Arranging a funeral or cremation

• A burial or cremation may not take place earlier than 36 hours and no later than 6 working days after the death.
• The funeral director, or someone else, must register the death. This must be done at the municipality where the person died.
• The municipality of the deceased person gives you permission to bury or cremate the deceased. This is called permission.

You need a registration number associated with the deceased. The funeral director or someone else must hand in this number and the permission at the funeral or cremation.

Are you a funeral director?

You book the funeral yourself. Log in via the web agenda. The agenda is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Don’t have login details yet? Send an email to vergunningen@leeuwarden.nl.

Are you a funeral director outside the region, or do you want to arrange it yourself?

Download one of the following forms and send it to begraafplaatsen@leeuwarden.nl. We will contact you as soon as possible.

• Burial declaration (PDF, 66.84 KB)
• Ash delivery declaration (cremation)

The City of Leeuwarden does not have a municipal crematorium. There is a private crematorium in the municipality. For more information on this subject or to arrange a cremation, please contact a crematorium or funeral home.

Bury or inter an ash container

There are 7 municipal cemeteries where people can be buried or where you can inter an ash container:

• the Noorder cemetery and the Huizumer cemetery in Leeuwarden
• the cemeteries in Grou, Jirnsum, Reduzum, Warten and Wergea

Urn niches

The Noorder cemetery and the cemeteries in Grou, Warten and Reduzum have urn niches. Here you can place an ash container.

Scatter ashes

This is allowed without an exemption on the scattering field of Noorderbegraafplaats.

Scattering ashes at a desired place

You need an exemption to scatter ashes at the following locations:

• Paved parts of the road.
• Cemeteries (except for the scattering field of Noorderbegraafplaats) and crematorium grounds.
• Playing areas or playgrounds.

For this purpose, send an e-mail to vergunningen@leeuwarden.nl.

Do you want to inter an ash container or scatter ashes?

In that case, in addition to a death certificate form, you also need a cremation certificate. You will receive this certificate at the crematorium. The moment you also get the ash container.

• More information can be found on the following pages on this website:
  • Grave coverings
    The City of Leeuwarden maintains the general cemeteries. As a rightful claimant, you contribute to this. Certain conditions and rules are attached to grave coverings and their maintenance.
  • Burial rights
    Issuing, renewing, overwriting, relinquishing grave rights. Looking for legal and interested parties.
  • Cemeteries
    Address and opening hours of municipal cemeteries. Search graves.

The following regulations can be found on the website Overheid.nl (local):

• Municipal Cemeteries Management Regulation.
• Municipal Cemeteries Implementation Decree.
• Burial Rights Ordnance.
• General Municipal Ordinance Leeuwarden