Introduction
You have said goodbye to someone close to you, but the grief does not end there. Meanwhile, word has come from the crematorium or the funeral director that the urn is ready. Perhaps for the first time, you are now asking yourself what to do with ashes after cremation, and whether you have to decide straight away. You do not. The law deals only with an urn that nobody collects within twelve months; once you have collected it, there is no deadline for laying the ashes to rest.
The answer is often simpler than it might seem. Czech law prescribes no single right place and insists above all on one thing: that the ashes are treated with dignity. The urn may stay at home or in the garden, the ashes may be scattered in nature with the landowner's consent, and a cemetery offers a grave, a columbarium, or a scattering or interment lawn (rozptylová or vsypová loučka).
This guide explains who may collect the urn and by when, what the law does and does not allow, where you stand with an urn at home or in the garden, where you may scatter ashes, and what cemeteries in Prague, Brno and Ostrava offer and charge. It also covers dividing the ashes, taking an urn abroad and where the churches stand. It is written for families who arranged a cremation in the Czech Republic, including Slovaks, Ukrainians and other foreign nationals who live here. We draw on the Funeral Services Act (zákon o pohřebnictví) as in force since 1 July 2025 and on price lists valid on 30 September 2026. How the cremation itself takes place is described in our guide to cremation in the Czech Republic.
Whichever place you choose in the end, you can also preserve the memory of your loved one in another way: in a digital memorial with photographs, videos and the story of their life.
Collecting the Ashes from the Crematorium: Who and by When
The crematorium releases the urn to the person who arranged the funeral (vypravitel pohřbu) or to the funeral director (pohřební služba), who passes it on. The crematorium's rules set how the urn is collected and by when. If nobody collects it within twelve months of the cremation, the crematorium must place the ashes in a communal grave at a public cemetery.
Under § 2(p) of Act No. 256/2001 Coll., on Funeral Services, the person who arranged the funeral is whoever arranged the burial or cremation within 96 hours of the death being notified, or the municipality if it arranges the funeral itself. Someone else may collect the urn in their place, usually with a power of attorney (plná moc) and proof of identity. How the urn is handed over is laid down in the crematorium's rules (řád krematoria, § 15 para. 1(h)), so ask in advance what form of power of attorney the crematorium requires.
The crematorium issues the person who arranged the funeral with a cremation certificate (doklad o zpopelnění, § 14 para. 3(f)). Keep it in a safe place. According to the Ministry for Regional Development (Ministerstvo pro místní rozvoj, MMR), which is responsible for funeral services, you will need it to place the urn in a grave or columbarium, to have the ashes scattered or interred at a cemetery, to take them abroad and to claim the funeral allowance (pohřebné). If you lose it, ask the crematorium for a duplicate; in Prague this costs 376 Kč.
The crematorium or funeral director will tell you when the urn is ready; the law sets no fixed time. If you are in a hurry, ask about express release: Prague's municipal cemetery and funeral service, Hřbitovy a pohřební služby hl. m. Prahy (HPS), releases the urn within four hours of the end of the ceremony for 1,100 Kč. And if you would like to scatter the ashes yourself later or transfer them to another urn, ask in advance for an unsealed urn, because the standard crematorium urn (úřední urna) is usually sealed.
There are two deadlines, and they run from different moments. If the urn has stayed at the crematorium, the twelve months are counted from the cremation (§ 14 para. 3(h)). If a funeral director has taken it over, they run from the date the funeral director asks you to collect it (§ 7 para. 1(i)). After that, the crematorium or the funeral director must arrange for the ashes to be placed in a communal grave. Until 31 August 2017 a crematorium was allowed to do this; today it is obliged to, and some online guides have yet to reflect the change. Crematoria may charge for longer storage: in Prague, 323 Kč for each month or part of a month from the third month after the cremation; in Brno, 100 Kč a month from the second to the sixteenth month.
