The funeral timeline: from the death to the grave week by week

Days 0 to 2: the death, the burial permit and the first call

Little happens in the first days, and that is intended. The doctor confirms the death, writes the death certificate and gives the burial permit to a relative or to the funeral home; the death is passed to the population register from the doctor's notification. The hospital or care home keeps the deceased until we collect them. For an expected death at home, call the treating doctor or 116 117; for a sudden death the emergency number 112, in which case the police handle the transport and the burial permit takes longer. There is no deadline for the first call to us; most families call within a few days. The number 09 6129 890 is answered around the clock. We agree the collection, the transport (290 euros in the Helsinki region) and the first meeting, which is free.

• The doctor confirms the death and issues the burial permit
• Call us: 09 6129 890, at any hour
• Collection and transport, 290 euros in the Helsinki region
• Copy of the burial permit to the burial services: we deliver it
• Free planning visit agreed

The first week: the decisions

During the first week you make the decisions without which no bookings can be made. The first is the form of burial: cremation or coffin burial. The second is the ceremony: a blessing in a church or chapel, a farewell, or direct cremation without a ceremony. The third is the coffin, which is always needed; our coffins start from 520 euros. For a cremation you also choose the urn (from 95 euros) and where the ashes will be placed, which can still be decided later as long as it is stated to the crematorium before the urn is released. The flowers, the memorial gathering and the death notice can be decided at the end of the week. If the deceased recorded their wishes, they guide the decisions. At the planning visit at our office or your home we go through the options with prices; online every relative sees the same choices in the shared family space.

• Form of burial: cremation or coffin burial
• Ceremony: blessing, farewell or direct cremation
• Coffin (from 520 euros) and, for cremation, an urn (from 95 euros)
• Where the ashes or the coffin will be placed
• Flowers, memorial gathering and death notice

The first week: the parish bookings

Once the form of burial and the ceremony are decided, we book the times on your behalf from the Helsinki parish union's burial services: the blessing time and chapel, the pastor, the cremation, and the urn grave or coffin grave. Blessings are held from Tuesday to Saturday, usually 2 to 3 weeks after the death. For church members the chapel is free; others are charged 400 euros on weekdays and 630 euros on Saturdays. The pastor's service is free for everyone, and the pastor meets the family before the blessing. In Espoo the pastor makes contact at least a week before the ceremony. The burial permit must reach the burial services before the cremation, and a forensic investigation can move the whole schedule. We record the confirmed times in the shared family space, so that every relative sees the same date and time.

• Blessing time and chapel: Tuesday to Saturday, usually within 2 to 3 weeks
• Pastor: free; meets the family before the blessing
• Cremation slot at the crematorium or grave booking
• Chapel fee for non-members: 400 or 630 euros

The first week: the death notice, flowers and the memorial gathering

Once the blessing time is confirmed, three things can be ordered. A death notice in the newspaper is optional; we draft and place it on your behalf well before the ceremony, and the price depends on the paper and the size. Flowers are ordered 2 to 4 days before the ceremony, and our partner florist delivers them directly to the chapel or church; a coffin spray costs 185 euros from us, a grave bouquet between 35 and 90 euros and a wreath between 120 and 250 euros. The memorial venue is booked at the same time: the parish hall is free for church members, catering at our partner restaurants starts from 29.90 euros per person, and the memorial table with candle is part of our service. The invitation to the memorial gathering is usually given in the death notice or at the end of the blessing. The number of guests should be estimated by the end of the week so that the catering can be ordered.

• Death notice in the paper: optional, we draft and place it
• Flowers ordered 2 to 4 days before; coffin spray 185 euros
• Memorial venue booked; catering from 29.90 euros per person
• Number of guests estimated

Why it pays to keep to the schedule

The Burial Act requires that the deceased be buried or cremated without undue delay, and in practice the funeral is held within 2 to 4 weeks. Waiting costs money: cold storage of the coffin at the parish union's facilities costs 50 euros per started week for the first three weeks and then 15 euros per started day. In Espoo the basic cold storage fee is 25 euros and after three weeks 15 euros per day; in Vantaa 50 euros per started week. After the cremation, urn storage at the parish union's crematorium is free for six months and then 30 euros per started month. In any case the ashes must be placed within a year. The schedule does not mean hurried decisions: once the form of burial and the ceremony are chosen in the first week, everything else fits comfortably. We book the times as soon as the decisions are made and tell you if any stage threatens to slip.

