Cost of cremation/ash scattering in the US for foreign national?
March 14, 2026
Sorry for the somewhat sombre question, but I was wondering what the typical cost is for when a foreigner dies in the US and the next of kin just let the US people there sort out a cremation/ash scattering etc. with no repatriation of ashes/remains?
About 800 bucks, but I’m confused as to why you think citizenship status would affect the cost.
Unclaimed bodies are typically just buried in a public burial space in a cemetery, not cremated.
Cremation costs the same regardless of where you’re from. The body would be released to next of kin and they would then pay a funeral home/crematorium. It’s not legal to scatter ashes just anywhere but I’ve done it in the sea without trouble and plenty of people do it.
Cremation will cost anywhere from $500-3000.
You can get basic cremation for usually under $1,000. You just need to Google the specific location. It usually includes the most basic urn, plus body pickup.
My husband’s was $11k BUT his body had to be picked up from the hospital in a different county and they prepared it so our son could see him as he was away at law school.
Many places do not allow the dispersal of cremation ashes. You should look up where that is.
I… don’t know… This isn’t a question we would be capable of answering in general; most folks aren’t going to know anything about these laws and prices.
If there’s no next of kin and the body is just abandoned there’s no cost but depending on where in the country it happens you’ll either be buried in a public pulpers plot or cremated and the ashes scattered. No ceremony.
Ash scattering is free, but you need to look up the specific location to see what the restrictions are. Public parks are generally okay, but still bodies of water are not.
I’m not sure why they would charge more for a foreigner vs a local
If family members choose to claim the body it’s the same as an American. I think like $800-$2k.
If nobody claims the body the county morgue has a process for unclaimed body. Either they bury them all in a mass grave every few months or do a mass cremation.
Depends on what state it is. In Massachusetts, cremation with no funeral service will be in the $1,000 to $3,500 range. If you don’t claim the cremains I think they just toss them in the trash, they don’t scatter them.
My mom’s husband died last week. It cost $3400 for him to be brought to the funeral home and cremated.
I don’t think it would cost an additional amount for non-US people. On their price guide that wasn’t one of the price increases listed.
Why would it being a foreigner change anything? They don’t ask for citizenship information when setting prices. They’ll need a death certificate as part of the paperwork, but at least in my state a death certificate does not describe the nationality of the deceased, just that they died within that jurisdiction.
A very basic cremation in the US, with no funeral services of any kind, normally costs around $800 to $1000.
In NYC they’d end up in Hart Island’s potters field.
It depends on the funeral home. Call and get prices.
Unclaimed bodies are buried in a pauper grave yard here.
Its $1,200 for cremation. Then they can be mailed to you using the United States post office.
Depends what part of the US they died in. Big difference between all of the states.
Depending on the state they could be buried in a Potter’s Field in a paupers grave.
Cost is about a grand here in georgia, they don’t ask you where the body is from, they just stick you in a folgers can
It was a bit over $900 for my mom, that was the cheapest I found
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You can abandon the body and pay nothing. https://legalknowledgebase.com/what-happens-to-someone-who-dies-with-no-family
About 800 bucks, but I’m confused as to why you think citizenship status would affect the cost.
Unclaimed bodies are typically just buried in a public burial space in a cemetery, not cremated.
Cremation costs the same regardless of where you’re from. The body would be released to next of kin and they would then pay a funeral home/crematorium. It’s not legal to scatter ashes just anywhere but I’ve done it in the sea without trouble and plenty of people do it.
Cremation will cost anywhere from $500-3000.
You can get basic cremation for usually under $1,000. You just need to Google the specific location. It usually includes the most basic urn, plus body pickup.
My husband’s was $11k BUT his body had to be picked up from the hospital in a different county and they prepared it so our son could see him as he was away at law school.
Many places do not allow the dispersal of cremation ashes. You should look up where that is.
I… don’t know… This isn’t a question we would be capable of answering in general; most folks aren’t going to know anything about these laws and prices.
They would put you in poor.man unmarked grave
[Here](https://www.after.com/articles/what-happens-die-another-country)
If there’s no next of kin and the body is just abandoned there’s no cost but depending on where in the country it happens you’ll either be buried in a public pulpers plot or cremated and the ashes scattered. No ceremony.
Ash scattering is free, but you need to look up the specific location to see what the restrictions are. Public parks are generally okay, but still bodies of water are not.
I’m not sure why they would charge more for a foreigner vs a local
If family members choose to claim the body it’s the same as an American. I think like $800-$2k.
If nobody claims the body the county morgue has a process for unclaimed body. Either they bury them all in a mass grave every few months or do a mass cremation.
Depends on what state it is. In Massachusetts, cremation with no funeral service will be in the $1,000 to $3,500 range. If you don’t claim the cremains I think they just toss them in the trash, they don’t scatter them.
My mom’s husband died last week. It cost $3400 for him to be brought to the funeral home and cremated.
I don’t think it would cost an additional amount for non-US people. On their price guide that wasn’t one of the price increases listed.
Why would it being a foreigner change anything? They don’t ask for citizenship information when setting prices. They’ll need a death certificate as part of the paperwork, but at least in my state a death certificate does not describe the nationality of the deceased, just that they died within that jurisdiction.
A very basic cremation in the US, with no funeral services of any kind, normally costs around $800 to $1000.
In NYC they’d end up in Hart Island’s potters field.
It depends on the funeral home. Call and get prices.
Unclaimed bodies are buried in a pauper grave yard here.
Its $1,200 for cremation. Then they can be mailed to you using the United States post office.
Depends what part of the US they died in. Big difference between all of the states.
Depending on the state they could be buried in a Potter’s Field in a paupers grave.
Cost is about a grand here in georgia, they don’t ask you where the body is from, they just stick you in a folgers can
It was a bit over $900 for my mom, that was the cheapest I found