Everything about cremation urns

A funerary urn is essential during a cremation.

The ashes of the deceased are placed in a cinerary container, which is then placed in the urn. This allows for long-term or temporary preservation of the ashes (if one decides to disperse them).

Funerary urns must comply with several regulatory obligations:

• An identification plaque must be affixed to the urn. This plaque must include the deceased's first and last name, date of birth and death, and the name and location of the crematorium.

• Since 2008, it is not possible to keep the urn indefinitely at one's home. However, temporary custody is allowed while organizing the scattering or burial of the ashes. See our article on the legal possibilities regarding ashes.

• It is not possible to separate the ashes into multiple containers. The urn contains a body and must therefore be treated with respect and dignity.

• In the case of scattering ashes in a memorial garden adjacent to the crematorium, the use of an urn is not necessary. The ashes can be temporarily contained in a dispenser.

Generally, crematoriums offer to keep the urn for up to 1 year after the cremation. This allows the family time to decide what they wish to do with the ashes and make appropriate arrangements.

If the urn has not been collected after one year, the ashes will be scattered in the memorial garden adjacent to the crematorium.

Funerary urns do not need to be approved, and no law specifies their sizes or dimensions, which offers a wide range of options for families.

Here are some common characteristics of funerary urns:

• Size: It is adapted to the weight of the deceased. For example, for a 75 kg body, a 3 L urn would be chosen. It should also not be too large to be placed in a columbarium or a cavurne.

• The material can vary: polymer, aluminum, metal, bamboo, salt, cardboard, granite... Depending on the destination of the ashes, a different material will be chosen. For sea scatterings, a soluble urn is necessary. For a burial in a columbarium or in a grave, it should not be biodegradable (e.g., aluminum) to withstand the passage of time. And if the urn is outdoors, it must be weather-resistant and made of granite.

• The price varies depending on the material and costs between 30 and 400 €.

The family can provide the urn to the funeral home if they wish, without forgetting the identification plaque. The urn should represent the deceased, and the choice should be carefully considered.

One can choose to bury or scatter the ashes.

In a cemetery, the urn can be buried in a columbarium niche, in a cavurne, or in a grave.

It is also possible to scatter the ashes in nature or in a memorial garden.

The urn can also be buried on private property, but the regulations are very strict.

For more information, you can directly consult our guide on the legal possibilities concerning the deceased's ashes.