Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in the Pitcairn Islands and bringing ashes home

No cremation facility. Burial on Pitcairn or repatriation are the only options. This page sets out what Pitcairn Islands requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for the Pitcairn Islands

Cremation in the Pitcairn Islands

Can you cremate someone in the Pitcairn Islands?

No cremation facility. Burial on Pitcairn or repatriation are the only options.

Religious context: Majority Seventh-day Adventist. Burial preferences should be discussed with the family and Island Pastor.

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

Who must release the body

Island Magistrate's Court; Governor of Pitcairn Islands

Documentation language

English

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of the Pitcairn Islands: No airport exists on Pitcairn Island. Repatriation requires sea passage on the supply vessel from Pitcairn to Mangareva (French Polynesia), then Air Tahiti Mangareva to Papeete (PPT), then Air France PPT to CDG (~22h), then UK. Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands are uninhabited. Population approximately 45 residents. Vessel schedule is approximately quarterly; bespoke charter arrangements may be necessary.

Departure airports: None: no airport on Pitcairn. Supply vessel MV Claymore II from Mangareva (French Polynesia) every 3 months approximately. Mangareva reachable via Air Tahiti from Papeete (PPT).

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from the Pitcairn Islands

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Island Magistrate's Court; Governor of Pitcairn Islands has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in English
Routing home. No airport exists on Pitcairn Island. Repatriation requires sea passage on the supply vessel from Pitcairn to Mangareva (French Polynesia), then Air Tahiti Mangareva to Papeete (PPT), then Air France PPT to CDG (~22h), then UK. Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands are uninhabited. Population approximately 45 residents. Vessel schedule is approximately quarterly; bespoke charter arrangements may be necessary.
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 Pitcairn Islands guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for the Pitcairn Islands

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in the Pitcairn Islands

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

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

Talk to us about cremation in the Pitcairn Islands

We deal with Island Magistrate's Court; Governor of Pitcairn Islands and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.