Cremation

In Flanders, a deceased person can be buried or cremated. Cremation is the process of accelerating the decomposition of a human body through burning. Cremation can only take place in a crematorium. There are 12 crematoriums in Flanders, spread across all provinces. After a death, almost 78% of the next of kin in Flanders opt for cremation.

Before a deceased person can be cremated, a permit is required from the municipality where the death occurred. In exceptional cases (a suspicious death or a death abroad), this permit must be provided by the public prosecutor.

The funeral director takes care of all the administrative steps and contacts the crematorium to schedule a cremation. On the agreed day and time, he brings the coffin with the deceased to the crematorium, where the cremation will take place. A cremation is carried out according to a fully automated process that is strictly and carefully followed by our experienced and trained staff. A cremation takes at least two hours, after which the urn is delivered. The next of kin decide on the destination of the urn or the ashes.