Denmark Funeral Costs: Prices, Begravelseshjælp and Burial Rules

A funeral in Denmark has no official national average price. A 2021 consumer-magazine article quoted an industry body at 15,000 to 20,000 kr. on average, and one online funeral home lists cremation packages from 8,680 kr., with the crematorium and cemetery charging extra. The state grant begravelseshjælp pays up to 13,550 kr. in 2026 if the deceased had few assets, and a burial or cremation should normally take place within eight days of the death.

How much does a funeral cost in Denmark?

Denmark does not publish a national average. In 2021, Forbrugerrådet Tænk (the Danish Consumer Council's magazine) quoted Landsforeningen Liv&Død, an association for funeral and end-of-life issues, at about 15,000 to 20,000 kr. for a funeral on average. It also quoted a funeral-director chain, Begravelse Danmark, saying the funeral director's fee alone averages 12,000 to 15,000 kr. These figures are several years old, so treat them as a rough guide. A more current picture comes from funeral homes that post prices. BedreBegravelse, an online provider, lists these starting prices:

These are one company's "from" prices, not what every family pays. The company says they exclude a 325 kr. hygiene and environment surcharge, crematorium fees and cemetery services. Flowers, a headstone, music, a newspaper notice, a room for the gathering and a priest or celebrant all come on top, so a funeral with a ceremony costs more than these figures.

Prices for the same service differ between funeral homes and between parishes. Tænk advises contacting several funeral directors and getting a written quote from each.

Who pays for a funeral in Denmark?

Funeral costs, including the funeral director, coffin, urn, flowers, the meal afterwards and the grave, are normally paid from the deceased's estate. If the estate cannot cover them, the person who ordered the funeral may be left to pay. We could not confirm the exact rule from an official page, so ask the probate court. If the estate is small, the state funeral grant may cover part of the bill (see below). Borger.dk also says the deceased's bank accounts are normally frozen once the death is registered in the civil registry, and joint accounts are frozen too. A surviving spouse can withdraw funds only after getting a certificate from the probate court (Skifteretten). Because liability can be tricky, ask the probate court or a lawyer before you sign a funeral order if the estate looks thin.

How does the Danish funeral grant (begravelseshjælp) work?

Begravelseshjælp is a tax-free lump sum from the state, paid by Udbetaling Danmark. It is means-tested on the deceased's assets, and the funeral expenses themselves are not counted as part of those assets. Borger.dk gives these figures:

Other rules to know:

• The deceased must have been entitled to Danish health insurance (sygesikring).
• If the deceased was born before 1 April 1957, the grant is at least 1,050 kr. whatever their assets, and no asset details are needed.
• You must send Udbetaling Danmark the certificate from the probate court. The stated case-handling time is one month from when they have the application and documents.
• The application is made digitally on borger.dk. A funeral director can apply for you with written authorization. Payment is due within four weeks of Udbetaling Danmark receiving a complete application, to your NemKonto or to the funeral director if they applied.

Separately, a surviving spouse or partner who lived with the deceased for three years may be able to claim efterlevelseshjælp, a one-off taxable payment of up to 17,431 kr. in 2026. It must be claimed within six months of the death and has income and other conditions, so check borger.dk before relying on it.

What are the rules and deadlines?

A doctor completes the death certificate (dødsattest). The Folkekirke says burial or cremation should as a rule take place within 8 days of the death, and extensions are possible in special circumstances. Older guides that mention "48 hours" or "14 days" do not match what the official source says.

Relatives send a request for burial or cremation, digitally with MitID or on a paper form, to the church office (kirkekontor) in the parish where the deceased lived. The request states where the person will be buried, which crematorium will be used and what should happen to the ashes. The priest or church office can decline a request that does not meet the conditions. For a stillborn child the request must be made within 8 working days of the birth.

You do not have to use a funeral director. Relatives can arrange everything, hire a bedemand for the whole process, or do some tasks themselves. A funeral director can get the approvals, coordinate with the crematorium and the church or chapel, and arrange ash scattering. If the death happened outside Denmark, read our guide to what to do when a death happens overseas.

Does church membership change the cost?

Yes. The Folkekirke (the Danish National Church) pays for parish cemeteries from church tax.

• Members: The Folkekirke says burial is normally free for members of the church, a "100 percent discount" on the cemetery's charges.
• Non-members: They pay a price that matches the parish's expenses. Prices are based on the parish's costs, so they differ from parish to parish. At municipal cemeteries the rates are the same for everyone, according to borger.dk.
• Ceremony: A non-member cannot have a church funeral, but can be buried or cremated from a chapel, and the family arranges the ceremony themselves. You may need a celebrant or a leader from the person's own faith community.

For how non-religious ceremonies usually run, see our guide to secular and humanist funerals.

What do graves involve: plots, urns and woodland?

In Denmark you pay to keep a grave for a set period (fredningstid) and can extend it.

• Lease periods: Borger.dk says a coffin grave requires payment for a minimum of 20 years and an urn grave a minimum of 10. The Folkekirke says coffin graves are often kept for 20 to 30 years.
• Prices: Cemetery boards set the rates, and they may not exceed the actual costs, according to borger.dk.
• Types of grave: Options include a traditional plot, a lawn grave with a flat stone that needs no upkeep, a communal grave, and forest or natural cemeteries. Rules vary by site. Some forest sections do not allow flowers or other items on the ground, and some allow only a small stone or plaque.
• Urn on private land: This needs permission from the diocese. Borger.dk says the property must be roughly 5,000 square meters or more, the urn must be made of biodegradable material, and it must be buried at least one meter deep. Coffin burial on private land is not allowed.

For how costs compare elsewhere, see our guides to funeral costs in Sweden and funeral costs in Norway, and for how religion affects price, funeral costs by religion.

Can you scatter ashes in Denmark?

Yes, but only over open water, and only with permission. Borger.dk says ashes may be scattered over open water, meaning the sea or larger fjords and bays, if the deceased left a written wish. Scattering over lakes is not allowed, and urns with ashes may not be sunk in the sea. The Folkekirke also says the written wish should ideally be in a will or similar statement, so record your own wishes in writing while you can.

Dividing ashes is limited. The Folkekirke says it is allowed when the deceased had a connection to another country, for example between a Danish cemetery and a foreign one, or between a cemetery and sea scattering. You cannot divide them between two Danish churchyards. Storing an urn at home is not allowed either. For background on scattering elsewhere, see our guide to scattering ashes.

What to do next

1. Get the death certificate from the doctor, and contact a funeral director or your parish church office.
2. Ask two providers for written, itemized quotes, and check whether the deceased was a Folkekirke member.
3. Send the burial or cremation request to the parish church office within the eight-day window.
4. Ask the funeral director whether they will apply for begravelseshjælp, and get the probate court certificate.