Taking or shipping ashes to Italy
Whether you want to travel with the urn or have it shipped, we prepare the documents and arrange the delivery to the cemetery or to the family in Italy.
Travelling with an urn
Many airlines allow a family member to carry an urn on board. Rules change from airline to airline, so check them before booking.
On the plane
- a solid urn, well sealed and protected
- the urn usually travels as hand luggage
- copies of the death and cremation certificates
- the documents issued by the funeral director
Before you leave
Ask the airline about its rules on urns and security checks. For transport to Italy, the Italian consulate of the country of departure also asks for its own documents.
Shipping cremated remains
Shipping from the US
USPS ships cremated remains abroad with Priority Mail Express International, in a sealed inner urn inside a sturdy outer box, if the destination country allows it.
Shipping through a funeral director
We can take care of the shipping from any country, with the documents and packaging required, and deliver the urn at destination.
US and UK: different steps
From the UK
The coroner’s permission is not needed for ashes. The Italian consulate in London asks for the death certificate, the cremation certificate, an identity document and a declaration of the funeral director.
From the US
The Italian consulates ask for the death certificate and the cremation certificate with apostille. Remains that are already cremated do not need a CDC permit.
Airline, carrier and recipient
Airline
Each airline sets its own rules on urns in the cabin or in the hold. We check them for you.
Carrier
Not all couriers accept ashes. We use carriers and channels that accept them.
Recipient
In Italy the urn can go to a cemetery or, where the region allows it, be kept by the family.
Documents and expected costs
For ashes entering Italy, the Italian consulate needs to know the destination: the cemetery or, if the urn is kept at home, the address and the person who will look after it.
Repatriating ashes generally costs less than repatriating a body, because fewer documents and a simpler transport are needed.
Documents usually required
- death certificate
- cremation certificate
- identity document of the deceased
- declaration of the funeral director
- sealed urn with a nameplate
Request a quote
Tell us where the death occurred and where the body or the urn needs to go. We will call you back as soon as possible to explain timing, documents and costs.
If it is urgent, call us now, at any time:
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions families ask us most often. For your specific situation, call us: we answer at any time.
Related guides
Which urn is needed?
A solid, well-sealed urn. For entry to Italy some consulates ask for a hardwood urn with a nameplate. We supply a suitable urn if needed.
Can I take ashes on a flight to Italy?
Usually yes, as hand luggage, with the death and cremation certificates. Check the airline’s rules before booking.
Who receives the ashes in Italy?
A cemetery or, where the regional rules allow it, a family member who keeps the urn. The destination must be indicated to the consulate.
Do I need a mortuary passport for ashes?
The Berlin Agreement does not apply to ashes, but an authorisation for transport is still issued, and some consulates ask for their own documents.
Can you deliver the urn for us?
Yes. We arrange the transport and the delivery of the urn to the cemetery or to the family.