Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Bonaire and bringing ashes home

No cremation facility on Bonaire. Remains must be transferred to Curaçao or the Netherlands for cremation. This page sets out what Bonaire requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Bonaire

Cremation in Bonaire

Can you cremate someone in Bonaire?

No cremation facility on Bonaire. Remains must be transferred to Curaçao or the Netherlands for cremation.

Religious context: Predominantly Roman Catholic with Protestant and other Christian denominations. Papiamentu-speaking community has distinct cultural traditions around death and mourning.

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

Who must release the body

Public Entity Bonaire (Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire); Dutch Caribbean Police Force (KPCN); Court of First Instance Bonaire Sint Eustatius Saba (BES Islands); Civil Registry Bonaire

Documentation language

Papiamentu; Dutch; English

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of Bonaire: Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands (BES island, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba), meaning it is legally part of the Netherlands itself, not a separate country. Dutch law applies. Repatriation follows Netherlands legal procedures. KLM operates direct BON to AMS flights. UK consular assistance via British Embassy The Hague; Honorary Consul in Willemstad, Curaçao can provide closer support.

Departure airports: Flamingo Airport (BON): direct flights to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) ~9h via KLM; connections via Aruba (AUA) ~30 min or Curaçao (CUR) ~20 min for further routing

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Bonaire

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Public Entity Bonaire (Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire); Dutch Caribbean Police Force (KPCN); Court of First Instance Bonaire Sint Eustatius Saba (BES Islands); Civil Registry Bonaire has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Papiamentu; Dutch; English
Routing home. Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands (BES island, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba), meaning it is legally part of the Netherlands itself, not a separate country. Dutch law applies. Repatriation follows Netherlands legal procedures. KLM operates direct BON to AMS flights. UK consular assistance via British Embassy The Hague; Honorary Consul in Willemstad, Curaçao can provide closer support.
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 Bonaire guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Bonaire

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Bonaire

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

Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Bonaire

Talk to us about cremation in Bonaire

We deal with Public Entity Bonaire (Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire); Dutch Caribbean Police Force (KPCN); Court of First Instance Bonaire Sint Eustatius Saba (BES Islands); Civil Registry Bonaire and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.