Can the family transport the body themselves?

In some places, yes, though it's uncommon. Rules differ by country and, in the US, by state: some allow family members to move a body with the right permit, while others require a licensed funeral director to be involved. A family doing it themselves needs a suitable vehicle, a way to keep the body cool, and the correct paperwork before setting off. Check with the local registrar or health department first.

Do two funeral homes have to be involved?

Often, but not always. For a long journey, one funeral home usually collects and prepares the person where they died, and another receives them and handles the funeral. Funeral groups with branches in both places can sometimes manage both ends. In the US, funeral homes list separate prices for forwarding remains to another funeral home and for receiving them, which makes the two halves of the job easy to compare.

Is it cheaper to bring the ashes home instead?

Usually, and often by a wide margin. A cremation where the death happened, followed by a funeral or memorial at home with the ashes present, avoids the transport vehicle or air freight, the sealed container and, in most cases, embalming. Ashes can generally travel domestically without a special permit, though airlines have their own rules for carrying them. See can you take ashes overseas for the practical steps if a border is involved.

How long does it take to move a body a long distance?

Within one country, usually a few days once the death has been certified and any coroner or medical examiner has released the body. Air transport depends on cargo flight availability, and road transport over very long distances can take longer than families expect. Confirm the timing with both funeral homes before setting a funeral date.

Funeral CostsFuneral Planning

How Much Does It Cost to Transport a Body to Another City or Region?

Last updated 29 September 2026 · 6 min read

Direct Answer

The cost of transporting a body within a country can range from a modest mileage charge for a short road journey to a much larger bill for a long flight, depending mostly on distance and whether the body travels by road or air. A funeral director's standard fee normally covers only local transfers. Longer journeys usually add a per-kilometre or per-mile road charge, or, for air, an airline cargo fee plus embalming, a sealed transport container and a second funeral home at the other end. Paperwork varies: in the US, each state sets its own permit rules, and a body leaving England and Wales needs notice to a coroner first. Many families find it cheaper to hold a cremation where the death happened and bring the ashes home instead.

Detailed Explanation

People die away from home all the time: on holiday, while working away, in a hospital in another city, or while visiting family. Bringing them back for the funeral is something funeral directors arrange routinely, but the cost can surprise families because the standard funeral price only covers local transport. This page explains how the cost is built up for a journey within a country. For a death in another country, see repatriating a body after a death overseas, which adds consular and customs steps.

What a standard funeral price usually covers

Most funeral directors' basic prices include collecting the person from the place of death and taking them to the funeral and the cemetery or crematorium, but only within a local area.

United Kingdom. The CMA's guidance on the standardised price list that funeral directors must publish describes the headline price as covering collection from the place of death "normally within 15 miles" of the funeral director's premises, and the hearse to the cemetery or crematorium "normally within 20 miles". Anything further is extra.
United States. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, the General Price List shows separate prices for transferring remains to the funeral home, for forwarding remains to another funeral home, and for receiving remains from another funeral home, each with a description of what the price includes. Some price lists also state mileage charges beyond a set radius.
Australia. Prices are set by each provider. Ask what distance the quoted transfer covers and what's charged beyond it.

Road or air

Road transport is usually the cheaper option for moderate distances. The body travels in a mortuary vehicle, and the charge is typically based on distance, sometimes with a callout or staff fee. Over very long distances it can take a day or more, and the body is kept cool throughout.

Air transport is faster for long distances but has more parts to it:

an airline cargo charge for carrying human remains, which varies by airline, route and weight
an air-transport container or sealed coffin that meets the airline's requirements
embalming in many cases, because airlines and some jurisdictions require it for air travel (see is embalming necessary)
collection and delivery at both airports, usually by a funeral home at each end

Airline policies differ, so the funeral home arranging the flight is the best source for what a particular route needs.

Paperwork within a country

Moving a body within a country is much simpler than taking it across a border, but it isn't always paperwork-free.

