Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Zambia 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 Zambia requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Zambia

Cremation in Zambia

Can you cremate someone in Zambia?

Cremation arrangements in Zambia 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

Registrar General's Office, Births and Deaths Registration Act (Zambia); Ministry of Health; University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Lusaka, Forensic Pathology; Director of Public Prosecutions

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: LUN (Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda International Airport); LVI (Livingstone Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport)

Carriers serving the UK: Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa); Kenya Airways (via Nairobi); South African Airways (via Johannesburg)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Zambia

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Registrar General's Office, Births and Deaths Registration Act (Zambia); Ministry of Health; University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Lusaka, Forensic Pathology; Director of Public Prosecutions 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 Zambia guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Zambia

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Zambia

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

Official lists for Zambia

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 Zambia

Talk to us about cremation in Zambia

We deal with Registrar General's Office, Births and Deaths Registration Act (Zambia); Ministry of Health; University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Lusaka, Forensic Pathology; Director of Public Prosecutions and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.