| Situation | Who collects the urn | What to have ready | Deadline and what happens next |
|---|---|---|---|
| The urn is at the crematorium | The person who arranged the funeral, or a funeral director | Proof of identity; the crematorium issues the cremation certificate | 12 months from the cremation (§ 14 para. 3(h)) |
| A funeral director has taken over the urn | The person who arranged the funeral | Proof of identity; the details are set by the funeral director's operating rules | 12 months from the request to collect (§ 7 para. 1(i)) |
| Someone else collects it on their behalf | The authorised person | A power of attorney in the form the crematorium's rules require, and proof of identity | The same deadlines as above |
| Nobody collects the urn | – | – | The ashes are placed in a communal grave at a public cemetery; for an urn left at the crematorium, the date and place are entered in its records (§ 15 para. 2(i)) |
Thanks to this record, it is possible to find out, even years later, where the ashes from an uncollected urn were laid to rest.
What to Do with Ashes After Cremation: Your Options and What the Law Allows
The Funeral Services Act does not tell you where the ashes must rest. You may keep the urn at home, bury it in your own garden, scatter the ashes in nature with the landowner's consent, or choose a cemetery: a grave, a columbarium, an urn grove (urnový háj), or a scattering or interment lawn. One condition always applies: the ashes must be treated with dignity.
What the law says — and what it does not
The Act classifies ashes as human remnants (lidské ostatky, § 2(d) and (e)). The ban on permanently laying the dead to rest anywhere other than in a grave or tomb at a cemetery applies to human remains (lidské pozůstatky), that is, to the body (§ 4 para. 1(e)). The law does not allow a body to be buried in a garden, but it does allow an urn to be placed there. The MMR put this unequivocally in its answers to frequently asked questions (our translation): ‘Provided they are treated with reverence, cremated human remains may be placed outside a public or non-public cemetery, not only in a private garden but also in a forest or elsewhere in the open countryside (with the landowner's consent, of course).’ The ministry's answers express its legal opinion; they are not a binding interpretation of the law.
What the law does insist on is that the ashes are treated with dignity and without endangering public health or public order (§ 4 para. 1). It forbids handling them in a way that offends the dignity of the deceased or the public's sense of decency (§ 4 para. 1(f)), and only the person who arranged the funeral may open the urn (§ 4a para. 1). Treating ashes without dignity and opening an urn without authority are both offences (přestupky, § 26 para. 1(e) and (f)), for which the municipal authority (obecní úřad) may fine an individual up to 100,000 Kč (§ 26 para. 2 and § 28 para. 1).
Just as important is what the law does not contain. It has no list of places where scattering is forbidden, sets no deadline by which the ashes must be laid to rest, and imposes no duty to notify anyone of a scattering or of an urn placed outside a cemetery. The law prescribes a resting place only for a so-called social funeral (sociální pohřeb): where the municipality arranges the funeral, placing the urn at a public cemetery is part of it (§ 5 para. 2).
The ministry also points out that it regards laying remains to rest in a cemetery as the basic premise of the law. Take this as a recommendation rather than an obligation: a cemetery gives the ashes a place that is entered in its records and open to anyone who wishes to remember the deceased. The ministry considers it inappropriate to place ashes on building plots or at sites associated with activities that seem undignified at first sight.
Who decides about the ashes? If the deceased made an express decision about their funeral, their wishes prevail (§ 113 para. 1 and § 114 para. 1 of the Civil Code, občanský zákoník). Otherwise the decision falls to the spouse or, if there is none, to the children; after them come the parents, the siblings, the siblings' children and any person close to the deceased. If there is no one, the municipality decides. If you would like to decide about your own funeral, our article on how to plan a funeral in advance will help.
