Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and bringing ashes home

Cremation facilities exist in Sarajevo (the Bare Crematorium) and a limited number of cities. Not available everywhere. For Muslim Bosniak families, cremation is not consistent with Islamic burial practice. Ashes export requires cremation certificate and ministry health clearance. This page sets out what Bosnia and Herzegovina requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cremation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Can you cremate someone in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Religious context: Bosnia and Herzegovina has three main communities: Bosniaks (Sunni Muslim majority, Islamic burial practice, no cremation, swift burial), Orthodox Serbs, and Catholic Croats. Death practices vary significantly by community. Repatriation firms must be aware of religious requirements when coordinating with local mortuaries.

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

Who must release the body

Municipal register office for death registration; Federal Institute of Forensic Medicine (Sarajevo, Federation entity) or Institute of Forensic Medicine of Republika Srpska (Banja Luka) for non-natural deaths

Documentation language

Bosnian; Croatian; Serbian

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Most repatriations route via Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) with Austrian Airlines via Vienna, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, or Wizz Air connections. Mostar has limited scheduled service. Banja Luka Airport has regional connections to Belgrade.

Departure airports: Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ); Mostar Airport (OMO, limited scheduled service)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Bosnia and Herzegovina

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Municipal register office for death registration; Federal Institute of Forensic Medicine (Sarajevo, Federation entity) or Institute of Forensic Medicine of Republika Srpska (Banja Luka) for non-natural deaths has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Bosnian; Croatian; Serbian
Routing home. Most repatriations route via Sarajevo Airport (SJJ) with Austrian Airlines via Vienna, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, or Wizz Air connections. Mostar has limited scheduled service. Banja Luka Airport has regional connections to Belgrade.
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 Bosnia and Herzegovina guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Bosnia and Herzegovina

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The step-by-step first response guide covers the first 24 hours in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Official lists for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.

Translators and interpreters, for certified translation of the death certificate and permits

Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Talk to us about cremation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

We deal with Municipal register office for death registration; Federal Institute of Forensic Medicine (Sarajevo, Federation entity) or Institute of Forensic Medicine of Republika Srpska (Banja Luka) for non-natural deaths and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.