Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in the Comoros and bringing ashes home

Cremation not available. Contrary to Islamic law. This page sets out what Comoros requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for the Comoros

Cremation in the Comoros

Can you cremate someone in the Comoros?

Cremation not available. Contrary to Islamic law.

Religious context: Almost entirely Sunni Muslim. Islamic burial customs: strong pressure for rapid local interment.

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

Who must release the body

Gendarmerie Nationale, Ministry of Health, civil status office

Documentation language

Comorian (Shikomori); Arabic; French

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of the Comoros: Air Austral via Réunion (REU); Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa (ADD); Kenya Airways via Nairobi (NBO). All routes require 2+ connections to London.

Departure airports: Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport (HAH), Grande Comore

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from the Comoros

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Gendarmerie Nationale, Ministry of Health, civil status office has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Comorian (Shikomori); Arabic; French
Routing home. Air Austral via Réunion (REU); Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa (ADD); Kenya Airways via Nairobi (NBO). All routes require 2+ connections to London.
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 Comoros guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for the Comoros

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in the Comoros

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

Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from the Comoros

Talk to us about cremation in the Comoros

We deal with Gendarmerie Nationale, Ministry of Health, civil status office and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.