Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Switzerland
You have ashes in Switzerland and need to bring them home. This page covers what Switzerland requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Switzerland require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: ZRH (Zurich Airport); GVA (Geneva Airport); BSL/EAP (Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Swiss International Air Lines; British Airways; easyJet
Authority that must release the case: Institut fuer Rechtsmedizin (IRM), University of Zurich / CURML Lausanne / University of Bern
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 Switzerland require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Switzerland 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 Switzerland, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Switzerland 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 Switzerland?
Switzerland is a Strasbourg Convention signatory alongside the UK; the Leichentransportbewilligung is accepted by UK authorities without additional consular legalisation; Switzerland is not an EU member but has bilateral treaties with the EU; death administration is fully cantonal, the responsible authority depends entirely on the canton where death occurred; Major British ski resort deaths occur in Valais canton (Verbier, Zermatt, Saas-Fee), Graubuenden (Davos, Klosters), and Bern canton (Grindelwald, Wengen, Murren); mountain rescue (Rega air rescue or local Bergrettung) recovery precedes documentation; Geneva has a large British expat community in the UN and international organisations sector; Zurich hosts British finance and tech workers; both cities have Consulates-General supplementing the Bern Embassy; Documents are in German, French, or Italian depending on canton; certified English translations are required for all documents; ensure the translator is familiar with Swiss administrative German or French
low
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Switzerland
Official support
British Embassy in Switzerland: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Institut fuer Rechtsmedizin (IRM), University of Zurich / CURML Lausanne / University of Bern and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Switzerland
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 Switzerland
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Switzerland
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.