Guidance

Cremation: guidance for applicants for deaths that occurred in England or Wales

Information on how to organise a cremation, including how to apply for a cremation, declare your wishes regarding ashes and declare implantable medical devices.

• From: Ministry of Justice
• Published: 19 January 2012
• Last updated: 9 September 2024
  Show all updates

  1. 9 September 2024

     This guidance is now only to be used for deaths that occurred in England or Wales and cremation will take place in England or Wales. For guidance on deaths that occurred in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the rest of the British Islands and cremation will take place in England or Wales, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cremation-guidance-for-applicants-for-deaths-that-occurred-in-scotland-northern-ireland-or-the-british-islands

  2. 25 March 2022

     Guidance updated.

  3. 3 April 2020

     Revised guidance published to reflect the temporary changes to the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 provided for in the Coronavirus Act 2020

  4. 6 April 2018

     Guidance updated.

  5. 19 January 2012

     First published.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Cremation: guidance for applicants for deaths that occurred in England and Wales

HTML

Cremation: guidance for applicants for deaths that occurred in England and Wales

PDF, 465 KB, 13 pages

Details

This guide covers the most important things you need to do when organising a cremation, including how to:

• make an application for the cremation
• declare what you wish to happen to the ashes
• declare whether the person who died had any implantable medical devices fitted during their lifetime

There is different guidance if the death occurred in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the rest of the British Islands and the cremation will take place in England or Wales.