Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Sweden
You have ashes in Sweden and need to bring them home. This page covers what Sweden requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Sweden require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: ARN (Stockholm Arlanda Airport); GOT (Gothenburg Landvetter Airport); MMX (Malmö Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: SAS Scandinavian Airlines; British Airways; Ryanair
Authority that must release the case: Rättsmedicinalverket, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Stockholm
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 Sweden require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Sweden 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 Sweden, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Sweden 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 Sweden?
Sweden is a Strasbourg Convention signatory, which simplifies some documentation requirements for repatriation within signatory states; the UK is also a signatory; Rättsmedicinalverket (RMV) is the state forensic medicine authority; their offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Umeå, Linköping, and Lund cover the whole country; Direct UK flights from Stockholm Arlanda, Gothenburg, and Malmö make Sweden one of the most logistically straightforward European repatriations; Winter sports fatalities are the primary concern for British tourists: skiing accidents, ice climbing, and frozen lake activities, particularly in the northern Lapland region around Åre and Riksgränsen; Deaths in Swedish Lapland (Kiruna, Abisko, Jokkmokk) require transfer to Umeå or Luleå for forensic pathology; winter weather can occasionally delay transfers
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Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Sweden
Official support
British Embassy in Sweden: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Rättsmedicinalverket, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Stockholm and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Sweden
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
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Sweden
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Sweden
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.