England and Wales. Taking a body out of England and Wales, including to Scotland or Northern Ireland, requires notice to the coroner under the Removal of Bodies Regulations 1954. The body can't be moved until four clear days after the coroner receives the notice, unless the coroner confirms sooner that no further enquiries are needed. Moving a body between towns within England and Wales doesn't need this notice.
United States. Each state sets its own rules. Many require a permit, often called a burial-transit or disposition permit, before a body is moved or buried or cremated, and the receiving state may have its own requirements. The funeral homes involved normally handle these.
Australia. State and territory public health rules cover moving a body across a state border, and funeral directors handle them as a routine step. Transporting a body interstate in Australia has the detail.

What drives the total

Distance and transport mode. These have the biggest effect. A short road transfer is a small fraction of the cost of a long air journey.
Two funeral homes or one. Paying a collecting funeral home and a receiving one adds a second set of professional fees, unless one provider covers both ends.
Preparation. Embalming and a sealed transport container are often needed for air travel but not for a short road journey.
Timing. After-hours collection, weekend flights or urgent arrangements can add charges.

Because the range is so wide, a national average isn't much help. Ask both funeral homes for a written, itemised quote that shows each of these parts separately.

The ashes alternative

Many families choose a cremation near where the person died and then hold the funeral or a memorial at home with the ashes. This avoids most of the transport costs and embalming. It isn't a lesser choice: some families hold a small farewell near where the person died as well as a larger gathering at home. When relatives are spread across several places, an online memorial lets everyone share memories regardless of where the service happens. If you're weighing the options, direct cremation vs a traditional funeral sets out the trade-offs.

How it works where you are

In Australia: How much does it cost to transport a body interstate?
For a death in another country: How do you repatriate a body after a death overseas?, with separate pages for bringing someone home to Australia, the UK and the US.

Things to Consider

Hear both options before deciding. Ask for the cost of moving the body and the cost of a local cremation with the ashes sent home, side by side.
Confirm who does what. When two funeral homes are involved, ask each what it is responsible for so nothing falls between them.
Check travel insurance and employer cover. Some travel insurance, work arrangements and memberships include transport of remains within the home country. It's worth checking before paying yourself.
Settle transport before fixing a date. Coroner releases, permits and flight availability can all take longer than expected.
Faith requirements affect timing. Traditions that call for burial within a day or two may favour a funeral near where the person died, or need fast road transport without embalming.

Common Mistakes

Assuming the standard funeral price includes the journey. It usually covers local transfers only.
Comparing quotes that don't include the same things. One quote may include the receiving funeral home, the flight and the container, while another covers only one end.
Not asking about embalming. Air transport often brings it in. Ask early, especially if the family's faith discourages it.
Overlooking the ashes option. Many families move the body simply because nobody mentioned the alternative.
Not getting a written quote. If the final bill is higher than expected, a written, itemised quote is the basis for raising a complaint or disputing the bill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the family transport the body themselves?: In some places, yes, though it's uncommon. Rules differ by country and, in the US, by state: some allow family members to move a body with the right permit, while others require a licensed funeral director to be involved. A family doing it themselves needs a suitable vehicle, a way to keep the body cool, and the correct paperwork before setting off. Check with the local registrar or health department first.
Do two funeral homes have to be involved?: Often, but not always. For a long journey, one funeral home usually collects and prepares the person where they died, and another receives them and handles the funeral. Funeral groups with branches in both places can sometimes manage both ends. In the US, funeral homes list separate prices for forwarding remains to another funeral home and for receiving them, which makes the two halves of the job easy to compare.
Is it cheaper to bring the ashes home instead?: Usually, and often by a wide margin. A cremation where the death happened, followed by a funeral or memorial at home with the ashes present, avoids the transport vehicle or air freight, the sealed container and, in most cases, embalming. Ashes can generally travel domestically without a special permit, though airlines have their own rules for carrying them. See can you take ashes overseas for the practical steps if a border is involved.
How long does it take to move a body a long distance?: Within one country, usually a few days once the death has been certified and any coroner or medical examiner has released the body. Air transport depends on cargo flight availability, and road transport over very long distances can take longer than families expect. Confirm the timing with both funeral homes before setting a funeral date.

References

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