Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Mongolia and bringing ashes home

Cremation available in Ulaanbaatar. No cremation facilities outside urban centres. This page sets out what Mongolia requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Mongolia

Cremation in Mongolia

Can you cremate someone in Mongolia?

Cremation available in Ulaanbaatar. No cremation facilities outside urban centres.

Religious context: Predominantly Tibetan Buddhist and shamanist. No religious restrictions on repatriation. Urban Ulaanbaatar cases largely follow civil process.

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

Who must release the body

National Police Agency; State Forensic Science Center; Civil Registration and Information Department

Documentation language

Mongolian

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar via Beijing (MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Air China), Seoul (Korean Air, MIAT). No direct UK-Mongolia service. Beijing or Seoul are the primary cargo transit points.

Departure airports: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), Ulaanbaatar

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Mongolia

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether National Police Agency; State Forensic Science Center; Civil Registration and Information Department has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Mongolian
Routing home. Ulaanbaatar via Beijing (MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Air China), Seoul (Korean Air, MIAT). No direct UK-Mongolia service. Beijing or Seoul are the primary cargo transit points.
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 Mongolia guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Mongolia

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Mongolia

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

Official lists for Mongolia

Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.

Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice

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

Talk to us about cremation in Mongolia

We deal with National Police Agency; State Forensic Science Center; Civil Registration and Information Department and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.