Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Tunisia
You have ashes in Tunisia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Tunisia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Tunisia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: TUN (Tunis-Carthage International Airport); MIR (Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport); DJE (Djerba-Zarzis International Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Tunisair; Nouvelair; TUI Airways
Authority that must release the case: Officier d'Etat Civil, local municipality civil registrar; Ministere de la Sante (Ministry of Health); Institut National de Medecine Legale (INML), Tunis; Parquet (Public Prosecutor's Office)
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 Tunisia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Tunisia 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 Tunisia, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Tunisia 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 Tunisia?
Tunisia is a popular beach resort destination for British tourists; Hammamet, Sousse, Port El Kantaoui, and Djerba are the main resort areas; Cremation is not available in Tunisia; Islamic law governs; non-Muslim cremation facilities do not exist; Documentation is in Arabic throughout; certified Arabic-to-English translations are required for all UK-bound documents, allow 2-3 days for translation; Deaths in resort hotels are typically handled by Tunisian police with reasonable efficiency given the country's dependence on British tourism; The Institut National de Medecine Legale (INML) in Tunis handles all complex forensic cases; deaths in Djerba or Sousse require transfer to Tunis for complex post-mortems
medium
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Tunisia
Official support
British Embassy in Tunisia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Officier d'Etat Civil, local municipality civil registrar; Ministere de la Sante (Ministry of Health); Institut National de Medecine Legale (INML), Tunis; Parquet (Public Prosecutor's Office) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Tunisia
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Tunisia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Tunisia
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.