Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Seychelles
You have ashes in Seychelles and need to bring them to the UK. This page covers what Seychelles requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What Seychelles requires 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.
Airline rules
Export requirements from Seychelles
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in 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 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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.
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 Seychelles
Official support
British Embassy in 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.
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