• Helsinki: cold storage 50 euros per started week, after three weeks 15 euros per day
• Espoo: 25 euros basic fee, after three weeks 15 euros per day; Vantaa: 50 euros per week
• Urn storage: free for 6 months, then 30 euros per month

Weeks 2 to 4: the viewing, the blessing and the memorial gathering

Before the blessing the family can see the deceased in the chapel; the viewing costs 80 euros in Helsinki, and we book it from the burial services. The blessing lasts about half an hour. It consists of a hymn or music, the opening blessing, a Bible reading and prayer, the pastor's address, the blessing with sand while standing, hymns, and the laying of flowers on or beside the coffin at the beginning or the end. The coffin is carried feet first; there are usually six bearers, at least four, and in the procession the pastor and verger go first, then the closest family. For a cremation the coffin stays in place after the blessing or is carried to the car, and the cremation takes place within 1 to 2 weeks; for a coffin burial the procession continues to the grave. The memorial gathering is usually held right after the blessing in the parish hall, a restaurant or at home. Condolence cards may be read, and at the end one of the family thanks the guests. See the guides Arranging the blessing and Arranging the memorial gathering.

• Viewing of the deceased in the chapel, 80 euros (booked)
• Bearers agreed: usually six, at least four
• Blessing about 30 minutes; laying of flowers agreed
• Memorial gathering after the blessing; thank-you speech agreed

After the funeral: the urn and placing the ashes

After the cremation the urn is ready within a few days. The crematorium releases it only once the placement of the ashes has been stated in writing; we draw up the statement with you. The urn lowering is agreed with the burial services, and close family usually take part guided by the verger; at the scattering area the verger scatters the ashes without the family present. For a Helsinki resident an urn grave costs 180 euros for 25 years and the urn burial 150 euros, a memorial grove or scattering area 90 euros and the Hietaniemi columbarium 300 euros. The ashes must be permanently placed in one place within a year of the cremation, and they may not be divided. The urn can be kept at home temporarily, and the lowering can be timed for the summer, for example. A blessing or a small farewell can also be held at the urn. We remind you of the deadline in good time. See the guide Urn lowering and placing the ashes in Helsinki.

• Urn ready a few days after the cremation
• Written statement of the placement to the crematorium
• Urn lowering agreed with the burial services
• Ashes placed in one place within a year

After the funeral: the invoices and the estate inventory

Our invoice comes after the funeral. The Helsinki parish union invoices its fees after the blessing; in Espoo the parish union's invoices arrive about 3 to 5 weeks after the blessing. The bank usually pays the invoices from the deceased's account against the invoice. All funeral costs are deductible in the estate inventory, so keep the receipts for flowers, catering and the newspaper notice. The estate inventory must be held within three months of the death, and the deed sent to the Tax Administration within one month of the meeting; a deed is always required. The genealogical extract takes time: the Digital and Population Data Services Agency's processing time is 5 to 6 weeks, so we order the documents right after the funeral. We handle the estate inventory at a fixed price of 590 euros for funeral clients; the meeting can be held remotely and takes under an hour once the deed is prepared. See the guide Estate inventory: deadlines, parties and costs.

• Our invoice after the funeral; the parish invoice after the blessing
• Receipts kept for the estate inventory
• Genealogical extract ordered right away (processing 5 to 6 weeks)
• Estate inventory within 3 months; deed to the Tax Administration within one month

Months later: the gravestone, thank-yous and remembrance

There is no deadline for the gravestone, and it is not compulsory; in a memorial grove a name plaque on the common memorial can be obtained for 170 euros. Many cemeteries require that the parish approve a dimensioned drawing before the stone is made; we handle the plan and the delivery. In Espoo a new memorial is brought to the grave between 1 June and 31 October once three months have passed since the burial. A grey granite stone costs from 510 euros from us. Thanks for the condolences can be published in the newspaper or sent as cards after the memorial gathering; we draft the thank-you notice if you wish. In Espoo the deceased's name is read in the home parish service usually the following Sunday, and on All Saints' Day the year's deceased are remembered with a candle. Parish grief groups are open to non-members too. See the guides Gravestone and memorial and Support in grief.

• Gravestone: no deadline; plan to the parish; from 510 euros
• Thank-yous in the newspaper or by card
• Grave care: the grave rights holder is responsible; parish care service for a fee

What we handle for you and the next step

Keeping to the schedule is our job. We handle the collection, forwarding the burial permit, all bookings from the burial services, the flower orders, the newspaper notice, the memorial gathering arrangements, delivering the urn and agreeing the lowering, and the estate inventory within its deadline. We record every date in the shared family space, where all relatives see the same schedule, and remind you before each stage. You decide the form of burial, the ceremony, the coffin, the flowers and the memorial gathering; the rest is arrangement you can leave to us. This timeline can be printed and ticked off step by step. Call 09 6129 890 or book a planning visit at Annankatu 12; the visit is free. We also come to your home, and the arrangements can be started online at any hour.

Frequently asked questions