Cremation and ashes transport

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

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Zimbabwe

Cremation in Zimbabwe

Can you cremate someone in Zimbabwe?

Cremation arrangements in Zimbabwe 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, Civil Registry Act (Zimbabwe); Ministry of Health and Child Care; Harare Central Hospital Department of Forensic Medicine; Attorney General's Office

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: HRE (Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport); VFA (Victoria Falls International Airport); BUQ (Bulawayo Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport)

Carriers serving the UK: British Airways; Ethiopian Airlines; Kenya Airways

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Zimbabwe

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case.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

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Registrar General's Office, Civil Registry Act (Zimbabwe); Ministry of Health and Child Care; Harare Central Hospital Department of Forensic Medicine; Attorney General's Office 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 Zimbabwe guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Zimbabwe

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Zimbabwe

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

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

Talk to us about cremation in Zimbabwe

We deal with Registrar General's Office, Civil Registry Act (Zimbabwe); Ministry of Health and Child Care; Harare Central Hospital Department of Forensic Medicine; Attorney General's Office and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.