Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Saudi Arabia
You have ashes in Saudi Arabia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Saudi Arabia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Saudi Arabia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: RUH (Riyadh King Khalid International Airport); JED (Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport); DMM (Dammam King Fahd International Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines); British Airways; flydubai; Emirates (via Dubai)
Authority that must release the case: Government hospital forensic departments (King Fahd Medical City, King Faisal Specialist Hospital)
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 Saudi Arabia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has no Strasbourg Convention membership; additional consular authentication steps are required that are not needed for European repatriations; Saudi Arabia has a large British expat workforce concentrated in the oil and gas sector (Saudi Aramco joint ventures), defence and military advisory roles, and large construction projects including NEOM; deaths among this workforce involve employer-managed processes that differ from tourist deaths; There are two separate British consular offices: British Embassy Riyadh covers the central and eastern regions; British Consulate-General Jeddah covers the western region including Jeddah and the Hejaz; contact the office relevant to the region where death occurred; All Arabic documents require both certified English translation and Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication before they are accepted by UK authorities; Next-of-kin may be required by Saudi authorities to attend in person to sign certain documents; employers or their insurers often have local fixers who can manage this process
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Saudi Arabia
Official support
British Embassy in Saudi Arabia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Government hospital forensic departments (King Fahd Medical City, King Faisal Specialist Hospital) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Saudi Arabia
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.