Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Mongolia
You have ashes in Mongolia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Mongolia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
What does Mongolia require before ashes can leave?
Cremation available in Ulaanbaatar. No cremation facilities outside urban centres.
Routing from Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar via Beijing (MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Air China), Seoul (Korean Air, MIAT). No direct UK-Mongolia service. Beijing or Seoul are the primary cargo transit points.
Departure airports: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), Ulaanbaatar
Documentation language: Mongolian
Authority that must release the case: National Police Agency; State Forensic Science Center; Civil Registration and Information Department
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?
If you are connecting through a third country on this routing, that country's rules apply to the transit as well, and should be checked separately.
What does Mongolia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Mongolia 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 Mongolia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Mongolia 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.
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Mongolia
Official support
British Embassy in Mongolia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with National Police Agency; State Forensic Science Center; Civil Registration and Information Department and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Mongolia
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 Mongolia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Mongolia
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.