Cremation and ashes transport

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

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Costa Rica

Cremation in Costa Rica

Can you cremate someone in Costa Rica?

Cremation arrangements in Costa Rica 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 (RCEC) in the canton of death; Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud); OIJ (Organismo de Investigacion Judicial) forensics; OIJ and Ministerio Publico (for criminal/suspicious 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: SJO (Juan Santamaria International, San Jose); LIR (Daniel Oduber, Liberia, for Guanacaste)

Carriers serving the UK: Copa Airlines; American Airlines; United Airlines; LATAM

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Costa Rica

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Registro Civil (RCEC) in the canton of death; Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud); OIJ (Organismo de Investigacion Judicial) forensics; OIJ and Ministerio Publico (for criminal/suspicious 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 Costa Rica guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Costa Rica

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Costa Rica

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

Official lists for Costa Rica

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 Costa Rica

Talk to us about cremation in Costa Rica

We deal with Registro Civil (RCEC) in the canton of death; Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud); OIJ (Organismo de Investigacion Judicial) forensics; OIJ and Ministerio Publico (for criminal/suspicious deaths) and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.