Cremation in Finland: how it proceeds

What a cremation requires: the burial permit and a coffin

A cremation requires two things. The first is the burial permit, which the doctor who confirmed the death writes and gives to a relative or directly to the funeral home. No separate permit from the authorities is needed. The Helsinki parish union's burial services need a copy of the doctor-signed permit before the cremation, and we deliver it. If the death involves a forensic investigation, the permit is issued more slowly, and the cremation cannot be scheduled before it. The second is a coffin: the deceased is always cremated in a coffin, and a cremation cannot take place without one. Our coffins start from 520 euros, and every one of them is suitable for cremation. We dress the deceased and place them in the coffin before the transport to the crematorium. By law the deceased's own conviction and wishes must be taken into account in choosing the form of burial; if the deceased wished to be cremated, the wish is followed. See the guide Choosing a coffin.

The Helsinki crematoria and cremation fees

Helsinki has three crematoria. The Malmi and Honkanummi crematoria belong to the Helsinki parish union; cremation there costs 260 euros for a Helsinki resident and 500 euros for a non-resident. A Vantaa resident is cremated at Honkanummi for 260 euros. The Hietaniemi crematorium at Hietaniemenkatu 27 is not the parish union's but is run by the Krematoriosäätiö foundation; its cremation fee is 320 euros for everyone regardless of home municipality. At Hietaniemi a cremation at a time chosen by the family costs 320 euros extra, and the large chapel rent is 220 euros. For an Espoo resident the Espoo crematorium at the Kappeli cemetery costs 350 euros; for others 500 euros. Cremation of a child under one year old is free. We pass the parish union's fees on unchanged without margin, and we state the effect of the home municipality before anything is booked. In Helsinki more than 80 percent of the deceased are cremated.

• Malmi and Honkanummi (parish union): Helsinki resident 260 euros, others 500 euros
• Honkanummi for a Vantaa resident: 260 euros
• Hietaniemi (Krematoriosäätiö): 320 euros for everyone
• Espoo: Espoo resident 350 euros, others 500 euros

Two orders: a blessing at the coffin or at the urn

Cremation does not rule out a blessing or another ceremony; it only sets the order. The most common way is a blessing at the coffin before the cremation. The blessing lasts about half an hour and is held in a chapel, a church or another agreed place. When the ceremony ends, the coffin either stays in place or is carried to the car, and we transport it to the crematorium. What happens to the flowers is agreed with the parish: they can be taken to the grave or memorial grove or left at the chapel. The other way is a blessing or farewell at the urn after the cremation. Then the ceremony can be held, for example, at the grave when the urn is lowered or in a smaller room, and the schedule is more flexible because the cremation has already taken place. A ceremony at the urn is often easier to arrange for relatives arriving from far away. In both orders the pastor's service is free, and for church members the chapel is free.

Direct cremation without a ceremony

In a direct cremation the deceased is cremated without a ceremony at the coffin. Everything else happens as in any other cremation: we collect the deceased, dress them and place them in the coffin, forward the burial permit, book the cremation time and deliver the urn. Direct cremation is the simplest and least expensive form of burial; in the Helsinki region it costs around 1,000 euros, including the Helsinki resident's cremation fee of 260 euros. It does not mean giving up the farewell. A short private farewell in the chapel before the cremation can be arranged, and a memorial gathering can be held whenever and wherever you wish after the cremation: at home, at a restaurant or at the grave when the urn is lowered. A blessing can also be added later at the urn. Direct cremation is often chosen when the deceased wished it, when relatives live far away, or when costs need to stay under control.

Timing: usually 1 to 2 weeks

In our practice the cremation usually takes place within 1 to 2 weeks of collecting the deceased. The timing depends on when the burial permit is issued, the crematorium's free slots and whether a blessing is held before the cremation. In the Helsinki parish union's chapels, blessings are held from Tuesday to Saturday, usually within 2 to 3 weeks of the death, and the cremation follows the blessing. A forensic investigation delays the permit and therefore the whole schedule. The urn is ready for collection a few days after the cremation. 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. That is why we agree the cremation time as soon as the permit is received and tell you the date in the shared family space. See the guide The funeral timeline.

