What is an exhumation?

Burial of a loved one is seen as their final resting place where they will find peace and tranquillity. From time to time, due to varying circumstances, it may be necessary to move the remains of an individual from a grave. This process is called exhumation.

Exhumation in its simplest term, means the removal from the ground of a body or cremated human remains. It also covers the disturbance of remains within a grave, particularly when a grave is re-opened for burial.

There are many applications per year to exhume human remains for varying reasons. These can be from personal family reasons to mass exhumations for town developments. To exhume human remains, you must first apply for an exhumation licence before it can take place.

Exhumation licences

You need a licence to exhume both buried and cremated remains. In certain circumstances an environmental health officer may also be required at the site of exhumation. They will supervise the event and ensure that respect for the deceased person is maintained and that public health is protected.

Apply for an exhumation licence

There are two types of licence available for exhumation:   

• A Bishops Faculty licence
• A Home Office licence

Normally you will need either one or the other, although there are certain circumstances where you may require both. The type of ground from which remains are to be exhumed, and where they are going to be exhumed to, determines the exhumation licence that is required.

What sort of licence do I need?

Within burial grounds the land is termed either consecrated or unconsecrated. Consecrated means dedicated to the service of God according to the rites of the Church of England. A Bishop to the Church of England carries out consecration of land.

If human remains are to be exhumed from a grave in consecrated ground to be re-interred in consecrated ground in another burial ground you will only need to apply for a Bishops Faculty licence.

If an exhumation is to be carried out from unconsecrated ground to either consecrated/consecrated ground, only a Home Office licence is needed.

Under certain circumstances where remains are being moved from consecrated ground to be either re-interred in the same consecrated grave plot or unconsecrated ground, both a Bishops Faculty and a Home Office Licence will be required.

Apply for a Bishops faculty licence

A Bishops Faculty can be obtained by application to the Church of England Diocese for the area where the deceased is interred. The address can be found in the 'Crockfords Clerical Directory'. There may be a charge for the application, which can take 4 to 6 weeks to come through.

Apply for a Home Office Exhumation licence

You can get a copy application from Bishopthorpe Crematorium, which may speed the process, as the local authority must complete some sections on the application form before it is submitted for consideration.

Alternatively you can apply directly to the Home Office for an exhumation licence from:

write: Floor 5, Allington Towers, 19 Allington Street, London SW1R 5EB
tel: 020 7035 5530
website: Home Office

There is an applicable fee for this licence.

Your application may not take very long to come through.

Part of this form must be filled in by the burial authority. Written authorisation must also be sent from the cremation authority if the remains are to be cremated after being exhumed. Normally in the case of exhumation of a cadaver, a specialised exhumation firm will carry out the removal of the remains. Local authority technicians will normally carry out exhumation of cremated remains. A funeral director may wish to be present, but this is not a necessity. The EHO (Environmental Health Officer) must be notified for recording purposes.

Exhumations are generally carried out early in the morning ( for Cadaver exhumations) but exhumation of cremated remains may be caried out at any time of the day.