Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Uganda and bringing ashes home

For some families, arranging cremation locally and carrying ashes home is the right choice, and it can be quicker than full repatriation. This page sets out what Uganda requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Uganda

Cremation in Uganda

Can you cremate someone in Uganda?

Cremation arrangements in Uganda depend on local facilities and on whether an investigation is open. Contact us and we will confirm the current position before you make any decision.

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

Who must release the body

Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); Ministry of Health; Mulago National Referral Hospital, Department of Forensic Pathology, Kampala; Uganda Police Force CID; Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

Treaty position

Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Departure airports: EBB (Entebbe International Airport)

Carriers serving the UK: Kenya Airways (via Nairobi); Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa); Emirates (via Dubai); Uganda Airlines

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Uganda

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); Ministry of Health; Mulago National Referral Hospital, Department of Forensic Pathology, Kampala; Uganda Police Force CID; Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has to release the case first
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 Uganda guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Uganda

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Uganda

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

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

Talk to us about cremation in Uganda

We deal with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); Ministry of Health; Mulago National Referral Hospital, Department of Forensic Pathology, Kampala; Uganda Police Force CID; Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.