• Burial permit from the doctor; copy to the burial services
• Blessing Tuesday to Saturday, usually within 2 to 3 weeks
• Cremation within 1 to 2 weeks of collection
• Urn ready a few days after the cremation

Release and storage of the urn

The crematorium releases the ashes only for burial or other permanent placement in one place. Before release, the recipient must state in writing where the ashes will be placed; we draw up the statement with you. We deliver the urn to the crematorium before the cremation. Our urns start from 95 euros: the Klassinen urn 95 euros and the Design urn 240 euros. An urn grave or memorial grove needs a biodegradable urn, a columbarium a non-biodegradable one. After the cremation the urn can be collected from the crematorium, or we arrange for it to be delivered directly to the urn lowering. At the parish union's crematoria, urn storage is free for six months and then 30 euros per started month. At the Hietaniemi crematorium the urn is stored free for three months; storage for a full year costs 80 euros. See the guide Choosing an urn.

The one-year rule: one place, no dividing

The Burial Act requires that the ashes be buried or otherwise permanently placed in one place within one year of the cremation. The ashes may not be divided between several places, and the law does not allow keeping them permanently at home. The urn can be kept at home temporarily, but the ashes must be permanently placed in one place within the year. If those responsible fail to do so even after a reminder, the ashes are placed at the estate's cost in the cemetery where the deceased was entitled to be buried. Placing the ashes always requires the consent of the landowner or holder. The deceased's own wishes about the handling of the ashes must be respected. The year gives time: the urn lowering can be timed for the summer, for example, or for a date when relatives living further away can attend. We remind you well before the deadline.

Placement options in Helsinki and prices for a Helsinki resident

In the Helsinki parish union's cemeteries the ashes can be placed in several ways. An urn grave is granted for 25 years for 180 euros, and the urn burial itself costs 150 euros; new urn graves come from Malmi, Honkanummi, Maunula, Östersundom and Honkanummi's non-denominational area. A memorial grove or scattering area costs 90 euros; a name plaque on the common memorial for 170 euros is optional, but the anonymous groves at Hietaniemi and Maunula have no plaque. In the memorial grove close family can take part guided by the verger; at the scattering area the verger scatters the ashes without the family present. The Hietaniemi columbarium costs 300 euros for 25 years and requires a non-biodegradable urn. A locker in the Kallio church urn vault costs 250 euros for 25 years and is only for members of the Helsinki parishes. Burying the urn in an existing family grave costs 150 euros; the grave right must have 25 years left. For non-residents the prices are higher: urn burial 170, urn grave 310, memorial grove 150 and columbarium 610 euros.

• Urn grave 25 years 180 euros + urn burial 150 euros; biodegradable urn
• Memorial grove or scattering area 90 euros; name plaque 170 euros optional
• Hietaniemi columbarium 300 euros for 25 years; non-biodegradable urn
• Kallio church urn vault 250 euros for 25 years, Helsinki parish members only
• Family grave: urn burial 150 euros, 25 years left on the grave right

Scattering outside a cemetery

The ashes may also be scattered outside a cemetery, for example at sea or on your own land, when the landowner or the owner of the water area gives permission. No memorial may be placed at the scattering site. The City of Helsinki has designated sea areas for scattering west of Harmaja and north-west of Rysäkivi. The placement is stated in writing to the crematorium when the urn is released; it is the same statement needed for any release of ashes. The one-year rule and the ban on dividing apply to scattering too: the ashes are scattered in full in one place within a year of the cremation. A biodegradable urn suits scattering, or the ashes can be scattered without an urn. We help with the permissions and the written statement and explain what to consider in the sea areas designated by the city. See the guide Urn lowering and placing the ashes in Helsinki.

What we handle for you and the next step

For a cremation we handle all the practical matters: we collect the deceased, dress them and place them in the coffin, forward the burial permit to the burial services, book the cremation time and, if needed, the blessing time, chapel and pastor, deliver the urn to the crematorium, draw up with you the written statement of where the ashes will be placed, and agree the urn lowering with the burial services. Parish union and crematorium fees are passed on unchanged. You decide whether a blessing is held at the coffin, at the urn or not at all, which coffin and urn you choose, and where the ashes are placed. We remind you of the one-year deadline in good time. Call 09 6129 890 or book a planning visit at Annankatu 12; the visit is free. We also come to your home, and everything can be arranged entirely online in the shared family space.

Frequently asked questions