Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Laos
You have ashes in Laos and need to bring them to the UK. This page covers what Laos requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What Laos requires before ashes can leave
Departure airports: VTE (Wattay International Airport, Vientiane); LPQ (Luang Prabang International Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Thai Airways (via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi); Bangkok Airways (via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi); Vietnam Airlines (via Hanoi); Lao Airlines
Authority that must release the case: Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane (primary forensic post-mortem facility); complex cases may transfer to Thailand
The rules that apply on any route, and what you may do with ashes once home, are covered in bringing ashes into the UK.
Airline rules
Export requirements from Laos
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Laos 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 Laos, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Laos 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.
Worth knowing about Laos
Laos has a very limited UK Lao translator pool; the Lao script is unique and accredited legal translators in the UK are extremely rare; the British Embassy Vientiane should be contacted immediately and asked for their current recommended translators; do not wait until documents are issued; Vang Vieng is well-known among British backpackers and has a significant history of tourist deaths; river tubing, cliff jumping, alcohol, and road accidents have all contributed to fatalities; bodies in Vang Vieng must transfer to Vientiane for post-mortem and documentation; The 4000 Islands (Si Phan Don) area in the far south of Laos, near the Cambodian border, is extremely remote; deaths there require road or river transport to Pakse (Champasak) before onward transfer to Vientiane; this sequence can take several days; Northern Laos (Phongsali, Luang Namtha, Houaphanh province) is increasingly popular with British adventure trekkers; infrastructure in the far north is very limited and any death there involves a multi-day overland transfer to a facility capable of documentation; Laos has a one-party state political structure; consular access is permitted but the speed of administrative processes depends significantly on local official cooperation; the British Embassy Vientiane has experience navigating these relationships
medium
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Laos
Official support
British Embassy in Laos: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane (primary forensic post-mortem facility); complex cases may transfer to Thailand and the local crematorium directly.
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