Cremation is the most common choice for a funeral in the UK, but questions about what happens behind the scenes are understandable. Are coffins reused? Are people cremated individually? In the UK, cremations follow strict rules designed to ensure each person is treated with care and respect. 

The SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026 puts cremation at 74% of funerals arranged in 2025, compared with 26% for burial. Even so, the process itself is unfamiliar to many families.

This guide explains the cremation process in the UK in detail, from the service to the return of the ashes. The five stages are:

1. The funeral service

2. The committal

3. The cremation itself

4. Cooling and processing the ashes

5. Return of the ashes

What happens at a cremation, step by step?

The cremation process is broadly the same across the UK, although each crematorium has its own arrangements. Here is what happens at each stage.

With a direct cremation, there is no attended service. However the cremation and handling of the remains follow the same careful process.

1. The funeral service

For an attended cremation, mourners usually gather in the crematorium chapel. They may be seated before the coffin enters, or follow it in as part of the procession. A typical service can include music, readings, a eulogy and time for reflection. Religious and non-religious services are both possible, and the family can discuss the order with the funeral director or celebrant.

A cremation service lasts on average around 30 minutes. If you want several speakers or longer readings, ask about a longer slot when booking. It will usually cost more than a standard slot. The service and the physical cremation are separate stages.

2. The committal

The committal is the final part of the service, when mourners say goodbye. Depending on the family's choices and the chapel's facilities, curtains may close around the coffin or the coffin may be moved from view. 

The coffin is taken from the chapel to the crematory. If the cremation cannot take place on the day of the service, it may take place the following morning. Ask the funeral director when it is scheduled. 

The Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities’ ‘Code of Cremation Practice’ says the coffin must be kept securely and respectfully until cremation. 

3. The cremation itself

The cremation takes place in a specially designed furnace called a cremator. The coffin is placed inside, where temperatures can reach around 1,000–1,100°C. The cremation itself usually takes one to three hours, depending on factors such as the person’s size, the type of coffin and the cremator.

Staff track the process carefully to ensure the correct ashes are returned to the family. Before cremation, they check the nameplate on the coffin against the paperwork. An identification card then stays with the coffin and the remains until the ashes are released.

Medical devices such as pacemakers are removed before cremation because they can be dangerous when heated. Any metal implants that remain are separated from the cremated remains afterwards.

4. Cooling and processing the ashes

After the cremation chamber has reduced the body to ashes, the remains are allowed to cool. Any remaining metal is separated before the bone fragments are ground into a fine powder called ashes. They are not simply soft, powdery ash from the body. The processed remains of an adult usually weigh 2 to 4kg.

The ashes are placed in a labelled container or urn and kept separate from those of other people. 

5. Return of the ashes

Ashes are usually available for collection either the day after, or within a few days of the cremation. They can either be collected at the crematorium or the funeral directors by the person named on the cremation paperwork, or the funeral director themselves.

How is the body prepared for cremation?

The funeral director usually washes and dresses the person who has died before placing them in the coffin. They are normally clothed during cremation, either in the clothes they were wearing when they died or in an outfit chosen by the family.

Families may also wish to place personal items, such as letters, photographs, flowers or a book, in the coffin. Check with the funeral director first, as some items may not be suitable for cremation. If there is any jewellery the family would like to keep, ask for it to be removed beforehand as this will burn during the cremation.

What happens to the coffin? Do you have to have one?

The coffin is placed in the cremator with the body and cremated. It is not reused. Once the coffin has arrived at the crematorium, it is not opened. 

There is no legal requirement to use a traditional wooden coffin for cremation. Many crematoria accept cardboard or wicker coffins, while some also accept a shroud with suitable support. Check with the funeral director or crematorium before choosing, as their requirements vary. 

Are UK cremations done individually? 

As detailed in the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities ‘Code of Cremation Practice’, all cremations in the UK are done separately. In fact, cremators are designed to only allow one coffin at a time, so crematoriums can only carry out multiple cremations if they have more than one cremator.

The only exception to this is in the event of the death of a mother and baby or small twins but only if the family have requested that they are cremated together in a single coffin.

What paperwork is needed before a cremation?

The forms depend on where the person died and where the cremation will take place.

For a death and cremation in England or Wales, the applicant signs Form Cremation 1. The crematorium also needs the registrar’s green form or the relevant coroner’s document. A crematorium medical referee then authorises the cremation. 

In Scotland, the usual application for an adult or child is Form A1. Northern Ireland uses Form A, with its own supporting documents.

The crematorium may also provide a local instruction form for the service, music and what should happen to the ashes. The funeral director will usually help with the paperwork, but the applicant must sign the application. Ask the crematorium when it needs the forms. Some require them at least 48 hours before cremation. 

How much does a cremation cost?

The price depends on whether there is an attended service, what the funeral director provides and the crematorium's charges. 

The table below shows the average UK prices for funerals arranged in 2025 according to SunLife’s Cost of Dying Report:

These are prices for different funeral packages, not the crematorium fee alone. A traditional attended funeral includes more services than a direct cremation. 

A direct cremation takes place without mourners at the crematorium service. It accounted for 21% of funerals in 2025. Families can still hold a separate gathering if they wish, which may add to the total cost. Request itemised quotes and check what is included, especially collection, the coffin, crematorium fees, return of ashes and any separate ceremony.

If you are planning ahead, compare prepaid funeral plans by what they guarantee and what your family might still need to pay.

Surprising facts about cremation

• A cremator can take only one coffin or approved container at a time.

• The coffin used to contain the body is cremated with it. It is never reused.

• An approved reusable outer cover is sometimes possible, but only with the applicant's informed consent.

• The coffin is not routinely opened once accepted at the crematorium.

• The material called ashes is mostly processed bone fragments, and an adult's cremated remains commonly weigh 2kg to 4kg.

• Cremation does not always take place immediately after the service. It follows when the crematorium is ready and authorisation is complete.