Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Argentina and bringing ashes home

For some families, arranging cremation locally and carrying ashes home is the right choice, and it can be quicker than full repatriation. This page sets out what Argentina requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Argentina

Cremation in Argentina

Can you cremate someone in Argentina?

Cremation arrangements in Argentina depend on local facilities and on whether an investigation is open. Contact us and we will confirm the current position before you make any decision.

Weighing cremation abroad against bringing your loved one home intact? How families decide between the two.

Who must release the body

Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the jurisdiction of death; Ministry of Health provincial or national authority; Cuerpo Medico Forense (Forensic Medical Corps); Judiciary (Poder Judicial), judge orders release for unnatural deaths

Treaty position

Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Departure airports: EZE (Ministro Pistarini International, Buenos Aires); AEP (Jorge Newbery, Buenos Aires domestic)

Carriers serving the UK: Aerolíneas Argentinas; Iberia; LATAM; British Airways (via connections)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Argentina

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case. For Argentina the things that move it are:

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the jurisdiction of death; Ministry of Health provincial or national authority; Cuerpo Medico Forense (Forensic Medical Corps); Judiciary (Poder Judicial), judge orders release for unnatural deaths has to release the case first
Whether you carry the ashes yourself or need them shipped

Considering full repatriation instead?

Some families decide they want their loved one brought home intact. The full Argentina guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Argentina

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Argentina

The step-by-step first response guide covers the first 24 hours in Argentina.

Official lists for Argentina

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 Argentina

Talk to us about cremation in Argentina

We deal with Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the jurisdiction of death; Ministry of Health provincial or national authority; Cuerpo Medico Forense (Forensic Medical Corps); Judiciary (Poder Judicial), judge orders release for unnatural deaths and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.