Travelling With Ashes to Italy
 

I will be travelling with Ashes to Italy and would like to know if anyone has gone through this experience before! Need help with a few questions!
Thanks in advance for this!

I have not done it myself, but I understand that you need a permit. Have you googled it? A relative wanted to bring ashes to another country and was told not to even try. I'm not saying that, but be careful to follow all rules.

ps: I have read about ashes being confiscated at airports.

Even if they are skillfully placed in a talcum powder dispenser??

In four decades of flying to Europe i have rarely have had any baggage checked upon arrival and then only a casual look. I would just do it and then if the rare inspection occurs just feign ignorance of any wrong doing.

You could call the Italian Embassy or a Consulate also for guidance.

All I can say is do the right thing or you could have them confiscated and lose them. You never know what dogs are trained to sniff out.

I have personal experience in this regard. First of all, DON'T DON'T DON'T DO IT without dotting the i's and crossing the t's, for these reasons:

1. The metal container may trigger a search at the airport of departure. If so, you will be expected to produce the consular documentation on demand by the TSA agent. You will almost certainly be challenged if you choose to take the urn with you as a carry-on item rather than placing it in checked luggage. Either way, it's likely that the urn will trigger a search.
2. You will need the consular documentation in order to deposit the ashes at a cemetary in Italy. As far as I know, you may not keep the ashes in a private home without dispensation from the local authorities. You won't likely get that dispensation if the ashes have been taken into Italy without the requisite consular documentation.
3. Read up on the consular documentation requirements at the website of the Italian Consulate having jurisdiction over your area. You will need to present certain documents to the Consulate (death certificate, cremation certificate, etc.) and pay a fee (reasonable fee) for the issuance of a "death passport" (a single piece of paper autorizing the transport of the ashes into Italy). You will need to advise the Consulate the address of the cemetary in Italy where the ashes will be deposited. They will get the necessary permits from that cemetary in Italy. You will be given, in addition to the "death passport", a small tag to be placed on the urn cover which reflects the fact that the Consulate has issued the necessary documentation for transporting the urn into Italy. This will be crucial in case the box is inspected at either the airport of departure or that of arrival.
4. I don't know what could happen if you failed to secure the necessary permits and were stopped and searched at the airport. It's possible that the urn could be "quarantined", and you'd need to depart without it.

Here is information from the website of the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles:

PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTING HUMAN REMAINS (FULL BODIES AND ASHES) INTO ITALY:


http://www.conssanfrancisco.esteri.i...enza/Rimpatri/

No one thought my powder thing was funny???

I took ashes into Italy 2 years ago--a small amount of a friend's daughter's ashes. The daughter always wanted to go to the Mediterranean, but became ill quickly and died at a young age. My worst fear was that I would be made to throw them away at the airport, and that is something to consider.

I was flying Delta, and I emailed them and they told me what to do. I had them in a plastic Tylenol bottle, obviously a very small amount, and I checked in at the desk and told them about it. I did not check in with the consulate, because I wasn't aware that I needed to.

I was able to sprinkle them into the surf as the sun was rising one morning. My husband caught a beautiful picture, and my friend was so grateful.

TDudette, not funny. Brilliant! That's how I'd do it.

Thanks everyone for your replies...more specific questions were if someone had the experience, do you recall a cost attached to the transportation of the ashes to the cemetary??And going through customs for payment???This is what I've been told and it is confusing???? Thus, why I am looking for someone who's done this. I have all the necessary government documents for travelling with the ashes!
THanks again!

There is no cost to get through Customs. There are no government levies on the importation of human remains (apart from the fee assessed by the Italian Consulate to prepare the "death passport"). Indeed, there probably won't even be an inspection, unless you volunteer to "declare" the object. In that case, you'll have all the consular documents with you. I'm not aware that there is an obligation to "declare", because you already have the requisite consular documents, and therefore it's no different than a living person entering the country. The Consulate should be able to furnish additional advise. When I did this several years ago, the urn got through with no declaration, no "immigration control" and no customs inspection.

There are fees involved in depositing the urn at a cemetary, and rental fees for the space involved, no different than if the individual had died in Italy. In some cases, the urn can be placed in the casket with a deceased relative (if a minimum number of years has passed since the relative's own death), in which case there are costs involved to open and reseal the casket, prepared a new marble slab with the name of the additional occupant, etc.

marty: Glad you were able to fulfill your friend's request.

Thank you Jean.

Sorry my post wasn't very helpful. From the original post, I didn't realize that the poster was looking to bury all of the remains in a cemetery. My experience was nothing like that, so I should not have commented!

Thanks GAC..that makes more sense. I am aware of any monetary fees involved directly with the Cemetary! But the fee at Customs makes no sense whatsoever! I will look into this further! Thanks again

Sorry to be flippant.

: I have read about ashes being confiscated at airports.

TDudette on Jul 21, 10 at 1:18pm
Even if they are skillfully placed in a talcum powder dispenser??

yes funny or not that is also how i would do it - well not talx powder as i assume a whole body's worth of ashes would say need a cereal box container or something innoculous looking in case of the RARE rare case any bored Italian Customs official at an airport even looked into your bags and they will not unless you look like some kind of Moslem terrorists. Yeh you can do all the laborious paper work and prep outlined above or just put them in an ordinary paper container that a typical tourist may have and waltz thru - even if you are violating some law so what - what possible harm are you doing - i had my dad's ashes shipped from Flordia by UPS - there were no health considerations, etc. Ashes are ashes - just like a cigarette ash. I'd stop worrying and take the easy way out - and not talc powder which could look like cocaine.

Ah, cocaine-that would be an interesting mix up and subsequent explanation, eh?

But are there health issues with ashes? Is the incineration heat enough to destroy everything? Honest question.

Sorry to hijack this thread, girlfrom.

Well if there are health issues that have been proven to be so that would change my stance and i would burn the ashes!!!

Hi, Am also getting ready to bring my mom's ashes to Italy. Have gone thru hell with paperwork and payments for it. Waiting for Italian Consul to issue a Death Passport. Ridiculous. Am nervous thinking things might not get done before I leave and nervous thinking should I declare or not. Leaving mid Sept to London and on to Italy. Any advice?

Cross your T's and dot your I's.