced; ashes repatriation from Ghana is less common than body repatriation
high
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Ghana
Official support
British Embassy in Ghana: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry (BDM); Ghana Health Service; Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine; Ghana Police Service (for unnatural deaths); BDM Registry and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Ghana
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Ghana
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.