Direct cremation timeline: how long it takes

The overall picture: 1-2 weeks from contact to cremation

With us, a direct cremation usually takes one to two weeks from contact. The time goes to four things: the doctor's burial permit, the collection of the deceased, a free slot at the crematorium and a possible farewell moment. The cremation takes place at the Helsinki parish union's crematorium at Malmi or Honkanummi. You do not have to guess: we tell you the date of each step as soon as it is known. You can start online or by phone at any hour and proceed at your own pace. Nothing is binding until we have called you and confirmed the arrangements. Below we describe what happens on days 0-2, in the first week, after the cremation and within a year. At the end there is a list you can go through and fill in with your own dates.

Days 0-2: death certificate and burial permit

A death is always confirmed by a doctor. The doctor writes the death certificate and gives the burial permit to a relative or to the funeral home. In hospitals and care homes the staff inform the family and keep the deceased until collection. If the death happens at home and was expected, call the treating doctor or 116 117. If the death is sudden or unclear, call 112. The police then arrange transport to a hospital for investigation, and we continue only once the police have released the deceased. There is no deadline for the first call to us, but most families get in touch within a few days. Arrangements can begin before the permit is ready. Before the cremation, the parish union's burial services need a copy of the burial permit signed by the doctor. We deliver that copy, so you do not need to worry about it.

Collection and why it should not wait

We collect the deceased from a hospital, care home or home in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen as soon as the burial permit exists. Transport from the rest of Uusimaa costs 390 euros instead of 240 euros, and the difference is stated before you order. You may be present when the deceased is moved, if you wish. Collection should be agreed without delay. In the parish union's facilities, cold storage of the coffin costs 50 euros for each started week during the first three weeks and 15 euros per started day after that. Waiting before the cremation can therefore cost money, which is why we agree the collection and the cremation slot as early as possible. When the collection is arranged we also agree a possible farewell moment in a chapel. The moment is short and private. It can affect the cremation date, and we tell you that in advance.

What sets the pace

One to two weeks is the usual time, not a promise. Four things can make it shorter or longer. Most often the schedule holds, and all four are handled without you having to do anything. If one of them moves the cremation, we tell you at once and agree a new date together with you. Ask us if, for example, you have relatives travelling whose schedule should be taken into account.

• The burial permit: the cremation can take place only once the doctor has signed the burial permit and the burial services have received a copy.
• A forensic investigation: if the cause of death is investigated forensically, the permit comes only after the investigation and the schedule moves.
• Crematorium slots: the cremation takes place in a free slot at the Malmi or Honkanummi crematorium.
• The farewell moment: if you want a short private moment in a chapel before the cremation, we fit it into the schedule when the collection is arranged.

The cremation and the urn

The cremation takes place at the time the crematorium gives. A coffin is always needed, also for cremation, and the price includes a cremation coffin. The deceased is dressed and placed in the coffin, and the transport to the crematorium is in the coffin. The urn is ready a few days after the cremation. If you have chosen the package Direct cremation with urn handover (1,150 euros), it includes the Sävyisä urn and the handover of the urn at an agreed time. A relative can collect the urn, or we deliver it to you. There is no hurry: the parish union's crematorium stores the urn free for six months and then for 30 euros per started month. At the handover the crematorium is told in writing where the ashes will be placed. We describe collection, storage and placement options in more detail in the guide Collecting the urn and placing the ashes.

Within a year: placing the ashes

The Burial Act requires that the ashes are buried or otherwise permanently placed in one place within one year of the cremation. The ashes may not be divided. The urn can be kept at home temporarily, but the one-year deadline still applies. If the placement is not done despite a reminder, the ashes are placed at the estate's cost in the cemetery the deceased was entitled to. For a Helsinki resident the options include an urn grave, a memorial grove, a scattering area, the Hietaniemi columbarium and a family grave. Scattering outside a cemetery is possible with the landowner's permission. The time of the urn lowering is agreed with the parish union's burial services, and we make the booking for you. The parish fees are not included in the 950 euro price, and we tell you them in advance. The decision need not be made at once; a year is ample time, and you can ask us for advice at any point.

The invoice and the estate inventory

We send the invoice once the cremation has been carried out. The payment term is 14 days. The invoice can be paid in the family space by online bank or card, or by ordinary bank transfer. The amount is the one you saw before ordering. The only possible addition is the 240 euro cremation-fee difference for a deceased from outside Helsinki, stated in advance, and if you swap the coffin or the urn only the difference is added. Funeral costs are deductible in the estate inventory deed, so keep the invoice. The estate inventory meeting must be held within three months of the death, and the deed is sent to the Tax Administration within one month of the meeting. A deed is always required, even when there are no assets or only debts. We can handle the estate inventory together with the funeral for 590 euros; ordered on its own it costs 690 euros. We describe it in the guide Estate inventory in brief.

The timeline week by week

This list describes the usual course when the death happens in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa or Kauniainen and the burial permit is obtained without a forensic investigation. The times are typical, not promises. The items marked with a star are handled by us. You can print the list and write in your own dates.

• Day 0: the death is confirmed; the hospital or care home keeps the deceased.
• Days 0-2: the doctor writes the death certificate and the burial permit; you contact us online or by phone.
• Days 1-3: we confirm the arrangements by phone and agree the collection and a possible farewell moment. *
• Week 1: we collect the deceased, deliver a copy of the burial permit to the burial services and book the cremation slot. *
• Weeks 1-2: the cremation at Malmi or Honkanummi; the urn is ready a few days later. *
• Weeks 2-3: collection or delivery of the urn; the invoice, payment term 14 days.
• Within three months: the estate inventory meeting; the deed to the Tax Administration within one month.
• Within a year: placing the ashes; the urn lowering at a time agreed with the burial services. *

What you can leave to us and the next step

We handle the delivery of the burial permit copy, the collection and transport, the cremation coffin, the dressing, the booking of the cremation slot, the handover of the urn and the booking of the urn lowering with the burial services. You decide whether you want a farewell moment, which urn you choose and where the ashes are placed. The decisions need not be made all at once. The urn can be chosen or changed until we confirm the arrangements, and the place can be decided within a year. If the schedule changes for any reason, we tell you immediately. The price is 950 euros, and all of it is shown before anything binds. Call us or start online; nothing is binding until we confirm the arrangements by phone. You can proceed at your own pace and at any hour.

Frequently asked questions