Collecting the urn and placing the ashes

When the crematorium releases the urn

Under the Burial Act the crematorium may release the ashes only for burial or other permanent placement, and the ashes are placed in one place. Before the release the recipient must state in writing where the ashes will be placed. The ashes may not be divided, for example between several relatives or into two places. In practice it is therefore good to have the place in mind before the collection, even though the placement itself can be done later. The statement can be made by a relative, or we handle it for you once you tell us the place. The urn is ready a few days after the cremation. Direct cremation at 950 euros does not include an urn. The package Direct cremation with urn handover costs 1,150 euros and includes the Sävyisä urn and the handover at an agreed time. If you choose another urn from the range, only the difference is added.

Collection or delivery and storage at the crematorium

A relative can collect the urn from the crematorium, or we deliver it to you at an agreed time. The handover is always agreed in advance, so that the written statement of the place has been made and the urn is ready. If the urn is to be buried in a cemetery in Helsinki, it can also be left at the crematorium until the lowering, so that you do not have to transport it yourselves. The parish union's crematoria at Malmi and Honkanummi store the urn free for six months and then for 30 euros per started month. For burial in the urn vault of Kallio church, the transport of the urn from the crematorium is included in the price of the locker. If you want to keep the urn at home before the placement, that is possible temporarily; we describe it in the next section. All of this is agreed with you, and no step happens without your knowing about it.

The one-year deadline and the urn at home

The ashes must be buried or otherwise permanently placed in one place within one year of the cremation. This is a requirement of the Burial Act, and it applies to every form of placement. The law permits neither keeping the ashes at home permanently nor dividing them. The urn can be kept at home temporarily, but the ashes must be placed permanently in one place within the year. 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. A year is enough time to consider calmly. For many families it suits to hold the memorial gathering first and lower the urn later, for example when relatives living further away can attend. Once the place is chosen, we book the time of the lowering with the burial services for you and tell you what it costs.

The options in Helsinki and the prices for a resident

The Helsinki parish union's prices are public and the same for everyone entitled to a grave; church membership does not affect them, the home municipality does. The prices below are for a deceased Helsinki resident from 1 February 2026. The burial act means the act of burying or scattering itself, and it costs 150 euros on top of each option. These fees are not included in the 950 euro price; we tell you them in advance before anything binds.

• Urn grave: 180 euros for 25 years and the burial act 150 euros; extension 7.20 euros per year; in blocks with a concrete base beam a further 170 euros.
• Memorial grove: 90 euros and the burial act 150 euros; a name plaque on the common memorial 170 euros, optional.
• Scattering area: 90 euros and the burial act 150 euros; the verger scatters the ashes without the family present.
• The columbarium at Hietaniemi cemetery: 300 euros for 25 years and the burial act 150 euros; extension 12 euros per year; the urn must be non-biodegradable.
• Urn locker in Kallio church: 250 euros for 25 years, only for members of Helsinki parishes; includes transport of the urn from the crematorium and engraving of the name.
• Family grave: the burial act 150 euros; the grave right is checked with the burial services, and 25 years of the lease must remain.
• For a deceased from outside Helsinki the prices are higher: the burial act 170, urn grave 310, memorial grove or scattering 150 and columbarium 610 euros.

Memorial grove or scattering area

In a memorial grove the urn or the ashes are buried in a common area of the cemetery without a marked grave of their own. The family can take part, and the cemetery verger guides them. A memorial grove requires a biodegradable urn. The blocks have a common memorial where a name plaque can be bought for 170 euros; the anonymous groves at Hietaniemi and Maunula have no plaque. In a scattering area the verger scatters the ashes, and the family is not present. The price is the same for both: 90 euros and the burial act 150 euros. Neither requires grave care, a base beam or a memorial. The difference is therefore whether you want to be present and whether you want the name shown. If you want a grave of your own where flowers can be brought and a stone raised, the option is an urn grave. New urn graves are given at Malmi, Honkanummi, Maunula, Östersundom and in the non-denominational area at Honkanummi.

Columbarium, urn locker and family grave

In the columbarium at Hietaniemi cemetery the urn is placed in its own locker, which is why the urn must be non-biodegradable. The place costs a Helsinki resident 300 euros for 25 years and the burial act 150 euros; the lease can be extended for 12 euros per year. A locker in the urn vault of Kallio church costs 250 euros for 25 years and is offered only to members of Helsinki parishes. The price includes transport of the urn from the parish union's crematorium and engraving of the name. After the term the ashes are buried in the rock grave under the church, which costs 90 euros; a name plaque on the church hall wall costs 170 euros for one name and 210 euros for two. Burial in a family grave costs the burial act of 150 euros. The grave right is checked with the burial services, and 25 years of the lease must remain at the time of the burial. If the family grave is in another municipality, the burial is agreed with that parish and the fees follow its price list.

Outside a cemetery: permission and sea areas

The ashes may also be buried or scattered somewhere other than a cemetery, but this requires the consent of the landowner or holder of the land. Scattering over water requires the permission of the owner of the water area. The City of Helsinki has designated sea areas for scattering west of Harmaja and north-west of Rysäkivi. No memorial may be placed at the site. The place is stated in writing to the crematorium when the urn is released, just as for placement in a cemetery. The one-year deadline applies here too: the ashes must be placed in one place within a year of the cremation. If you scatter the ashes yourselves, the urn should be chosen accordingly; ask us which urn in our range suits. If you are unsure whose permission is needed, ask us before you collect the urn, and we will work it out together.

Choosing the urn: which fits where

Our range has four urns, and you can swap the package urn for another by paying only the difference. The place decides which kind of urn is needed: a non-biodegradable one for a columbarium or an urn locker, a biodegradable one for a grave or a memorial grove. We tell you which urn suits the place you have chosen before we confirm the order, and we deliver the urn to the crematorium for you.

• Urn grave, memorial grove and family grave: a biodegradable urn.
• The Hietaniemi columbarium and the Kallio church urn locker: a non-biodegradable urn.
• Scattering: no urn remains at the site; ask us for a suitable option.
• The range: Sävyisä 99, Puu-uurna 190, Keraaminen 290 and Maatuva 450 euros; swapping the package urn costs only the difference.

What we handle and the next step

We handle the written statement of the place, the handover or delivery of the urn, the booking of the lowering with the burial services and the itemisation of the parish union's fees in advance. You choose the place and the urn and decide who takes part in the lowering. The memorial gathering can be held at the urn or separately; see the guide Memorial gathering without a blessing. If you want a blessing at the urn, that is possible too, and the pastor meets the family beforehand. The parish fees are not included in the 950 euro price, but you see them before anything binds. The place can also be decided later, as long as the one-year deadline holds. Call us or start online; nothing is binding until we confirm the arrangements by phone.

Frequently asked questions