Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Suriname and bringing ashes home

Cremation available in Paramaribo. Hindu community uses cremation regularly. Ashes can be transported to the UK as cremated remains. This page sets out what Suriname requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Suriname

Cremation in Suriname

Can you cremate someone in Suriname?

Cremation available in Paramaribo. Hindu community uses cremation regularly. Ashes can be transported to the UK as cremated remains.

Religious context: Highly diverse: Hindu, Muslim, Christian (various), and Winti (Surinamese Afro-Caribbean religion). No single dominant religious framework for burial, family practice varies.

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

Who must release the body

Korps Politie Suriname (KPS); Bureau voor Openbare Gezondheidszorg (BOG); Civil Registry (Centraal Bureau Burgerzaken)

Documentation language

Dutch; Sranan Tongo; English

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Routing out of Suriname: Paramaribo via Miami (Surinam Airways, Caribbean Airlines), Amsterdam (KLM, TUI fly Netherlands), Port of Spain Trinidad (Caribbean Airlines). Amsterdam route most relevant for UK cargo.

Departure airports: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM), near Paramaribo

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Suriname

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Korps Politie Suriname (KPS); Bureau voor Openbare Gezondheidszorg (BOG); Civil Registry (Centraal Bureau Burgerzaken) has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Dutch; Sranan Tongo; English
Routing home. Paramaribo via Miami (Surinam Airways, Caribbean Airlines), Amsterdam (KLM, TUI fly Netherlands), Port of Spain Trinidad (Caribbean Airlines). Amsterdam route most relevant for UK cargo.
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 Suriname guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Suriname

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Suriname

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

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

Talk to us about cremation in Suriname

We deal with Korps Politie Suriname (KPS); Bureau voor Openbare Gezondheidszorg (BOG); Civil Registry (Centraal Bureau Burgerzaken) and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.