Urn burial
Urn grave, urn niche, communal grave, a tree in the woods or the urn at home: what is possible after a cremation and how the interment works.
After the cremation
The urn burial is the last step after a cremation: the urn with the ashes is interred in an urn grave, an urn niche, a communal grave or beneath a tree. In Switzerland no statutory deadline applies to this. So you can decide calmly where the deceased should rest, and set the date so that everyone who wants to be there can attend.
Which grave types exist, how long a grave remains and what it costs is set by each municipality. The differences are large: in the city of Zurich the urn row grave is free of charge for residents, while in the city of Bern it costs around CHF 2,550 in total, including grave-field maintenance for 20 years. We obtain your municipality's conditions before you commit.
If the urn is to be interred in the country of origin, this is as a rule considerably simpler than repatriating a coffin. What is needed is explained under urn transfer abroad.
Process
Did the deceased record where they wanted to be interred? If not, the closest relatives decide. We discuss with you which form suits the family, even if relatives live far away.
Urn row grave, niche, communal grave, family grave or woodland: we obtain the fees, the period of rest (Ruhefrist) and available plots from the municipality. Anyone interred outside their municipality of residence usually pays the rates for non-residents.
Some grave types require an urn that decomposes quickly, for example the communal grave of the city of Bern; it is also the right choice for an interment in nature. For a niche or for keeping the urn at home, a durable urn of wood, ceramic or metal is suitable.
There is no statutory deadline. We agree the date with the cemetery administration. Until then the urn can stay with the cemetery or funeral office or, where permitted, with the family.
In the closest circle or in public, with a speaker, clergy, music or in silence. The interment can stand on its own or be combined with a memorial service, before or after the funeral service.
Name inscription at the communal grave, a grave marker with the municipality's permission, grave maintenance or a place of remembrance: we take care of the applications and tell you which deadlines apply.
In detail
If you choose a communal grave, you should know: at many sites the ashes are placed directly in a vault or set into the ground in a quickly decomposing urn. The City of Bern states that the ashes or urn can then no longer be removed from the grave, and has the relatives confirm this in writing. If part of the family may later want to move elsewhere, or a repatriation to the country of origin is conceivable, raise this before the interment.
At almost every Swiss cemetery there are several forms to choose from. They differ in whether there is a place with a name, who maintains it and how long it remains. In the cantons of Zurich and Basel-Stadt the period of rest is 20 years; municipalities can set longer periods.
The interment itself usually does not take long. In the canton of Zurich it is public unless the family wishes otherwise; equally, it can take place in the closest circle. Whether there is speaking, praying, singing or silence is up to you. A detailed comparison of all grave types, including for coffins, is given under grave types in Switzerland.
The municipality's fees are often the smaller part of the total cost of an urn burial, but they vary widely. The following amounts come from the official fee schedules and exclude the funeral home's services:
What a funeral costs overall, and which municipalities cover part of it, is explained under funeral costs in Switzerland. We obtain the current rates for your municipality.
Funerals are regulated at cantonal level in Switzerland, and the cantons allow a great deal of freedom in how the urn is handled. In the canton of Zurich the urn is interred in the municipal cemetery unless the entitled person declares otherwise; their wishes regarding the urn must be respected. Basel's funeral law explicitly refers to the ashes being handed over. The urn can therefore be given to the family and kept at home.
Interment outside the cemetery is permitted in the cantons of Zurich, Bern and Basel-Stadt, but subject to conditions. In the canton of Bern, this is subject to building and environmental law. In the canton of Zurich, forestry, water protection, building and environmental law must be observed, and the urn or ashes must no longer be recognisable as such after a short time. In Basel-Stadt the landowner's consent is also required. In the canton of Zurich, commercial interment of urns outside cemeteries is prohibited; there, the municipalities themselves offer woodland and tree graves at the cemetery.
For some families an urn at home is a comfort; for others it becomes a burden over the years, for instance when moving house or when the next generation has to decide. If you are unsure, the ashes can also be divided. What applies to scattering is explained under scattering ashes in Switzerland, and the forms in woodland and mountains under natural burial in Switzerland.
Questions & answers
On the agreed date the urn is taken to the grave, niche or communal grave and interred there. The family decides whether anyone speaks, whether music is played and who attends. The interment can take place on its own or be combined with a memorial service, before or after.
That depends above all on the municipality and the grave type. In the city of Zurich, the urn row grave, row niche and communal grave are free of charge for residents; in the city of Bern the communal grave costs around CHF 270 and the urn row grave with 20 years' maintenance around CHF 2,550. On top of this come the urn, transport and any wishes such as a speaker or flowers. You receive a quote from us with every item listed separately.
In an urn grave the urn is interred in the ground, usually with a grave marker and planting that the family looks after. In an urn niche the urn sits in a wall closed with a uniform plate. A niche needs no planting of its own, but also allows hardly any personal design.
As a rule, yes. In the canton of Zurich the urn is only interred at the cemetery if nothing else is requested; Basel's funeral law provides for the ashes to be handed over; and the canton of Bern permits interment outside cemeteries. For other cantons we clarify the rules. If the urn is later to go abroad, the destination country's rules apply, and these are often stricter.
Often, yes. In the canton of Zurich the urn is interred in an existing grave on request; municipalities can restrict this. The grave's period of rest is not extended as a result. We ask the cemetery administration whether there is still room in the family grave and how long it will remain.
There is no statutory deadline for an urn burial in Switzerland. If the cemetery office keeps the urn, fees may apply after a certain time: in the city of Zurich safekeeping is free for two months, after which it costs CHF 30 per month.
Yes, in various forms. Many municipalities offer tree graves or a cemetery woodland — the city of Zurich, for example, at three cemeteries. Outside the cemetery an interment is permitted under conditions depending on the canton, for instance with the landowner's consent. In the canton of Zurich, commercial providers may not carry this out.
First and foremost the deceased, if they recorded their wishes. Otherwise the person who was closest to them decides; Zurich law names, in order, the spouse or partner, children, parents and siblings. If you would like to record your own wishes now, you will find guidance under funeral planning.
Guides
Row, family, communal, urn graves — duration, cost and who has to maintain them.
Memorial forest, meadow, mountain — how it works, what it costs and what it means.
Simpler, faster and far cheaper than a coffin — but not every country accepts it.
Other services
Traditional burial in a coffin — grave, date, ceremony and every formality.
Learn moreCremation followed by urn interment, a natural burial or transfer of the urn.
Learn moreService, viewing and farewell — religious or secular, shaped the way you want it.
Learn more