Cremation explained: the process and what our service covers
Cremation means the body is reduced in a purpose-built furnace at 850 to 1,000 degrees Celsius. After two to three hours, what remains is mineral bone fragments, which are then processed into fine ashes and placed in an urn. The ashes of an adult weigh roughly two to four kilograms. Each cremation is carried out individually: only one coffin goes into the furnace at a time, so the family receives an urn holding the ashes of their own loved one, confirmed by a cremation certificate and an identification number.
Cremation infrastructure in Georgia is still developing and the number of crematoria is limited, which is why some families have the cremation carried out abroad. We offer both routes and sit down with the family to choose whichever suits the timing, the budget and the wishes of the relatives best. The service includes:
- advice on the legal and religious sides of cremation, so the family can decide with the full picture in front of them;
- obtaining the cremation permit and every supporting document;
- preparing the deceased and transporting them to the crematorium, including consular and customs formalities when the cremation takes place abroad;
- choosing a coffin suitable for cremation, with no metal fittings and no varnish;
- a farewell ceremony before the cremation, held at home, in one of our halls, or in the crematorium's own hall;
- choosing an urn, handing the ashes to the family and bringing the urn back from abroad;
- burying the urn in a grave, arranging a columbarium niche or keeping the ashes as the family prefers;
- organising a memorial ceremony and a traditional wake meal (known in Georgia as kelekhi).
Cremation options: in Georgia or abroad
Where the cremation happens shapes both the timeline and the cost more than anything else. The local option is quicker and cheaper, but availability is limited. Partner crematoria abroad are always available, though transporting the body and returning the urn take longer and cost more.
| Option | Timeframe | What the family should bear in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Local crematorium | two to four days | Availability is checked during your call; the farewell takes place at home or in our hall, and the urn is returned the same day or the day after |
| Partner crematorium abroad | five to ten days | The deceased is embalmed and travels by road or by air; no family member has to accompany them; the urn arrives sealed, with its certificate |
| Cremation for someone who died abroad | three to seven days | The cremation takes place in the country of death and only the urn travels to Georgia, which is far cheaper and faster than repatriating the body |
| Burial or safekeeping of the ashes | as the family chooses | The urn can go into a family grave or a columbarium, or stay at home; whichever you choose, we help with the formalities |
Whatever the option, the family receives a cremation certificate stamped by the crematorium, showing the date, the identification number and the crematorium's details. You will need this document for anything you later do with the urn, from crossing a border to burying it in a cemetery.
Step by step: from the first call to the urn
- Advice and decision: the coordinator walks the family through the local and overseas options, the timings and costs, and the religious considerations. Nobody is rushed into a decision; meanwhile the deceased rests with dignity in a refrigerated coffin or a mortuary.
- Paperwork: our lawyer prepares the cremation application, obtains the death certificate and confirms that the forensic service has no objection. If the cremation is abroad, consular and sanitary papers are added.
- Farewell ceremony: before the cremation, relatives say goodbye in the usual way - the deceased is laid out in the family home or one of the halls, there is a panikhida (Orthodox memorial service) if wished, and receiving mourners. This stage is no different from a traditional funeral.
- Transfer to the crematorium: the deceased is taken to the crematorium in a special fully combustible coffin. With the local option, a family representative may come along and spend the final minutes in the crematorium hall.
- Cremation and preparing the ashes: the cremation itself takes two to three hours; the ashes are then processed, weighed and sealed in the urn the family has chosen, marked with its identification number. When the cremation is abroad, a member of our staff or a courier brings the urn to Georgia.
- Handover and burial of the urn: the urn is handed to the family together with its certificate. If you wish, we arrange the burial of the urn in the family grave with a small ceremony, a columbarium niche or a memorial table.
Cremation costs: prices and expenses
The price of a cremation is made up of several parts, and we show each one separately: the crematorium's fee, transport, documents, coffin and urn. The estimate is given in writing and every payment is backed by a receipt, with no hidden mark-ups.
| Service | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Cremation at a local crematorium | from 1,500 GEL | Crematorium fee, cremation coffin, transport, documents, standard urn, certificate |
| Cremation at a partner crematorium abroad | from 3,500 GEL | Embalming, transport, consular documents, cremation, return of the urn, certificate |
| Cremation of someone who died abroad, with return of the urn | from 2,000 GEL | Local partner's services, cremation, shipping the urn and customs clearance |
| Urn | 80 to 900 GEL | Metal, ceramic, wooden, stone or biodegradable urn with an inscription |
| Burial of the urn in a grave | from 250 GEL | Preparing a small grave or opening the family one, the permit, a short ceremony |
| Columbarium niche | subject to availability | Arranging the niche, an engraved plaque, placing the urn |
| Farewell ceremony before the cremation | at our standard rates | Farewell (home or hall), refrigerated coffin, panikhida, wake meal if the family wants one |
The biggest factor in the price is where the crematorium is: with the overseas option, transport and consular paperwork account for more than half of the total. The second is the choice of urn, and the third is what happens to the ashes afterwards: burial in a grave adds the cemetery permit and the gravediggers' work, whereas keeping the urn at home costs nothing extra.
