Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Mozambique
You have ashes in Mozambique and need to bring them home. This page covers what Mozambique requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Mozambique require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: MPM (Maputo International Airport); BEW (Beira Airport); VNX (Vilanculos Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: LAM Mozambique Airlines (via Johannesburg); Kenya Airways (via Nairobi); Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa); South African Airways (via Johannesburg)
Authority that must release the case: Hospital Central de Maputo, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal
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 Mozambique require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Mozambique 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 Mozambique, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Mozambique 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 Mozambique?
Mozambique is a Commonwealth member despite being a former Portuguese colony, making it unusual in the Commonwealth; the British High Commission Maputo provides consular support; All official documents are in Portuguese; certified English translations are required before UK entry formalities can be completed, adding time and cost; No direct UK flights from Maputo; the main routing is via Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo) with LAM or South African Airways; Johannesburg transit handling for human remains requires South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) compliance; Deaths at coastal tourist destinations (Tofo Beach, the Bazaruto Archipelago, Inhambane) are handled via provincial hospitals with varying documentation capacity; transfers to Maputo may be required; The FCDO maintains travel warnings for several northern provinces (Cabo Delgado) due to ongoing insurgency activity; deaths in those areas involve additional security and access constraints
high
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Mozambique
Official support
British Embassy in Mozambique: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Hospital Central de Maputo, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Mozambique
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Translators and interpreters, for certified translation of the death certificate and permits
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Mozambique
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Mozambique
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.