Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in and bringing ashes home

No cremation facility in Svalbard. Bodies repatriated to mainland Norway or the UK for cremation. This page sets out what requires, and what to check before you decide.

WhatsApp us 24/7 Full repatriation guide for

Cremation in

What applies in

No cremation facility in Svalbard. Bodies repatriated to mainland Norway or the UK for cremation.

Religious context: Predominantly secular/Lutheran. Longyearbyen has a church. Russian Barentsburg settlement is Russian Orthodox.

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

Who must release the body

Sysselmannen (Governor of Svalbard); Norwegian law applies; deaths investigated by Norwegian Coroner system

Documentation language

Norwegian; Russian

Airline guidance

Carrying ashes on the flight home

Routing out of : SAS and Norwegian flights LYR to Oslo (OSL) then Oslo to UK. Also charter scientific/expedition flights. Only Longyearbyen has airport infrastructure; deaths elsewhere on the archipelago require snowmobile, boat, or helicopter transfer to Longyearbyen.

Departure airports: Longyearbyen Airport, Svalbard (LYR)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Sysselmannen (Governor of Svalbard); Norwegian law applies; deaths investigated by Norwegian Coroner system has to release the case first
Translation, since documentation is in Norwegian; Russian
Routing home. SAS and Norwegian flights LYR to Oslo (OSL) then Oslo to UK. Also charter scientific/expedition flights. Only Longyearbyen has airport infrastructure; deaths elsewhere on the archipelago require snowmobile, boat, or helicopter transfer to Longyearbyen.
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 guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in

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

Talk to us about cremation in

We deal with Sysselmannen (Governor of Svalbard); Norwegian law applies; deaths investigated by Norwegian Coroner system and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.