Burial at sea in New Zealand: what is known about the rules and the cost

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed quarterly, when the underlying data is restated.

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.

A burial at sea in New Zealand can take place only at specially designated locations off the coast, in a special casket, usually from a boat or helicopter, and a funeral director arranges it (Funeral Directors Association of NZ (FDANZ): Burial or cremation). That is nearly everything the public sources we could check say. We found no published list of locations, no named approving body, no casket specification and no price.

Burial at sea is a rare choice with thin public guidance, so this page separates what is sourced from what is not. It is a how-to for a family who wants to look into one, and it covers the simpler alternative of scattering ashes at sea as well. It is general information and not legal advice.

What is sourced, and what is not

Sourced. FDANZ says burial at sea "can take place only at specially designated locations off the New Zealand coastline", that a special casket is needed, that it is usually done from a boat or helicopter, and that your funeral director can give information and make the arrangements (FDANZ).

Checked and silent. We read the Burial and Cremation Act 1964 (version as at 4 September 2026) and the Marine Pollution Regulations 1998. Neither mentions burial at sea or human remains. Health NZ's page on burial and cremation permissions does not mention it either. That does not prove there are no rules. It means the rules are not set out in the places most families would look, and a funeral director has to tell you who decides.

Not found. The regulator or permit-issuing body, the coordinates of the designated locations, the depth, the casket construction or weighting, the vessel requirements, and any price. Some websites quote exact coordinates and ballast weights. We could not trace those to a New Zealand primary source, so we do not repeat them.

How to arrange one, step by step

Decide who decides. The executor named in the will decides the arrangements, or the closest relative if there is no executor, taking into account the views of whānau and cultural, religious and spiritual practices (Community Law: Funerals and tangihanga). A wish for a sea burial in a will or a letter helps, but the family still has to find a director who can arrange it.
Ask a funeral director early. Ask whether they have arranged one before, which body approves it, which locations are used, what casket is required, who supplies the vessel and what the full price is. Ask for the answers and the quote in writing. Only FDANZ members are bound by its Code of Ethics to be open about costs (FDANZ 2026 Industry Trends Report), so ask a non-member for the same detail.
Have the paperwork ready. The Act says a body may not be buried or cremated without a cause-of-death certificate or the coroner's authorisation. Your director normally gets the certificate organised and registers the death. Without a director, you register on form BDM 28 within 3 working days of the burial or cremation, and registering is free (Govt.nz: Registering a death).
Allow for the unknowns. Because the locations and the approval process are not published, we cannot say how long approval takes or whether a date can be fixed. Do not announce a date to family until your director confirms it.
Price any service separately. If you also want a gathering, celebrant or catering on land, those are ordinary funeral costs and sit on top of whatever the sea burial quote covers. Ask the director to show them as separate lines.

What it costs

No public price exists that we could find. FDANZ's component price list has no line for it. What we can say is what sits underneath any funeral, including this one. FDANZ's indicative ranges are a professional services fee of $3,000 to $6,500 and preparation such as embalming of $700 to $1,050, and the Government death certificate is $35 (FDANZ: Financial matters; Govt.nz: Get a death certificate). The special casket, the vessel or helicopter and any approval costs would come on top, and we cannot put a number on them.

For comparison, FDANZ's 2026 report puts a full funeral with 50 attendees and a burial at an average of $14,300 and with a cremation at $11,700, and an unattended cremation at $4,700. Our funeral cost guide breaks those down. Treat a sea burial quote as a custom job and compare it with those figures.

Work and Income's Funeral Grant pays up to $2,697.43 towards reasonable expenses, subject to income and asset tests (Work and Income: Funeral Grant). Whether a sea-burial casket or vessel counts as reasonable is for Work and Income to decide, so ask before you commit. See the Funeral Grant guide.

Scattering ashes at sea is a different thing

Cremation first, then scattering at sea, avoids the casket, the vessel and the designated-location question for the body itself. FDANZ lists scattering "at sea" among the places families choose, and cautions that the area should not be close to traditional Māori food-gathering grounds (FDANZ).

Do not assume there is no rule. Auckland Council, for example, prohibits scattering ashes in waterways and oceans on land it manages and says it is culturally inappropriate for Māori (Auckland Council: Scattering of ashes). Check the rules of the council or landowner at the place you launch from, and talk to local iwi if the water is close to a rohe you do not know. Cremation fees are a published cost: Auckland Council charges $750 for an adult cremation, and FDANZ's indicative range is $600 to $1,100. See the cremation cost guide.

Other options to compare

Natural burial in a council ground, with no embalming and a biodegradable casket. Examples: Wellington's Mākara total of $3,615 and Christchurch's green burial at $2,925 or actual costs if greater. See natural burial costs.
Water cremation, which FDANZ says is available in Christchurch.
A conventional burial or cremation, compared in burial vs cremation.

Paying ahead for a funeral

This section is for people planning ahead for their own funeral. It cannot help with a death that has already happened. Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance accepts New Zealanders aged 40 to 75 and pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs, with acceptance guaranteed and no health questions. In the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident. For any other death in that window it pays no benefit and refunds the premiums. The total premiums you pay could exceed the benefit, the benefit may not cover the whole funeral, and with no published sea-burial price we cannot say whether it would. Momentum Life Limited holds an A.M. Best rating of B (Fair), affirmed 11 February 2026, which sits in A.M. Best's "Vulnerable" range (Momentum Life: financial strength). The funeral insurance hub compares the other providers, and the Momentum Life Funeral Cover page has the plan details. The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's online quote.

If you are planning ahead for your own funeral costs

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Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

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Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

Adviser's view

A burial at sea is possible in New Zealand, but we could not find a public source that names the approving body, the locations, the casket specification or a price. Treat anything quoted with exact coordinates or ballast weights as unverified, and get every detail and the full cost in writing from a funeral director before you commit.

Henry Smith, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Burial at Sea NZ: What the Rules Say and Who Arranges It. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/burial-at-sea-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.