We are here to help
Planning a journey with a loved one’s ashes is an emotional task, often done at a difficult time. Our team helps families with these trips regularly, and we will take as much of the practical side off your hands as we can. You are welcome to call us and talk it through, in Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu or English.
This guide explains the general steps. Rules vary between airlines and can change, so we always check the current requirements for your flight.
Documents to carry
Keep these together, with the ashes, in your hand luggage. Your funeral director can usually provide the letter and copies.
- The original certificate of cremation.
- A certified copy of the death certificate.
- A letter from the funeral director confirming the contents of the container.
- Your passport, and your visa or OCI card for India.
Our tip: Make copies of every document and keep them separately, in case anything is lost.
Need help planning the journey?
Tell us where your family is and when you want to go. We check every airline and we’ll beat any quote*.
Choosing a container for the journey
Airport security must be able to see inside the container with an X-ray scanner. Containers made of wood, cardboard or hard plastic usually pass, while metal, ceramic and stone urns often cannot be screened. Security staff will not open the container, out of respect, so if it cannot be scanned it may not be allowed through.
Many families use a plain, sealed temporary container for the flight and transfer the ashes to a decorative urn or kalash when they arrive. Your funeral director can supply one.
Hand luggage or hold?
Most families carry ashes in their hand luggage, so they stay with them throughout the journey. Checked bags can be delayed or lost, which would be distressing. Some airlines also allow ashes in the hold, but carrying them yourself is usually the better choice.
Tell the airline before you travel. Policies differ between carriers, and it helps if the special assistance team knows in advance. We do this for you when we book.
Arriving in India
Requirements on arrival in India can vary, and some sources say permits or prior authorisation may be needed. Before you travel, check with the High Commission of India in London or the relevant consulate, and keep your documents ready to show at customs.
British passport holders also need an Indian visa or OCI card and the free e-Arrival card. Our e-Arrival card guide explains the online form.
Where families take ashes
Haridwar and Varanasi on the Ganges are the most common places for asthi visarjan, the immersion of ashes, and local priests arrange the rituals. Prayagraj, where the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati meet, is also deeply significant.
Many families choose a sacred river or place close to their family home instead, or the place their loved one asked for. Sikh families often travel to Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab. Our Varanasi guide and Haridwar and Char Dham guide cover the journeys in more detail.
Flights to the main places
The usual gateways.
| Destination | Fly to | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Haridwar | Delhi, then Dehradun | Short drive from Dehradun |
| Varanasi | Delhi or Mumbai, then Varanasi | Domestic flight |
| Prayagraj | Delhi, then Prayagraj | Domestic flight or train |
| Kiratpur Sahib | Chandigarh or Amritsar | Road |
| Gujarat rivers and temples | Ahmedabad | Non-stop from Gatwick |
Travelling with family
Often the whole family travels together, sometimes with elderly relatives. We can book everyone on the same flights, arrange wheelchair assistance at every airport, and choose a route with as few changes as possible.
See our page on assisted travel for elderly passengers. If you need to travel at short notice, call us, as we can often find seats quickly.
Bringing a body home for a funeral in India
Some families wish to hold the cremation itself in India. Taking a body from the UK is a different process, handled by a specialist funeral director, with permission from the coroner. Our guide to repatriation to India explains the steps.
The ceremony in India
At Haridwar and Varanasi, families usually go to their family pandit, if they have one, whose records may hold generations of the family tree. Priests guide the family through the prayers, and the ashes are immersed from the ghat or from a boat. Many families also arrange a havan or a meal for Brahmins or the poor in their loved one’s memory.
Allow a day for the ceremony itself and a little time either side. If you are travelling from elsewhere in India, a night nearby beforehand makes the morning calmer.
Timing the trip
There is no single right time. Some families travel within days of the cremation, others wait for a significant date in the mourning period, or until family members can travel together. Festivals and the busy winter season make flights harder to find, so if you have a choice of dates, tell us and we will look for the best options.
If you are carrying ashes on a connecting flight, ask us to keep the whole journey on one booking, so there is no need to go through check-in again with them mid-journey.
Questions people ask
Do I need a special container for the ashes?
A sealed container that can be X-rayed, such as wood, cardboard or hard plastic. Your funeral director can supply one for the journey.
Can ashes go on a connecting flight?
Yes. Keep the journey on one booking if possible and carry the ashes and documents in your hand luggage throughout.
Can I take ashes on a plane from the UK to India?
Yes, usually in your hand luggage, with the cremation certificate and death certificate. Check your airline’s rules first.
What kind of urn can go through airport security?
One that can be X-rayed, such as wood, cardboard or hard plastic. Metal, ceramic and stone urns often cannot be screened.
Will security open the urn?
Security staff will not normally open the container out of respect, which is why it must be possible to X-ray it.
Do I need to tell the airline?
It is best to. Policies vary, and we inform the airline for you when we book.
Do I need permission to bring ashes into India?
Requirements can vary. Check with the High Commission of India in London before you travel and carry all your documents.
Where do families immerse ashes in India?
Most often Haridwar or Varanasi on the Ganges, or Prayagraj. Many choose a river near the family home, and Sikh families often go to Kiratpur Sahib.
Can you help us travel at short notice?
Yes. Call us and we will look at every option for your dates.
