Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Slovenia
You have ashes in Slovenia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Slovenia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Slovenia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: LJU (Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Adria Airways (ceased 2019); now served via Austrian Airlines (via Vienna); Lufthansa (via Frankfurt or Munich); easyJet (from London Gatwick to Ljubljana, seasonal)
Authority that must release the case: Institute of Forensic Medicine (Institut za sodno medicino), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana
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 Slovenia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Slovenia 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 Slovenia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Slovenia 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 Slovenia?
Slovenia is a Strasbourg Convention signatory and EU member; the laissez-passer mortuaire significantly simplifies the documentation and export process compared with non-Strasbourg countries; this is one of the most administratively straightforward central European repatriations; Slovenia has become a popular British holiday and activity tourism destination since the late 2010s: Lake Bled, Triglav National Park (Julian Alps), the Soča Valley (white-water rafting, kayaking), the Adriatic coast at Piran, and winter skiing at Kranjska Gora; mountain trekking deaths on Triglav (highest peak at 2864m) occur annually; Mountain rescue in Slovenia is handled by the Gorska Reševalna Služba (GRS, Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia), which operates rescue stations throughout the Julian Alps and Karavanke; GRS response is generally well-organised; deaths on Triglav require GRS recovery before documentation can begin; There are no nonstop flights from Ljubljana (LJU) to the UK since Adria Airways ceased operations in 2019; the main connections are via Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), or Amsterdam (KLM); easyJet operates seasonal routes from London Gatwick to Ljubljana but these are passenger services, not cargo; human remains cargo routes via Vienna or Frankfurt; Slovenian legal and administrative language is distinct from Croatian or Serbian despite linguistic proximity; certified translators must be familiar with Slovenian (not simply Serbo-Croatian) legal document terminology
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Slovenia
Official support
British Embassy in Slovenia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Institute of Forensic Medicine (Institut za sodno medicino), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Slovenia
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 Slovenia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Slovenia
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.