Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Chile 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 Chile requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Chile

Cremation in Chile

Can you cremate someone in Chile?

Cremation arrangements in Chile 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

Servicio Medico Legal (SML), national forensic medicine service under the Ministry of Justice

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: SCL (Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport); PMC (Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport, gateway for Patagonia deaths)

Carriers serving the UK: LATAM Airlines (via Madrid or Bogota to London Heathrow); Iberia (via Madrid); Avianca (via Bogota)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Chile

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Servicio Medico Legal (SML), national forensic medicine service under the Ministry of Justice 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 Chile guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Chile

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Chile

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

Official lists for Chile

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
Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice

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

Talk to us about cremation in Chile

We deal with Servicio Medico Legal (SML), national forensic medicine service under the Ministry of Justice and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.