| Option | Legal status | Conditions | Cost (example) | Bear in mind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urn at home | Not prohibited by law | Dignified treatment; only the person who arranged the funeral opens the urn | The urn only (standard urn in Prague 499 Kč) | The family should know who will eventually take the urn |
| Urn or ashes in the garden | Not prohibited by law | Landowner's consent; the MMR advises against building plots | 0 Kč; biodegradable urn in Prague from 1,400 Kč | Once the land is sold, the family can no longer freely visit the spot |
| Scattering in nature | Not prohibited by law | Landowner's consent; dignity | 0 Kč | Irreversible; no particular spot remains |
| Existing grave | At a cemetery, with the operator's consent (§ 22 para. 7) | Under the cemetery rules; in Brno the grave's lessee places the order | Prague: burying an urn in the ground 487 Kč | Moving the urn later counts as an exhumation |
| Urn grave (urnový hrob), urn grove | At a cemetery, written lease (§ 25) | Cemetery rules | Brno 155 Kč per m² a year incl. services | Regular rent and renewing the lease |
| Columbarium | At a cemetery, lease | Cemetery rules | Prague 1,630–8,970 Kč for 10 years | Removing the urn later counts as an exhumation |
| Scattering lawn | Part of a public cemetery, no lease | Cremation certificate; a date within the season | Prague 3,408 Kč | Irreversible; the name is entered in the records |
| Interment lawn | An interment plot counts in law as a burial plot (§ 2(g)) | Cemetery rules (lease or a fee for the plot) | Prague 2,128 Kč + 3,492 Kč for the plot | The spot can be traced |
| Natural burial ground | Part of a public cemetery | Cemetery rules | Prague, Forest of Remembrance (Les vzpomínek): 4,227 Kč for 10 years | Only some cemeteries offer one |
What the churches say
The Catholic Church has permitted cremation since 1963. The instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo, issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2016, nevertheless asks that the ashes be laid to rest in a sacred place: as a rule a cemetery, or else a church or an area set aside for this purpose by the ecclesiastical authority. It permits keeping ashes at home only in exceptional cases and with the ecclesiastical authority's permission, and it does not allow them to be scattered, divided among relatives or placed in jewellery and mementos. In December 2023 the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith clarified that the ecclesiastical authority may consider a family's request to keep a minimal part of the ashes in a place of significance for the deceased, provided that the ashes of the deceased are kept in a sacred place. It also confirmed that the 2016 rule requiring ashes to rest in a sacred place retains its full validity.
The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (Českobratrská církev evangelická) has in its service book a rite for placing an urn, ‘or, where appropriate, interment or scattering’, which families may use even without a minister present. Orthodox believers are best advised to consult their priest about laying the ashes to rest. For families without a religious affiliation, every lawful option is of equal worth: none of them shows less respect.
Keeping Ashes at Home and Burying the Urn in the Garden
Yes, you may keep the urn at home, and on your own land you may also bury it. You need no permission, and the law sets neither a time limit nor a burial depth. The one condition is that the ashes are treated with dignity. Do think ahead, though, about who will look after the urn after you, and what will happen to it once the house or land is sold.
How long can the urn stay at home?
For as long as you wish. You can keep the urn at home permanently or have it placed in a cemetery years later; the law does not restrict you in any way. For any later placement, though, keep the cremation certificate. HPS points out that an urn or ashes without documents can be placed in a garden but not in a cemetery: without them, it will not accept the ashes for either placement or scattering.
For some people an urn at home is a comfort; for others it becomes a burden over time. Both are perfectly understandable, and you can change your mind at any time. Just agree within the family who will eventually take the urn. The Funeral Services Act does not address this question, and the MMR regards any disputes over urns in an inherited house as a matter for civil law.
Burying the urn in the garden
On your own land the only consent you need is your own; on someone else's land you need the owner's consent, preferably in writing. If you would like the ashes to merge gradually with the soil, choose an urn made of biodegradable material; HPS sells paper, wicker and textile eco-urns for 1,400 to 2,100 Kč.
The law prescribes no burial depth. To give you an idea, on interment lawns the ashes go into a pit about 20 cm across and around 40 cm deep. Think, too, about the future of the land: if you sell the house, the ashes stay in the ground and the family can no longer freely visit the spot. If you would like a permanently accessible place in nature, you might consider a natural cemetery, described below.
