Burial Act

The Burial Act (hautaustoimilaki, 457/2003) is Finland's primary law regulating burial activities. It came into force on 1 January 2004, replacing the burial provisions previously contained in the Freedom of Religion Act. The act creates a uniform framework for cemeteries maintained by parishes and by other operators.

Key Provisions

The act covers several areas. It regulates the establishment and maintenance of cemeteries, burial rights and their duration, cremation and crematorium operations, and the respectful treatment of the deceased. Under the act, the parishes and parish unions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church must maintain public cemeteries (Section 3) and, on request, assign a grave to a deceased person whose municipality of residence was in their area, regardless of religious affiliation (Section 4). On request, the grave must be assigned in a non-denominational burial area (Section 5).

Burial Deadlines

Under Section 2 of the Burial Act, the body must be buried or cremated without undue delay. Under Section 19, the ashes must be buried or otherwise permanently placed in one location within one year of cremation. If the relatives fail to deal with the ashes despite a reminder, they are placed at the expense of the estate in the cemetery where the deceased had the right to be buried. These deadlines directly affect the funeral timeline.

Burial Rights and Grave Management

Under Section 11 of the act, burial rights in Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox parish cemeteries are governed by the Church Act and the Act on the Orthodox Church; in other cemeteries they are agreed with the cemetery operator. The Burial Act itself contains provisions on the burial register (Section 12), care of cemeteries and graves (Section 13) and grave memorials (Section 14): the holder of the burial right decides on the memorial, which the cemetery operator approves. Under the Church Act (652/2023), a burial right in a parish cemetery is granted for at most 50 years and ends at the earliest at the end of the calendar year in which 15 years have passed since the last burial. The holder of the burial right is responsible for the care of the grave.

Cremation and Crematoria

Under Section 17 of the Burial Act, operating a crematorium requires a permit from the Finnish Supervisory Agency, and a crematorium may not be run for profit. A deceased person may be buried only once the cause of death has been established and a doctor has issued a burial permit (Act on the Investigation of the Cause of Death 459/1973, Section 2). Section 19 of the act allows ashes to be placed permanently in one location outside a cemetery, provided the owner or holder of the area consents. The recipient of the ashes must notify the crematorium in writing where the ashes will be placed (Section 18).

Amendments to the Act

The Burial Act has been amended a few times: a fee exemption for war veterans was added before the act entered into force (627/2003), permit and supervisory tasks were assigned to the Regional State Administrative Agencies in 2010 (1451/2009), an environmental permit was added as a condition for a crematorium permit (545/2014), the appeals provision was updated (962/2015), and from 1 January 2026 the permit and supervisory tasks moved to the Finnish Supervisory Agency (605/2025). The act is based on realising freedom of religion and conscience in burial matters and on respecting the memory of the deceased.

Learn about applying for a burial permit and the funeral timeline from a practical perspective.