Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Uganda
You have ashes in Uganda and need to bring them home. This page covers what Uganda requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Uganda require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: EBB (Entebbe International Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Kenya Airways (via Nairobi); Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa); Emirates (via Dubai); Uganda Airlines
Authority that must release the case: Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); Ministry of Health; Mulago National Referral Hospital, Department of Forensic Pathology, Kampala; Uganda Police Force CID; Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
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 Uganda require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Uganda 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 Uganda, 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 We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.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 Uganda 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 Uganda?
Uganda is a Commonwealth country; the representative is the British High Commission in Kampala; Gorilla trekking deaths in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park require Uganda Wildlife Authority involvement alongside Uganda Police Force CID; Entebbe International Airport (EBB) has no direct UK flights; Kenya Airways via Nairobi or Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa are the standard cargo routing options; Deaths on Nile rafting activities near Jinja and mountain gorilla trekking are the most common tourism-related fatalities; Cold storage outside Kampala is limited; transfer to the capital should be arranged promptly
high
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Uganda
Official support
British Embassy in Uganda: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); Ministry of Health; Mulago National Referral Hospital, Department of Forensic Pathology, Kampala; Uganda Police Force CID; Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Uganda
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Uganda
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.