Scattering Ashes in Nature: Where It Is Allowed and Under What Conditions
The law does not prohibit scattering ashes in nature, nor does it name any specific places. What matters is ownership and dignity: on your own land the only consent you need is your own; on someone else's land you need the owner's consent. You do not have to report a scattering anywhere. Bear in mind, though, that it is irreversible: once scattered, ashes cannot be gathered up again or moved elsewhere.
Every forest, every meadow and every field belongs to someone: a municipality, the state or a private owner. The owner's consent is a condition the ministry expressly emphasises, and you can find out who owns a plot in the land register (katastr nemovitostí). Neither the Funeral Services Act nor the Water Act (vodní zákon) expressly regulates scattering ashes into water. HPS nevertheless recommends agreeing it in advance with the body that manages the watercourse (správce toku).
You will sometimes read online that the law expressly forbids scattering on fields, in parks or on children's playgrounds. The Funeral Services Act contains no such list. The limits are set by property rights and by the duty to treat the ashes with dignity and with regard for the public's sense of decency. So choose the place and the moment so that the scattering does not take anyone by surprise.
Scattering means opening the urn, and only the person who arranged the funeral, or someone they authorise, may do that. The MMR also points out that ashes have a very high pH, often above 11, and contain a lot of salts, so it recommends mixing them with compost, peat or ordinary soil before scattering.
If you need a place to come back to, consider a scattering lawn at a cemetery instead, where the name of the deceased is entered in the records.
Remembrance that needs no grave. After a scattering in nature there is no place bearing a name where friends can come. Some families therefore create a digital memorial, to which family and friends can add photographs and memories from anywhere. Find out how a digital memorial works
Placing the Urn in a Cemetery: Grave, Columbarium, Scattering or Interment Lawn
At a public cemetery, ashes may only ever be laid to rest with the operator's consent and in accordance with the cemetery rules (řád hřbitova, § 22 para. 7). You can place the urn in an existing grave; lease an urn grave, a place in an urn grove or a columbarium niche (kolumbární schránka); or have the ashes scattered or interred on a lawn. A lease agreement for a burial plot (hrobové místo) is always made in writing.
Who may place an urn in an existing grave is determined by the cemetery rules; in Brno only the lessee of the grave, or someone they authorise, may order it. Get the documents ready beforehand. In Prague, to place an urn in a grave you bring the death certificate (úmrtní list) or the cremation certificate, and for a scattering also the urn and your identity card (občanský průkaz); in Brno you need your identity card, the cremation certificate and the death certificate. Cemeteries also have seasons: in Prague, urns are placed in graves from April to November; in Brno, scattering, interment and urn placements take place from April to October.
A lease can also be agreed in advance, before the urn is placed (§ 25 para. 3). In Prague, urn graves are leased for five years and columbarium niches for ten; in Brno the lease is paid for ten years. When the lease is coming to an end, the operator must notify you in writing at least 90 days beforehand (§ 25 para. 7). If you later decide to move the urn elsewhere, that is an exhumation, governed by the law and the cemetery rules (§ 22 para. 5).
Scattering or interment?
At first glance the two options look alike. They differ in what matters most: whether a place remains that can be found.
| Scattering lawn (rozptylová loučka) | Interment lawn (vsypová loučka) | |
|---|---|---|
| How the ashes are laid to rest | Spread loosely over the grass; 4–6 m² per urn | Poured into a pit about 20 cm across and around 40 cm deep |
| A specific spot | None remains | Entered in the records and can be traced |
| Name of the deceased | Entered in the cemetery records | Entered in the cemetery records |
| Lease | None | An interment plot is a burial plot; the terms are set by the cemetery rules |
| Prague, price list from 1 July 2026 | 3,408 Kč | 2,128 Kč + 3,492 Kč for the interment plot (Strašnice, Motol) |
With scattering, then, only the place is anonymous, not the name. Scattered ashes, however, can no longer be exhumed. Whether you can be present at a scattering or interment, and whether a short ceremony can be added, depends on the cemetery: Brno's price list offers a ceremony, whereas in Ostrava's Grove of Remembrance (Háj vzpomínek) interment takes place without a ceremony and the spot is marked only with a number. The following Prague cemeteries have scattering lawns: Olšany, Ďáblice, Vršovice, Strašnice, Motol, Malvazinky, Košíře and Liboc-Vokovice; scattering there takes place from May to October.
