Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from
You have ashes in and need to bring them to the UK. This page covers what requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
What requires before ashes can leave
Cremation is not practised in Syria and facilities are not available. All remains must be repatriated in full.
Routing from : Syria's aviation connectivity is severely limited. Damascus Airport resumed limited commercial operations post-December 2024 following the fall of Assad. Turkish Airlines and Middle Eastern carriers have begun resuming services cautiously. Most repatriation routing is via Beirut (Lebanon) overland then via Middle East hubs, or via Amman (Jordan).
Departure airports: Damascus International Airport (DAM); Aleppo International Airport (ALP): limited operations; Latakia Airport (LTK): limited operations
Documentation language: Arabic
Authority that must release the case: Civil Status Directorate. Administration varies by region: post-December 2024 transition government in Damascus; Kurdish SDF in north-east; residual contested areas.
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
If you are connecting through a third country on this routing, that country's rules apply to the transit as well, and should be checked separately.
Export requirements from
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in 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 , 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 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.
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from
Official support
British Embassy in : contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Civil Status Directorate. Administration varies by region: post-December 2024 transition government in Damascus; Kurdish SDF in north-east; residual contested areas. and the local crematorium directly.
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