What embalming is, and when it is needed

When a funeral director asks whether the family would like embalming, many people have no idea what they are agreeing to, or whether they have a choice. You do. Nothing in the law of England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland requires it for a burial or a cremation, whatever the cause of death and however long the wait.

What it is

Embalming is a temporary preservation. A trained embalmer replaces the blood with a preservative fluid, usually containing formaldehyde, and treats the internal organs, so that the natural changes after death slow down and your loved one keeps a peaceful, restful appearance. It is done in the preparation room of a funeral home, with care, and it usually includes washing, dressing and setting the features.

In the UK the trade often calls it hygienic treatment, and that is the name you will see on a repatriation estimate and on the certificate that travels with the coffin. The two words mean the same thing.

Its effect lasts several weeks. It slows natural change rather than stopping it.

When it helps

There are three situations where a funeral director is likely to recommend it.

A viewing over several days. If the family would like to spend time with their loved one at the chapel of rest, perhaps more than once, embalming keeps the appearance in a way that refrigeration alone may not. After a long illness, the embalmer’s work can make a real difference to how someone looks.

A long wait before the funeral. Most UK funerals take place within one to three weeks. If relatives are travelling from abroad, or the death certificate is delayed, embalming helps over the longer period.

A repatriation. When someone is going home to another country, or coming home to the UK, embalming is almost always needed, because many countries and airlines require it. There is no single international rule: the airlines’ standards are gathered in IATA’s Compassionate Transportation Manual, and some European agreements ask for it only after certain infectious diseases. In practice the destination and the carrier set the requirement, a certificate of hygienic treatment goes with the coffin alongside the freedom from infection certificate, and we include both in every repatriation we quote.

When it is not needed

For most funerals in the UK, refrigeration is enough. Funeral directors keep the people in their care in a refrigerated mortuary, between 4 and 7°C under the codes of practice, which slows change without any treatment at all. A direct cremation, where there is no service and the cremation follows within days, does not usually need embalming either.

It also rules out one kind of funeral. Most natural and woodland burial grounds in the UK do not accept embalmed burials, because of the chemicals in the soil. If a green burial is planned, tell the funeral director at the start.

Consent, and what to ask

Under the codes of practice that funeral directors follow, including the joint NAFD and SAIF Funeral Director Code and the Scottish Government’s code, the funeral director must explain what embalming involves and get your informed, written consent before it is carried out. The price should appear as its own line, not folded into a package.

It is fair to ask three questions. Why do you recommend it in our case? Who will carry it out, and what qualification do they hold? And what is the alternative? Most embalmers hold qualifications recognised by the British Institute of Embalmers, and the national apprenticeship for embalmers leads to a Level 5 diploma. Embalmers work under the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on infection risks, known as HSG283.

If your loved one is going home abroad

If the funeral is to be abroad, the question of embalming is usually settled by the route. Before anyone can be taken out of England and Wales, the coroner for the district must be given written notice, and the carrier and the destination then decide what the preparation must be. What documents a repatriation needs lists the certificates, and our repatriation service covers the preparation, the paperwork and the transport, by road or by air.

If the family would like to see your loved one before they travel, visiting a chapel of rest explains what to expect.