Natural burial grounds and eco-urns
Natural burial already exists in the Czech Republic. At Ďáblice Cemetery (Ďáblický hřbitov) in Prague you will find the Forest of Remembrance (Les vzpomínek), which HPS describes as the first Czech natural cemetery: the ashes are laid at the roots of mature trees, there are no headstones or artificial decorations, and the names of the deceased are carried on small wooden tags on the trunks. Leasing a 1 m² plot for two urns or two interments costs 4,227 Kč for ten years, and a ceremonial placement 2,130 Kč. In Brno, the Valley of Remembrance (Údolí vzpomínek) in Líšeň offers something similar: interment, or burying an eco-urn in the ground, costs 2,450 Kč (for one or two urns).
What it costs: examples from Prague, Brno and Ostrava
There is no national price list: each cemetery operator sets its own prices. The table gives examples from the official price lists of the three largest Czech cities; they are final prices as published by the operators.
| Service | Prague | Brno | Ostrava (Slezská Ostrava) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scattering on a lawn | 3,408 Kč | approx. 4,700 Kč with a ceremony | – |
| Interment | 2,128 Kč + 3,492 Kč for the plot | approx. 4,850 Kč with a ceremony; interment pit 1,500 Kč for 10 years | 3,221 Kč |
| Placing an urn in a grave | 487 Kč (in the ground) | approx. 400–800 Kč (without an urn vault) | – |
| Urn grave lease | rent 97–134 Kč + services 159.10–217.40 Kč per m² a year | 155 Kč per m² a year incl. services | 166 Kč per m² a year |
| Columbarium niche | 1,630–8,970 Kč for 10 years | 3,650 Kč (2 urns), 7,300 Kč (4 urns) for 10 years | 902 Kč a year |
| Storing the urn at the crematorium | 323 Kč a month from the 3rd month | 100 Kč a month (2nd–16th month) | – |
Prague: HPS, price list valid from 1 July 2026; the price for burying an urn in the ground does not include moving the cover slab, and services for urn graves are priced for the first m², with each additional m² cheaper. Brno: Brno City Cemeteries Administration (Správa hřbitovů města Brna), services price list from 1 January 2026 and lease prices from 1 January 2024; the approximate prices with a ceremony are given on the administration's website. Ostrava: the Slezská Ostrava city district, price list from 1 March 2024, published as valid on 30 September 2026. For a scattering or an urn placement on a non-working day, HPS adds a surcharge of 50%, and on a public holiday 100%.
How to lease a burial plot, and what to watch out for, is explained in our article on burial plots in the Czech Republic: cost, lease and how to obtain one.
Dividing the Ashes, Keepsake Jewellery and Taking the Urn Abroad
The Funeral Services Act does not expressly regulate dividing ashes or making jewellery from them. However, only the person who arranged the funeral, or someone they authorise, may open the urn, and unauthorised opening is an offence carrying a fine of up to 100,000 Kč. Czech law sets no special conditions for taking an urn abroad: what counts are the rules of the destination country, of any countries you pass through, and of the carrier.
Dividing the ashes and keepsake jewellery
If some members of the family would like to keep a little of the ashes at home and place the rest in a cemetery, they need the consent of the person who arranged the funeral. The most practical route is to ask the crematorium or the cemetery administration to set a portion aside (odsyp): HPS charges 671 Kč for transferring ashes to another urn or setting a portion aside, and it also sells small urns for 800 Kč. Check other operators' terms in advance.
Private companies offer jewellery, pendants and diamonds made from ashes. Before entrusting part of the ashes to one of them, ask how it will be handled and what will happen to whatever is not used. The Catholic Church, as mentioned above, permits neither dividing ashes among relatives nor placing them in jewellery.
