Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in French Guiana and bringing ashes home

Cremation available in Cayenne. This page sets out what French Guiana requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for French Guiana

Cremation in French Guiana

Can you cremate someone in French Guiana?

Cremation available in Cayenne.

Religious context: Predominantly Catholic with Evangelical Christian minority. Indigenous and Maroon communities in the interior may have traditional practices.

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

Who must release the body

Mairie (civil registration); Gendarmerie nationale / Police nationale; French civil law: legally part of France

Documentation language

French

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of French Guiana: Direct Air France flights CAY to Paris CDG approx 9h. All documentation in French: certified English translation required.

Departure airports: Cayenne-Felix Eboue Airport (CAY)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from French Guiana

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Mairie (civil registration); Gendarmerie nationale / Police nationale; French civil law: legally part of France has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in French
Routing home. Direct Air France flights CAY to Paris CDG approx 9h. All documentation in French: certified English translation required.
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 French Guiana guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for French Guiana

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in French Guiana

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

Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from French Guiana

Talk to us about cremation in French Guiana

We deal with Mairie (civil registration); Gendarmerie nationale / Police nationale; French civil law: legally part of France and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.