Documents you will need
Because cremation cannot be undone, the law sets stricter requirements for it than for an ordinary funeral. The guiding principle is simple: cremation is only allowed once the circumstances of death are established and no investigation is under way. Our lawyer prepares the complete set of documents.
- the death certificate, which a Public Service Hall (Georgians often say "House of Justice") issues, together with the medical certificate stating the cause of death;
- a written, notarised request for cremation from the next of kin, or a will in which the deceased expressed the wish to be cremated;
- a forensic report or certificate confirming that the body is not required for examination - compulsory after a sudden death;
- a certificate about implants, because a pacemaker has to be removed before cremation for safety reasons;
- for transport abroad, an embalming report, sanitary permit and consular certificate;
- for bringing an urn across a border, the cremation certificate and the urn sealing report, which allow the airline to accept the urn as hand luggage;
- for burying the urn in a grave, permission from the cemetery administration, obtained in the same way as for an ordinary burial.
Faith, tradition and the family's decision
The position of the Orthodox Church
The Georgian Orthodox Church does not approve of cremation and considers burial in the earth the traditional and preferred rite. In practice this means a church burial of the urn after cremation is not usually performed, although a panikhida and funeral service beside the body, before the cremation, are often possible at the priest's discretion. We discuss this with the family in advance and, where needed, help arrange a conversation with a priest so the decision is an informed one.
Other faiths and secular families
Catholic teaching accepts cremation on condition that the remains are given a dignified resting place, Protestant communities accept it freely, and in Buddhist and Hindu tradition cremation is the main rite. Muslim and Jewish traditions forbid it. For families who are not religious, we offer a secular farewell in which loved ones remember the person through words, music and photographs.
Reasons families choose cremation
Most often it is the wish of the deceased; a death abroad, when bringing home an urn is far simpler than repatriating a body; no space left in the family grave; or a wish to bury the ashes in the ancestral village or in more than one place. Each of these reasons deserves respect, and our job is to carry out the family's choice with dignity and within the law.
Reasons to entrust us with a cremation
- Around the clock, 24/7: arranging a cremation starts with documents and logistics, so our lawyer begins the application on the day you call, while the deceased rests with dignity in a refrigerated coffin.
- Experience: we have helped dozens of families arrange cremation both in Georgia and with crematoria in Europe, Russia and the USA, and we know which documents and timescales apply in each country.
- Transparency: the estimate is broken down item by item and every payment comes with a receipt. The crematorium fee, the airline charge and the consular fee are passed on at exactly the amount we paid.
- Legal precision: cremation is irreversible, and a mistake in the papers creates a serious problem. Our lawyer double-checks every document, and at no stage does the family have to deal with the authorities on its own.
- Respect for your choice: we neither promote cremation nor talk anyone out of it. We give you complete information, including the Church's position, and carry out whatever the family decides.
Frequently asked questions
Is cremation legal in Georgia, and where is it carried out?
Georgian law does not prohibit cremation, but there are few crematoria and their availability changes. When you call, we check whether a local cremation is possible within the time you need, and if it is not, we offer a partner crematorium abroad.
How many days does the whole cremation process take?
With a local crematorium, two to four days including the paperwork. With the overseas option, five to ten days, because embalming, transporting the body and returning the urn are added.
Can ashes be buried in an ordinary cemetery?
Yes. The urn can be buried in a family grave or in a small new plot with permission from the cemetery administration, which we obtain for you. Some cemeteries also have columbarium niches, and we check whether any are available when you call.
Is a panikhida possible before the cremation?
Often, yes, at the priest's discretion, since a panikhida is served beside the body rather than the urn. The Orthodox Church does not approve of cremation, so we raise this with a priest in advance and give the family an honest answer.
How is an urn brought back from abroad?
The urn is sealed at the crematorium and travels with the cremation certificate and the sealing report; most airlines accept it as hand luggage. A member of our staff or a certified courier brings it over, and we handle customs clearance in Tbilisi.
What happens to implants and pacemakers?
A pacemaker must be removed before cremation, because it explodes at high temperature. Medical staff or our own doctor remove it, and a certificate confirming this goes to the crematorium. Other metal implants are separated from the ashes after cremation.
Choosing cremation is a personal and often difficult decision that calls for full information and careful execution. A single conversation with our on-call cremation adviser, +995 568 33 03 18, sets everything in motion, by day or by night: you receive advice within the hour, our lawyer starts on the documents, and each stage is carried out with respect for what your family has chosen.