Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Guernsey and bringing ashes home

Guernsey Crematorium at Foulon Cemetery, St Peter Port. Cremation available on island. This page sets out what Guernsey requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Guernsey

Cremation in Guernsey

Can you cremate someone in Guernsey?

Guernsey Crematorium at Foulon Cemetery, St Peter Port. Cremation available on island.

Religious context: Predominantly Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist). No specific religious complexities in most cases.

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

Who must release the body

HM Coroner of Guernsey; Guernsey Police; Greffe (civil registration office)

Documentation language

English; Guernésiais (Norman French)

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of Guernsey: Guernsey is a Crown dependency covering the island of Guernsey, plus the dependencies of Alderney, Sark, Herm and several smaller islets. Deaths on Alderney, Sark or Herm require transfer to Guernsey before air repatriation. Guernsey has its own legal system based on Norman customary law. HM Coroner of Guernsey handles non-natural deaths. Repatriation to mainland UK uses direct scheduled flights from GCI.

Departure airports: Guernsey Airport (GCI): direct scheduled services to London Gatwick (LGW), London City (LCY), Bristol (BRS), Manchester (MAN), Birmingham (BHX), Edinburgh (EDI) and Southampton (SOU). Flight time to London approximately 1h.

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Guernsey

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether HM Coroner of Guernsey; Guernsey Police; Greffe (civil registration office) has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in English; Guernésiais (Norman French)
Routing home. Guernsey is a Crown dependency covering the island of Guernsey, plus the dependencies of Alderney, Sark, Herm and several smaller islets. Deaths on Alderney, Sark or Herm require transfer to Guernsey before air repatriation. Guernsey has its own legal system based on Norman customary law. HM Coroner of Guernsey handles non-natural deaths. Repatriation to mainland UK uses direct scheduled flights from GCI.
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 Guernsey guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Guernsey

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Guernsey

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

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

Talk to us about cremation in Guernsey

We deal with HM Coroner of Guernsey; Guernsey Police; Greffe (civil registration office) and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.