Ashes transport guide

Bringing ashes home from the Seychelles

You have ashes in the Seychelles and need to bring them home. This page covers what Seychelles requires before they can leave.

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3-10 days to arrange

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What does Seychelles require before ashes can leave?

Departure airports: SEZ (Seychelles International Airport, Mahe)

Carriers serving the UK: British Airways (direct London Heathrow, seasonal); Air Seychelles; Emirates (via Dubai)

Authority that must release the case: Seychelles Hospital forensic pathology unit, Victoria, Mahe (complex cases may transfer to Reunion or South Africa)

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 Seychelles require to export ashes?

Cremation availability

Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in the Seychelles 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 the Seychelles, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Seychelles 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 Seychelles?

Seychelles is a Commonwealth country; the British High Commission in Victoria handles consular cases; Seychelles is a premium British honeymoon and holiday destination with strong UK tourist volumes; Seychelles has limited forensic pathology capacity; routine post-mortems are performed at the Seychelles Hospital on Mahe, but complex or disputed forensic cases may require transfer to Reunion or South Africa, which can extend the timeline by 10 to 20 days; Island dispersal is a logistics factor: deaths on outer islands, Praslin (airport: PRI), La Digue (boat access only), Silhouette, Denis, or Bird island, require sea or air transfer to Mahe before documentation begins; La Digue deaths in particular can be delayed by sea transfer in bad weather; Drowning, diving accidents, and water sports injuries are the most common causes of British tourist deaths in Seychelles; the warm shallow waters attract snorkellers and divers, and underwater current fatalities are a documented risk; English and French are both official languages in Seychelles; administrative documents are generally in English which simplifies the translation burden compared with non-English destinations

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Full repatriation guide

Complete guide: repatriation from the Seychelles

Official support

British Embassy in the Seychelles: contacts and what consular staff can do

Need guidance?

We can help with ashes transport

We deal with Seychelles Hospital forensic pathology unit, Victoria, Mahe (complex cases may transfer to Reunion or South Africa) and the local crematorium directly.

Send an enquiry

Further guidance

Official lists for the Seychelles

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 the Seychelles