Documents
The term is widely used. The document itself does not exist everywhere.
“Urn passport” is a common but misleading phrase: unlike the laissez-passer, it is not a document standardised by an international agreement.
What people mean by it is in fact a set of papers — and what the destination country requires varies a great deal.
Within the Schengen area it is rarely requested: the cremation certificate and the death certificate usually suffice.
Outside it, it frequently is, and some countries additionally require a sworn translation or an apostille.
We call the consulate before the cremation and ask for the written list. That avoids discovering afterwards that a paper is missing — and unlike a coffin, an urn is often already travelling in a relative's luggage.
A few countries do not admit ashes at all, or only for burial in a cemetery. That check has to come before the cremation: afterwards there is no way back.
Independently of the official papers, the airline applies its own rules. Most accept the urn in the cabin if it is X-rayable and accompanied by the cremation certificate.
Get written confirmation before booking. An email from the airline is enough and saves a discussion at the desk.
Questions & answers
Not under that name. The Swiss authorities issue the cremation certificate; the additional confirmation comes from the destination country's consulate where it requires one.
The cremation certificate is available shortly after the cremation. A consular confirmation takes one to five working days depending on the mission.
Yes. A border check may ask for them, and it is far simpler to have them than to explain their absence on the spot.
You then need the municipality's permission to recover it, in addition to the usual papers. The procedure remains far lighter than exhuming a coffin.