How to organise your own funeral in advance

Written by · 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.

To organise your own funeral in New Zealand, write down your choices (burial or cremation, the service, music, who to tell), name a person to carry them out, tell your family, and decide how the cost will be met. Your wishes are not legally binding: the executor, or the person lawfully in control of the body, has the final say.

Organising your own funeral means making the decisions in advance so your family does not have to guess. It has two parts that people often mix up. The first is recording your wishes, which costs nothing and can be changed at any time. The second is funding, which is optional and comes in several forms. Community Law says instructions left in a will or a note "aren't legally binding on the family," but that "it would be unusual for a family not to follow them", and that the executor or the person lawfully in control of the body "is entitled to make the final decision" (Community Law: Funerals and tangihanga). So the practical goal is a clear written plan, an executor who has read it, and a family who has heard it from you. FDANZ found 74% of deaths in 2025 had no pre-arrangement or pre-payment (FDANZ, 2026 Industry Trends Report), so doing this puts you ahead of most.

Question Answer Source
Who decides burial or cremation? The executor, or if there is none the closest relative, taking account of whānau views and cultural, religious and spiritual practices Takamore v Clarke [2013] 2 NZLR 733 (SC), as summarised by Community Law
Are my written wishes binding? No, they guide the executor Community Law
Does a will override that? Community Law: "Regardless of what instructions you leave in your will, your executor has the final say" Community Law: Choosing an executor

This is why choosing an executor you trust, and telling them what you want, matters more than the wording of the document. Our guide on funeral wishes in a will covers recording them in a will, and choosing an executor covers the role.

Step by step

  1. Decide the basics. Burial or cremation, and whether you want a service. FDANZ found 69% of 2025 deaths ended in cremation and 25% in burial, and 60% had a full funeral with a casket or urn present.
  2. Write your plan. Use the checklist below.
  3. Choose an executor and ask them if they will act. Tell them where the plan is.
  4. Tell your family or whānau what you want, in person if you can.
  5. Decide how it will be paid for (next section).
  6. Store the plan where it will be found within a day of your death, not only in a will that may be read later. Give copies to your executor and one or two family members.
  7. Review it after any major change, such as a move, a new partner, a diagnosis or a death in the family.

A checklist to copy into your own document

We do not offer a downloadable form, so copy the headings below into a document or note.

Heading What to record
Disposal Burial or cremation; for burial, any plot already owned and which cemetery
Where Church, marae, hall, home, funeral home chapel, or no service
Viewing Whether you want the body viewed, and where it should rest before the service
Who leads A celebrant, minister, tohunga or family member
Words and music Readings, songs, a eulogy writer
Ashes Kept, buried, scattered, and where (check the landowner's rules)
Tikanga or faith Customs your family should follow, and who can advise them
Funeral director One you prefer, or an existing plan with a named director
Funding Where the money is: savings, a prepaid plan, a policy and its number
Notices Who to tell first; who to invite
Organ donation or body bequest Your wish, if any (organ donation and funerals)
Documents Where your will, enduring power of attorney and this plan are kept

How big is the cost you are planning for?

FDANZ's 2026 report puts a full funeral with cremation, 50 guests and a celebrant at an average of $11,700 (range $10,000 to $13,900), with burial at $14,300 (range $12,800 to $17,000), and an unattended cremation with no service at $4,700. The cost depends on your choices, and you can lower it by choosing a simpler service. See funeral costs.

Ways to fund it

No one method suits everyone. Here is how they differ.

Method How it works Trade-offs
Savings Set money aside yourself Flexible and you keep control. Easy to spend, and your family may not know it exists. Accessing a bank account takes time, though banks can release funds for a funeral (govt.nz)
Prepaid funeral trust You pay in advance, held in trust for your funeral Locks the money. Rules differ by provider. Counts as an asset for the Work and Income Funeral Grant
Funeral insurance You pay premiums; a fixed benefit is paid on death Premiums over a long life can exceed the benefit. Early-death rules apply
Life insurance with a funeral advance An early payment of part of the cover Needs a life policy you already have
Do nothing The estate or family pays The estate pays first if it has assets; grants may help

Prepaid funeral plans

Now For Them, run by The Funeral Trust Services Limited (set up by FDANZ), says it is "not a savings or investment product, and no interest or return is paid", and "no fees" with a promise to say if that changes (FDANZ: Now For Them). The Funeral Trust's FAQ sets a minimum of $200, $20 a fortnight by automatic payment, a 21-day cancellation period, and says unspent money goes to your estate (The Funeral Trust: FAQs). That FAQ also says funds "may earn interest", which conflicts with Now For Them, so check the current terms. Public Trust's Prepaid Funeral Trust has a set-up fee and an end fee (no amounts shown), no ongoing fees, and describes itself as under a government guarantee, which is Public Trust's statement (Public Trust). Consumer NZ warns that money in a trust may not be withdrawable "unless you're in significant financial hardship" (Consumer NZ). Under residential care subsidy rules, up to $10,000 of prepaid funeral expenses in a recognised plan is not counted (Work and Income). We did not find a source on what protects customers if a provider fails; see prepaid funeral provider failure and how to prepay a funeral.

Funeral insurance, using Momentum Life as the example

Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance, issued by Momentum Life Limited, accepts New Zealanders aged 40 to 75 with no health questions or medicals. The benefit is $3,000 to $30,000, and accidental death pays three times the benefit at any time, where the death happens within 90 days of the accident. Premiums are fixed each year until the 89th birthday, then stop; they can change for everyone on the plan on 30 days' written notice for a change in tax law or claims experience.

The limits. For the first 24 months only accidental death (within 90 days of the accident) is paid; any other death in that window pays nothing and all premiums for that person are refunded. There is no terminal illness benefit. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. A free-look period of 30 days runs from the acceptance date. Momentum cannot pay a benefit directly to a company, charity or other organisation, so a funeral director cannot be named; payment goes to the policy owner, then a nominated beneficiary, then the executor, so tell them it exists. Momentum Life's financial strength rating from A.M. Best is B (Fair), in the range its own table calls "Vulnerable" (Momentum Life: financial strength). Details are on our Funeral Cover page, other insurers are compared in the funeral insurance hub, and the buttons on this page lead to Momentum's online applications. Saving the premium yourself is the alternative.

Keeping the plan alive

Plans go stale. Check it every few years, tell people if you change it, and keep the funding details current: a prepaid plan with a funeral director who has since closed, or a policy in an old name, can leave your family searching. If you want to record health-care wishes, that is a separate document (see advance care plans). For more on the process after a death, see pre-planning a funeral.

Adviser's view

Planning your own funeral is mostly a matter of writing down your choices and telling the right people, which costs nothing. Paying for it in advance is optional, and each method has trade-offs: a prepaid plan locks money away, insurance may cost more in premiums than it pays out, and saving it yourself is the simplest. Pick a method after you know roughly what you want.
, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Planning Your Own Funeral NZ: Advance Arrangements. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/organising-your-own-funeral-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.

References

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