Consent for Placing a Deceased Person’s Ashes
Burial Act
The Finnish Burial Act regulates the burial and cremation of human remains as well as the handling of ashes. The Act sets out the obligations of the crematorium operator regarding the handover of ashes, the burial or other permanent placement of ashes, and the registration of cremations and ash placements. Placing ashes requires the consent of the landowner or landholder.
The starting point of the Burial Act is that ashes may not be left unburied or unscattered permanently. Within one year of cremation, the ashes must be buried or otherwise permanently placed in one single location. As an alternative to burial in a cemetery, the ashes may be, for example, scattered on a body of water or on the ground surface, or buried in the soil either without an urn or in an urn or other biodegradable container. Ashes may not be divided into parts and placed in several locations. The possibility to place ashes somewhere other than in a cemetery or private grave only applies to methods where the location cannot later be externally identified as a grave. If a memorial or any other visible marker is erected at the site, a private grave must be established.
Before the ashes are handed over by the crematorium, the person receiving the ashes must, for registration purposes, provide the crematorium operator with a written notification containing the deceased person’s details and information on the one single location where the ashes will be permanently placed. The crematorium operator must keep a register of these notifications so that the deceased person’s relatives and other parties may later obtain information on the location and method of ash placement from the crematorium archives. The register must also include confirmation that the consent of the landowner or landholder has been obtained.
Placing ashes outside cemetery areas is the responsibility of the person arranging the placement. Ashes must be handled in a respectful manner that honours the memory and wishes of the deceased. Placement of ashes does not limit the landowner’s right to decide on the future use of the area. The person arranging the placement is not entitled to erect memorials or other structures at the placement site, nor to alter the soil at the location.
Applying for Metsähallitus’ Consent
As a rule, requests to place ashes on areas managed by Metsähallitus are viewed favourably. Consent is generally granted only for scattering ashes, not for burial. However, placing ashes in a body of water in a biodegradable urn is permitted.
Applications are to be sent to the Metsähallitus Registry Office by email to kirjaamo@metsa.fi or by post to Metsähallitus / Kirjaamo, PO Box 80, FI-00521 Helsinki, Finland.
The application must include:
- the deceased person’s full name and date of birth
- the name and contact details of the person responsible for the funeral arrangements
- a map attachment showing the intended placement site, as well as a written description of the location (municipality and a more detailed place name).
Consents are issued in writing. Metsähallitus provides information about the consents it has issued only to the parties concerned. Consent from Metsähallitus for placing ashes constitutes landowner/landholder consent in nature and is not an appealable administrative decision.
Exception Concerning Public Water Areas at Sea
According to a decision by Metsähallitus, placing ashes on public water areas at sea administered by Metsähallitus does not require separate consent, except in the case of nature reserves located on such public water areas (see the maps on this page showing public water areas at sea). For these areas, no separate consent is required because ash placement is not considered to have adverse effects on the use of the areas due to their location. However, for nature reserves, landowner consent is always required. When placing ashes on public water areas at sea, the provisions of the Burial Act described above must also be observed.