Department of Health

Key messages

  • Cremated remains can be interred in a public cemetery for 25 years or in perpetuity.
  • The permission of the holder of the right of interment is required before the interment of cremated remains can be approved.
  • An application to inter cremated remains must be accompanied by the relevant fee.

Application for approval to inter cremated remains

An application for approval to inter cremated remains in a public cemetery is made directly to the relevant cemetery trust.

When applying for approval to inter cremated remains you will need to meet the trust's documentation requirements and pay the relevant fee. Fees for each Victorian cemetery trust can be accessed using the Cemetery search.

Cremated remains can be interred in perpetuity (forever) or for 25 years (limited tenure). See Right of interment for more information.

Cemetery trusts have a number of record keeping requirements under the Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2015 relating to the interment of cremated remains. The department developed the Application for approval to inter cremated human remains form (also known as Form B) to help trusts meet these requirements.

Many cemetery trusts use Form B as part of the process for interring cremated remains, however it is not mandatory. Form B can be completed by hand or completed online and printed for signature.

The trust should always satisfy itself that the person wishing to use the place of interment is the holder of the right of interment, or that they have the permission of the holder of the right of interment to inter remains in the place of interment.

Reviewed 19 October 2023

Health.vic

Contact details

Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

Cemetery Sector Governance Support GPO Box 4057, Melbourne , VIC 3001

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