Where can ashes go in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, where about two in three people are now cremated (68% in 2025, Landelijke Vereniging van Crematoria), the question of what happens to the ashes is no longer a footnote. The Wet op de lijkbezorging (Burial and Cremation Act) lays out the legal options clearly, but it gives families a wide range of choices, including some that surprise people: ashes can stay in a living room, be scattered at sea, or be turned into a wearable object. This explainer walks through the five legal destinations and the rules that govern them.
The waiting period: one month
Before any of these destinations is available, Dutch law requires a one-month waiting period. Article 59 of the Wet op de lijkbezorging states that the crematorium must hold the asbus (ash container) for a minimum of one month after the cremation, before it can be released or scattered. The intent of the rule is to give the family time to make a considered decision, and to allow the public prosecutor a window to intervene if there is any concern about the cause of death.
After the one-month period the family, or the person designated to receive the ashes, can choose any of the destinations below. Until then, the ashes stay with the crematorium; only in special cases can the public prosecutor allow an earlier release. The container is sealed and labelled with the name of the deceased and a registration number.
1. Urn at home
The asbus can be released to a family member and kept at home, in any decorative urn or simply in the original container. There is no legal limit on how long it can stay there. Many families keep an urn for years before deciding on a final destination; others never move it at all.
The person who receives the urn from the crematorium signs for it and becomes legally responsible for what happens to the ashes. If they later wish to scatter, divide, or transfer the ashes elsewhere, that choice is theirs.
2. Columbarium (urnenmuur) or urnengraf at a cemetery
A columbarium, called an urnenmuur in Dutch, is a wall of niches at a cemetery or crematorium where urns are placed. Open niches allow flowers and small objects; closed niches are sealed with an engraved stone bearing the name of the deceased. Most Dutch crematoria have a columbarium on site.
An urnengraf is a small dedicated grave for ashes, typically holding up to several urns, depending on the cemetery. As with a regular grave, the family pays grafrecht (grave rights) for a defined period, usually 10, 20 or 30 years, and can renew. Some cemeteries also offer an urnentuin (urn garden), a green section with above-ground or below-ground placements.
These options give a family a fixed place to visit. They are also subject to ongoing fees and to the same renewal cycle as traditional graves.
3. Scattering on a strooiveld (scattering field)
A strooiveld is a designated area, usually attached to a cemetery or crematorium, set aside for the scattering of ashes. The municipality must formally designate the field. Scattering on a strooiveld is generally free or low-cost and includes the use of the space for a brief ceremony if the family wishes.
Personal markers are usually not allowed on a strooiveld itself. Cemeteries often maintain a shared memorial nearby where names can be added.
4. Scattering on private land or at sea
Dutch law permits scattering of ashes on private land, with the landowner's permission. This includes a private garden, a family farm, or a piece of land owned by a friend.
Scattering at sea is also permitted, and several specialised Dutch operators offer this service, sometimes with the family on board, sometimes by appointment without attendance. Inland waterways and beaches generally fall under municipal rules: many gemeenten (municipalities) restrict or forbid scattering on public beaches, in canals, or in nature reserves. The rules vary by municipality and are worth checking with the local gemeente before planning.
Scattering on someone else's land without permission is not allowed.
5. Processed objects: jewellery, glass, diamond
A small portion of the ashes can be incorporated into a wearable or display object. Common forms include:
- Assieraad (ash jewellery): a pendant, ring, or bracelet containing a small amount of ash sealed inside.
- Glass objects: ash blown into glass beads, paperweights, or sculptures.
- Memorial diamonds: ashes processed under heat and pressure into a synthetic diamond. This is the most expensive option; prices depend on size and colour and vary by provider, so ask for a quote.
- Tattoo ink: a small amount of ash mixed into ink for a memorial tattoo.
These options use only a fraction of the ashes; the remainder is returned to the family for one of the other destinations, or kept separately.
Who decides
If the person who died left written instructions, those instructions guide the destination. The crematorium releases the urn to the person who commissioned the cremation (the opdrachtgever), usually a partner, eldest child, or executor, but that person must follow the wishes, or presumed wishes, of the person who died (article 18 Wlb). Serious disagreements can end up before a judge.
This is one reason a recorded preference matters. A short, clear note about where the ashes should go, kept somewhere a family member can find within the one-month waiting period, removes a category of disagreement that often emerges after the funeral, when people are exhausted and grieving.
Combining destinations
Many Dutch families now choose more than one destination. The ashes can be divided: a portion scattered at sea or on a strooiveld, a portion kept at home in a small urn, a portion turned into assieraad for the partner and adult children. Dividing ashes is legal; ask the crematorium how it handles the division.
A choice that combines a public, visitable place (a columbarium, an urnengraf) with a private, intimate object (a small urn, a piece of jewellery) is increasingly common. It gives the people who grieve different ways of returning to the person who died: somewhere to go, and something to hold.
In the app
In the Personal Portal, in My Farewell Wishes, you record your wish for where your ashes should go: one destination, or several. You can name a specific cemetery, a strooiveld, a piece of family land, or simply describe the kind of place you would like. You fill it in at your own pace, and what you record becomes part of your Zorgmap, a PDF you print or hand to the person you trust to act, so they know your choice in time to make it happen.
Closed beta, access by invitation.
Sources
- Rijksoverheid / Wetten.overheid.nl, Wet op de lijkbezorging, article 18 on following the wishes of the deceased, and articles 58 and 59 on the one-month waiting period and handling of ashes by the crematorium. https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005009/
- Rijksoverheid / Wetten.overheid.nl, Wet op de lijkbezorging, articles 66a–66b on scattering of ashes. https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005009/
- Landelijke Vereniging van Crematoria (LVC), annual cremation figures. https://lvc-online.nl/cremeren-in-nl/aantallen/
- Verbond van Uitvaartzorg, the Dutch trade association for funeral companies (formerly BGNU and Nardus). https://verbondvanuitvaartzorg.nl/