Cremation in Kraków
Lilia Funeral Home arranges cremation in Kraków, together with the formalities, a farewell in our room on ul. Rakowicka, the choice of an urn and the burial of the ashes in a cemetery. We have been helping families since 1993.
What cremation is
Cremation means reducing the body of the person who has died to ashes. The ashes are placed in an urn and buried in a cemetery.
Under Polish law, the rules on burying and transporting a body apply accordingly to the burial and transport of ashes.
Cremation step by step
Contacting the funeral home
Once the death has been confirmed, please call our funeral helpline. We talk through the next steps and plan them together.
Registering the death
The medical certificate of death is completed by the person who confirmed the death. With the certificate, the death is registered at the Register Office; the deadlines are given below, under formalities.
Agreeing the details
Together with the family we choose the urn, decide whether there will be a farewell before the cremation, and agree the place and date for the burial of the ashes.
Farewell in our room
If the family wishes, a farewell is held in our room on ul. Rakowicka before the cremation.
Cremation
The body is cremated, and the ashes are placed in the chosen urn.
The urn funeral
We agree the date and place of the burial of the ashes with the family and the cemetery administration.
A farewell before cremation
The farewell is held in our farewell room. It may be religious or secular, led by a priest or minister, a funeral celebrant or someone close.
Flowers, a photograph and other arrangements follow the family's wishes. More on our farewell room page.
Choosing an urn
After cremation, the ashes are placed in an urn. Urns differ in material, shape and finish; choose one that suits the place of burial and the cemetery's rules.
The designs available are shown on our page about coffins and funeral urns.
Burial of the urn
The urn with the ashes is buried in a cemetery:
- In an earth grave.
- In a masonry grave.
- In a columbarium.
- In a family grave, which can hold several coffins or urns.
Graves and columbaria may only be located in cemeteries. The rule that prohibits reusing a grave before 20 years have passed does not apply to urns. It is worth agreeing the details with the cemetery administration.
How much cremation costs
We prepare a quote for each cremation individually, because every family chooses a different range of services. We give you the quote by telephone after a short conversation about your needs.
The cost depends mainly on:
- The farewell in our room and how it is arranged.
- The type of urn chosen.
- The place and form of the urn burial, including cemetery fees.
Formalities and the law
Who can arrange a cremation
A cremation, like a traditional funeral, is arranged by a person entitled to bury the deceased. Polish law gives the right to bury the deceased to the closest surviving family, namely: the surviving spouse, descendants (for example children and grandchildren), ascendants (for example parents and grandparents), collateral relatives up to the fourth degree, and relatives by marriage in the direct line up to the first degree. People who voluntarily undertake to arrange the burial also have this right.
If the person who has died expressed wishes about the form of their burial, it is worth taking them into account when choosing cremation.
Formalities and documents
Every further step starts with the medical certificate of death (karta zgonu). The death is registered at the Register Office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego) for the place of death within 3 days of the certificate being drawn up, or within 24 hours of the death if it was caused by an infectious disease.
Burial, including the burial of ashes, requires the medical certificate of death bearing the Register Office’s note that the death has been registered. The next steps after a death are described in our guide on what to do when someone dies.
To register the death at the Register Office, you will need:
- The medical certificate of death.
- The identity card of the person who has died.
- An identity document of the person registering the death.
We go through the full list of documents needed in your situation during our first conversation.
Transporting the urn with the ashes
Ashes placed in a sealed container that is resistant to damage may be transported by any means of transport, in a way that ensures they are treated with respect.
If the ashes are to be transported more than 60 km within Poland or abroad, they are placed in an urn. Taking ashes abroad, and transporting them by rail, air or ship within Poland, requires a permit from the district state sanitary inspector.
Funeral grant and cremation
The funeral grant (zasiłek pogrzebowy) from the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is paid, among other cases, after the death of an insured person, a person receiving a retirement or disability pension, a person who met the conditions for such a pension, and after the death of a family member of an insured person or of a pensioner. It is paid to whoever covered the cost of the funeral, and the rules do not make it depend on the form of burial.
The amount of the grant, the deadline and the documents needed are described on our page about funeral costs. The application can also be submitted through the funeral home.
Frequently asked questions about cremation
Does cremation hurt?
No. Only the body of a person whose death has been confirmed and recorded on the medical certificate of death is cremated. The person who has died feels no pain, nor anything else.
Is cremation cheaper than a traditional burial?
There is no single answer, because the cost of both depends on the elements chosen: a coffin or an urn, the setting of the farewell and the type of grave. We can compare the options for your situation by telephone on +48 12 421 24 80.
How much does an urn for ashes cost?
The price of an urn depends on its material, size and finish. The designs available are shown on our page about coffins and urns, and we give a quote by telephone on +48 12 421 24 80.
Can ashes be scattered in Poland?
No. The Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead does not provide for scattering ashes as a form of burial; the urn is buried in a cemetery.
Can the urn with the ashes be kept at home?
No. The Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead does not provide for keeping an urn at home as a form of burial; the urn is buried in a cemetery.
Legal basis
- Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead (Ustawa o cmentarzach i chowaniu zmarłych, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1590), Art. 7(1) and (3), Art. 9(1) to (3), Art. 10(1), Art. 11(1), (3a), (4) and (6), Art. 12(1) and (3), Art. 14(1), Art. 20a(1)
- Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on the requirements for cemeteries, graves and other burial places (Dz.U. 2008 nr 48 poz. 284), § 2
- Civil Status Records Act (Prawo o aktach stanu cywilnego, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 393), Art. 16, Art. 47(1), Art. 93(1) and (2)
- Regulation of the Minister of Health on the list of infectious diseases requiring special handling of the body (Dz.U. 2001 nr 152 poz. 1742), § 1
- Regulation of the Minister of Health on the handling of bodies and human remains (Dz.U. 2021 poz. 1910), § 8(2), § 11(1), (2) and (4)
- gov.pl, Register a death (Zgłoś zgon)
- Regulation of the Minister of Health on permits and certificates for the transport of bodies and human remains (Dz.U. 2007 nr 249 poz. 1866), § 6
- Act on Pensions from the Social Insurance Fund (Ustawa o emeryturach i rentach z FUS, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1749), Art. 77 to 81
- Notice of the President of ZUS on the amount of the funeral grant (M.P. 2026 poz. 150)
- gov.pl, Apply for the funeral grant (Uzyskaj zasiłek pogrzebowy)
- ZUS, Funeral grant (Zasiłek pogrzebowy)
A guide for families
What to do after the death of someone close to you, and how to prepare the farewell.
Do you need help arranging a cremation in Kraków?
We will talk you through the next steps.