Chinese funeral customs in New Zealand: planning, venue rules and costs

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed annually, or sooner if the rules it describes change.

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.

There is no single Chinese funeral custom in New Zealand. Chinese families here come from different regions, belong to different faiths or none, and span generations from the goldfields era to recent arrivals. Te Ara notes that new waves of Chinese migrants have "brought diverse skills and languages, and revived traditions such as the lion dance and the lantern festival", and that by the 1960s earlier families were losing their language and traditions (Te Ara: Chinese).

This page is limited on purpose. We looked for a New Zealand government, council or community source that sets out Chinese funeral customs and costs, and did not find one we could cite. The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ) says only that for Māori, Pacific peoples and the growing number of Asian New Zealanders "a more 'traditional' funeral or tangihanga remains the norm, with burial still most common" (FDANZ, 2026 report). That is a group statement, not a Chinese one. So we do not list colours, gifts, offerings, meals or mourning periods as if they applied to every family. Ask older relatives, the family's temple, church or community association, and the funeral director what this family expects.

Who decides, and what to tell the funeral director

Under New Zealand law the person with the say is the executor named in the will or, if there is none, the closest relative. Community Law says they should weigh the views of the wider family and its cultural, religious and spiritual practice (Community Law). Before you commit to a date or venue:

Agree the customs within the family. Where relatives disagree, settle it before the director is booked.
Tell the director what the service will involve: how many people, any religious leader, objects, food, incense, candles or burning of paper, and any timing needs.
Ask for an itemised written price for that scenario. Only FDANZ members are bound by its Code of Ethics to be transparent about costs.
Ask about language. If family members need information in Chinese, ask whether the director can provide it. The Coroners Court publishes its booklet "When Somebody Dies Suddenly" in Simplified and Traditional Chinese (Coroners Court: information for families), which helps where a death is referred to the coroner.

Incense, fire and food offerings: check the venue

If burning paper, incense or candles will be part of the day, get the venue's rule in writing before you book. The only council rule we found that speaks to fire is Christchurch City Council's: its cemeteries handbook (undated) says "No ceremonial fires are permitted" and that the council "provides for the requirements of different religions and cultures", and it asks you to contact its cemeteries team (Christchurch City Council: cemeteries handbook). Auckland Council points families to cultural practices and the environment when choosing where to scatter ashes, and prohibits scattering in waterways and oceans on its land (Auckland Council: scattering of ashes). We did not find rules for incense, candles or paper at crematorium chapels or other councils' cemeteries.

Burial or cremation

Both are lawful. The paperwork for a cremation is set out by Health NZ, and the funeral director normally handles it. In 2025, 69% of funerals in the FDANZ survey ended in cremation and 25% in burial. Burial costs the family a plot and interment, which councils price very differently: for example about $3,460 in Christchurch (adult, weekday, 2026/27) and $8,426 at Tauranga's Pyes Pā (plot and burial fee). See burial vs cremation and the funeral costs hub.

Taking the person or ashes overseas

Some families want the person or the ashes to go to China or elsewhere. FDANZ says repatriation must meet the sending and receiving countries' rules and the airline's, and can take longer than hoped. Ashes can be carried as hand luggage with the right documents, and NZ Post does not accept ashes from the public (FDANZ: repatriation). One Auckland director lists a repatriation fee of $5,950 to $7,690 without saying what it includes, as at May 2026 (Dils price list). The Funeral Grant can include reasonable costs of moving a body to or from New Zealand, or of an overseas funeral, if the person normally lived in New Zealand when they died (Work and Income). See repatriation costs.

What it costs

We found no New Zealand source that prices a Chinese funeral, and we do not estimate one. FDANZ's 2025 survey averages are $11,700 for a full cremation funeral with 50 guests, $14,300 with burial and $4,700 for an unattended cremation (FDANZ, 2026 report). Its indicative component ranges include a casket at $1,200 to $5,000, a hearse at $200 to $450, newspaper notices at $150 to $500 or more, service sheets at $2 to $3 each and catering at $15 to $25 a head (FDANZ: funeral costs and financial support). A larger gathering or meal changes the total. For gifts of money at a funeral, customs differ between communities; our koha guide explains the Māori practice, and a family member can tell you what is expected in yours.

Help with paying, and time off work

A Work and Income Funeral Grant of up to $2,697.43 is available subject to income and asset tests. Its guidance on reasonable expenses covers cultural, spiritual or religious practices, which Work and Income decides case by case, so check before you spend (Work and Income: Funeral Grant). On leave, the Holidays Act tells an employer deciding whether to give one day to someone outside the close-family list to consider "any cultural responsibilities of the employee in relation to the death" (Holidays Act 2003, s69); see bereavement leave. Our tangihanga guide shows how another community's practice interacts with leave and grants.

Planning ahead with funeral insurance

If you are thinking about the cost of a larger gathering, or of moving remains overseas, for your own funeral, a funeral policy covers only a set sum. Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance, issued by Momentum Life Limited, takes applicants who live in New Zealand and are aged 40 to 75, asks no health questions, and pays a benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs. Within the first 24 months a death is paid only if it results from an accident (within 90 days of it); otherwise nothing is paid and the premiums are refunded. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. A.M. Best rates Momentum Life B (Fair); see its financial strength page. The buttons on this page open Momentum Life's online application. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a Momentum policy (how we are paid). Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). See the funeral insurance hub and our when someone dies guide.

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

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

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

There is no single Chinese funeral custom in New Zealand, and we found no New Zealand source that sets out a standard one. We have not listed rites or etiquette we cannot source. The checks that matter are practical: what the venue allows, a written price, and how to move remains overseas if that is the family's wish.

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

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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Chinese Funeral Customs NZ: Planning, Rules, Costs. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/chinese-funeral-customs-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.