Taking the urn across borders and on a plane
Within the Czech Republic you can take the ashes in your own car or by any other means of transport; you do not need a hearse. According to the MMR, the Funeral Services Act sets no special conditions for transporting ashes and requires only dignity. Abroad, however, including in countries you merely pass through, local rules apply, and these may differ; in Germany and Austria they even vary from one federal state to another. The ministry recommends a firmly sealed metal or plastic urn, placed, for example, in a thick-walled cardboard box marked with the name of the deceased and the delivery address. For cross-border transport it refers to the European standard EN 15017: the urn must be accompanied by the relevant documents, which, if the destination country requires it, must be submitted in advance to the relevant embassy or consulate for certification and, where applicable, for a permit to be issued.
For the journey, take the cremation certificate and the death certificate. In Prague, HPS issues a certificate for transporting an urn abroad for 401 Kč, or an original in English for 1,008 Kč; it will also send the urn abroad for you (preparation and packing 1,792 Kč, with transport charged separately).
Václav Havel Airport Prague allows an urn containing ashes in both hand luggage and checked baggage, but the ashes must be securely packed in a suitable container. Airlines have their own rules, so arrange carriage of the urn with the airline in advance.
Destination countries have their own requirements. In Slovakia, the Slovak Funeral Services Act applies; check the conditions for placing an urn with the local cemetery administration or with the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Prague. To take an urn to Ukraine for burial, the usual requirements are the death certificate, the cremation certificate, a certificate stating that the cause of death was not an infectious disease, and a document confirming that the urn contains no other objects; a sealed urn is generally required as well. The consular section of the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague will confirm whether the documents need to be officially certified and translated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you keep ashes at home, and for how long?
Yes. The Czech Funeral Services Act neither prohibits keeping an urn at home nor sets a time limit, so you can keep it at home permanently or have it placed in a cemetery even years later. The ashes must be treated with dignity, and only the person who arranged the funeral may open the urn. Keep the cremation certificate, which cemeteries require for any later placement. The Catholic Church asks the faithful to lay ashes to rest in a sacred place.
Can you bury an urn in your garden?
On your own land, yes. You need no permit, and the law does not even set a burial depth. On someone else's land you need the owner's consent. The Ministry for Regional Development considers building plots unsuitable for ashes. If you would like the ashes to return to the soil, choose a biodegradable urn. Think ahead, too: if you sell the land, the ashes stay in it and the family can no longer freely visit the spot.
Where can you scatter ashes in the Czech Republic?
On the scattering lawn of a public cemetery, where the cemetery administration carries out the scattering, and outside cemeteries in nature or on private land, provided the landowner consents; in your own garden you need nobody's consent. Neither the Funeral Services Act nor the Water Act expressly regulates scattering ashes into a river, but Prague's cemetery administration recommends agreeing it in advance with the body that manages the watercourse. The duty to treat the ashes with dignity always applies.
Who can collect ashes from a crematorium, and by when?
The urn is collected by the person who arranged the funeral, or by the funeral director, who then hands it over to them. If someone else goes instead, they usually need a power of attorney and proof of identity; the details are set by the crematorium's rules. If nobody collects the urn within twelve months of the cremation, the crematorium must place the ashes in a communal grave. Crematoria may charge a fee for keeping an urn longer.
What is the difference between scattering and interment of ashes?
When ashes are scattered (rozptyl), they are spread loosely over the grass of a scattering lawn, so no particular spot remains. At an interment (vsyp), they are placed in a small pit in the lawn whose position the cemetery administration enters in its records, so the spot can be found later. The names of the deceased are recorded in both cases. Scattered ashes can no longer be exhumed.
Can you divide ashes between family members?
