Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in the Marshall Islands and bringing ashes home

No cremation facilities in Marshall Islands. Full body repatriation is required. This page sets out what Marshall Islands requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for the Marshall Islands

Cremation in the Marshall Islands

Can you cremate someone in the Marshall Islands?

No cremation facilities in Marshall Islands. Full body repatriation is required.

Religious context: Predominantly Protestant Christian.

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

Who must release the body

Vital Statistics Office (Republic of Marshall Islands), RMI Police Department

Documentation language

Marshallese, English

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of the Marshall Islands: Via Honolulu (Hawaii, United Airlines), then to UK via Los Angeles or New York. Very limited service. United also serves Majuro via the Island Hopper from Guam.

Departure airports: MAJ (Amata Kabua International, Majuro)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from the Marshall Islands

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Vital Statistics Office (Republic of Marshall Islands), RMI Police Department has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Marshallese, English
Routing home. Via Honolulu (Hawaii, United Airlines), then to UK via Los Angeles or New York. Very limited service. United also serves Majuro via the Island Hopper from Guam.
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 Marshall Islands guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for the Marshall Islands

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in the Marshall Islands

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

Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from the Marshall Islands

Talk to us about cremation in the Marshall Islands

We deal with Vital Statistics Office (Republic of Marshall Islands), RMI Police Department and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.