Farewell
Before relatives say goodbye, the person who died is washed, dressed and laid in the coffin. What happens at this stage, and where you can take part yourself.
Washing the person who has died, dressing them and laying them in the coffin: funeral professionals call this the care of the deceased, or laying out. It is the first service a person receives after death, and it shapes how the farewell at the coffin feels. In Switzerland it is almost always carried out by a funeral director, on behalf of the family or the municipality (Gemeinde, commune), which is responsible for burials.
Many relatives want to know what exactly happens, whether they can be present or help, and which clothes to bring. This page answers those questions in turn. Where cantons, cities or crematoria set rules, we name them; where there is no rule, we say so.
Step by step
The body is washed, the hair combed, and men are shaved if wished. The eyes and mouth are closed, and the hands and face are prepared.
The person is dressed in the clothes you provide, or in a simple shroud. We agree with you beforehand about jewellery, glasses and small objects.
The coffin is lined with fleece, a pillow and a cover. The person is then laid in it so that they rest calmly and naturally for the viewing.
Laying out has a hygienic side and a human side. Hygienically, the body is cleaned and prepared so that it can rest with dignity until the funeral. On the human side, the aim is for the family to see the person again as they knew them.
Official texts show that these steps are part of the basic service. In the City of Geneva, the free funeral for residents covers, among other things, washing, dressing and placing the deceased in the coffin, provided the municipal funeral service carries them out. The Canton of Basel-Stadt describes the coffining in its guide to the free funeral as follows:
In the Canton of Zurich, the municipalities arrange the coffining, as the cantonal burial ordinance states. The City of Zurich also offers make-up, shaving and retouching of skin changes on request. For facial make-up it asks for a photo of the person as a reference, so that the face does not look unfamiliar. Embalming is generally not needed for a viewing in Switzerland; more on this in Viewing and farewell.
The timing depends on where the person died. First, a doctor must confirm the death. Only then does the care itself begin.
If someone dies in hospital, the ward is responsible at first. Lucerne Cantonal Hospital states in its information sheet that all arrangements go through the ward for as long as the person is in the hospital. At Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), the Bellerive site moves the person to a room set up for relatives to see them until the funeral director collects them. In care homes the process is similar, and staff often already know the resident's wishes.
If someone dies at home, you have more time. After the doctor has confirmed the death, you can pause, call the family and say goodbye. The care can then take place at home, if the municipality allows a viewing at home, or with us after collection. What to do in the first hours is covered in Death at home.
Until we arrive, there are a few things you can do if you wish. Lay the person flat, with a small pillow under the head. Close the eyes if they are open, and turn off the heating in the room. Take off rings while this is still easy and put them aside. You can leave everything else to us.
Yes, in most cases you can take part. In the burial ordinances of the cantons of Zurich and Bern we found no provision that forbids relatives from washing or dressing the person who died. Nor do they contain an explicit permission. In practice, the funeral director takes care of the hygienic part, and the family joins in where it wishes.
What relatives often do themselves:
Tell us beforehand if you would like to be present. We prepare the body so that you can join us calmly, and we explain each step. Nobody has to do anything that does not feel right. If you only want to watch, or to come once the person is already lying in the coffin, that is your decision. Often several family members each take on one small gesture: combing the hair, tying the tie, adding a grandchild's drawing. Many relatives remember these moments for a long time, precisely because they are quiet and simple.
Limits apply where premises and regulations set them. At the viewing building of Basel's Hörnli cemetery, for example, a funeral director must be engaged if jewellery is to be removed or clothing changed during the viewing.
The cantonal doctor of Fribourg points out that handling a deceased person can carry a risk of infection from pathogens in body fluids. For certain contagious diseases, federal rules also apply: a body that poses a risk of contagion may only be transported with the permission of the cantonal doctor. In such cases the family's involvement is limited or not possible. We will tell you openly what applies.
There is no rule on clothing. The City of Zurich states that the deceased are buried in their own clothes or in a burial garment made of organic cotton. Many families choose a favourite dress, a suit, a jumper the person often wore, or clothing that suits their faith.
It is best to bring:
With a cremation, restraint is needed with objects. The Basel guide states that apart from flowers, no objects may be placed in the coffin for cremation; small items such as a wedding ring or letters can later go into the urn. Bern crematorium recommends removing jewellery before cremation. We take it off beforehand and return it to you. Clothes made of natural fibres are a good choice for both burial and cremation; for the coffin itself, see Choosing a coffin.
A pacemaker or implanted defibrillator is removed before the funeral. In the Canton of Fribourg, a 2022 directive of the cantonal doctor requires this before both burial and cremation, for environmental reasons, because the batteries can contain pollutants. In the Canton of Vaud, the cantonal doctor reminded institutions in 2014 that pacemakers must be removed before any cremation, citing the safety of the crematorium, and noted a pollution risk with burial as well. In Basel-Stadt, removal before cremation is mandatory; Bern crematorium also urgently asks for it.
Who removes it depends on the canton: in Fribourg, a funeral service employee with specific training; in Vaud, only an authorised doctor or a licensed embalmer. It is done with care. The Fribourg directive states that relatives are informed and can have the device handed over if they wish. Artificial joints and prostheses can stay in the body, according to the Basel guide. More on the cremation process in Cremation.
In several religions, washing the dead is a ritual act in its own right. We describe it only briefly here, because the communities shape it themselves:
We coordinate the process with your community: who carries out the washing, in which room, with which clothes and at what time. If repatriation abroad is planned, the washing takes place before the person is placed in the zinc-lined coffin. Tell us your family's wishes in the first conversation, and we will book the right room.
Once the person has been cared for and laid in the coffin, the time for farewells begins, with the coffin open or closed. What relatives and guests can expect is described in Attending a viewing.
How we arrange the care, coffining and viewing for your family is explained under Viewing and farewell. You can write to us at any time using our contact form.
Questions & answers
Usually a funeral director, on behalf of the family or the municipality. In the Canton of Zurich the municipalities arrange the coffining; in the City of Geneva, washing, dressing and coffining are part of the free funeral for residents when the municipal funeral service carries them out.
In most cases you can take part. The ordinances of the cantons of Zurich and Bern contain no prohibition. The funeral director usually does the hygienic part; you can, for example, wash the face, comb the hair or help with dressing.
The clothes you bring, or a simple shroud. There is no rule; the City of Zurich buries the deceased in their own clothes or in a cotton burial garment.
Better not. Bern crematorium recommends removing jewellery before cremation, and in Basel no objects other than flowers may be placed in the coffin for cremation. Small items can go into the urn later.
Yes. Fribourg requires it before any burial or cremation, Vaud and Basel-Stadt before cremation in any case. Depending on the canton, a doctor, a licensed embalmer or a trained funeral service employee removes it; the family is informed.
Special protective measures may then apply, and the family's involvement is limited or not possible. Federal rules and the instructions of the cantonal doctor are decisive.