The Funeral Services Act does not expressly regulate dividing ashes. Only the person who arranged the funeral or their representative may open the urn; unauthorised opening is an offence carrying a fine of up to 100,000 Kč. To keep some ashes elsewhere or in jewellery, ask the crematorium or cemetery to set a portion aside (odsyp). The Catholic Church does not permit dividing ashes among relatives, though since 2023 church authorities may consider a family's request to keep a tiny part somewhere meaningful to the deceased.
How can you take ashes abroad or on a plane?
The Czech Funeral Services Act sets no special conditions for transporting ashes and requires only dignity; the Ministry for Regional Development recommends a firmly sealed metal or plastic urn in sturdy packaging. Take the cremation certificate and the death certificate with you. Václav Havel Airport Prague allows an urn in both hand luggage and checked baggage, but check the airline's conditions in advance. The destination country's embassy or consulate will tell you what it requires.
Summary
- There is no need to hurry. Once you have collected the urn, no statutory deadline for laying it to rest applies.
- Collection: the urn is collected by the person who arranged the funeral or by a funeral director; uncollected ashes are placed in a communal grave after twelve months.
- An urn at home or in your own garden is legal; on someone else's land you need the owner's consent.
- Scattering in nature is not prohibited, but it is irreversible and leaves no particular spot.
- Only the person who arranged the funeral may open the urn (§ 4a); a breach is an offence carrying a fine of up to 100,000 Kč.
- At a cemetery, the cemetery rules decide; in Prague, scattering costs 3,408 Kč and interment 2,128 Kč plus 3,492 Kč for the plot.
- Interment or scattering: interment leaves a spot that can be traced; scattering leaves only a record of the name.
- Taking the urn abroad: the rules of the destination country, of the countries you pass through and of the carrier decide; always carry the cremation certificate.
Sources
- Act No. 256/2001 Coll., on Funeral Services, as in force since 1 July 2025 — the person who arranged the funeral (§ 2), dignity and opening the urn (§ 4 and § 4a), deadlines for collecting the urn (§ 7 and § 14), placement at a cemetery and leases (§ 22 and § 25), offences and how they are dealt with (§ 26 and § 28).
- Act No. 89/2012 Coll., the Civil Code — who decides about the funeral (§ 113 and § 114).
- Ministry for Regional Development — funeral services FAQ — placing ashes outside a cemetery, scattering and interment, transporting ashes and standard EN 15017 (the ministry's legal opinion).
- Hřbitovy a pohřební služby hl. m. Prahy — price list valid from 1 July 2026, FAQ, article on documents for urns and Forest of Remembrance — Prague prices, seasons, documents, scattering on water and the natural cemetery.
- Brno City Cemeteries Administration (Správa hřbitovů města Brna) — services price list from 1 January 2026, lease prices from 1 January 2024, the Valley of Remembrance.
- Slezská Ostrava city district — cemetery administration — price list from 1 March 2024 and interment in the Grove of Remembrance.
- Václav Havel Airport Prague — an urn in hand luggage and checked baggage.
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo (2016), and Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, reply of 9 December 2023 — the position of the Catholic Church.
- Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren — service book, placing an urn — the rite for placing an urn, interment or scattering.
- Consulate General of Ukraine in Edmonton (2020) — the usual documents for taking an urn to Ukraine; for transport from the Czech Republic, the embassy in Prague confirms the requirements.
Information as at 30 September 2026. This article is not legal advice. Check the conditions of a particular cemetery or crematorium with its administration, and the current wording of the law in e-Sbírka, the official online Collection of Laws. Most of the sources are in Czech.
Related Articles
- Cremation in the Czech Republic — a complete guide — how cremation works, how long it takes and what it costs.
- Burial plots in the Czech Republic — cost, lease and how to obtain one — how to lease a grave or a columbarium niche.
- How to plan a funeral in advance — how to record your own wishes, including what should happen to your ashes.
- Funeral allowance 2026 — who is eligible and how to apply — the state contribution to funeral costs and the documents you need.
- Dušičky — traditions, customs and how to remember the deceased — All Souls' Day traditions and quiet remembrance of loved ones.
- Digital memorial — preserve the memory — photographs and the life story of a loved one in one place.