What is permitted in Germany, and what is not?

Burial law in Germany is a matter for the federal states. Each state has its own burial act. Hamburg is among the states with the best conditions for Muslim burials.

Hamburg

• Without a coffin: permitted, since 1998. The Burial Ordinance (Bestattungsverordnung) expressly names shrouds. Secured by the state treaty with the Muslim associations (2012).
• Deadline: earth burial within ten days. According to our research, there is no legal minimum waiting period of 48 hours; the authority sets the earliest possible time on application. We are checking this against the text of the law.
• Rest period: 25 years, extendable. In Islamic sections, the remains stay in the grave.
• Washing: permitted in the washing rooms of the cemeteries and at the funeral director's.
• Burial at home or in one's own garden: not permitted; burial must take place in a cemetery.
• Cremation: only in a coffin and only after a second post-mortem examination. Not provided for in Islam in any case.

Other federal states

Burial without a coffin is now possible in most federal states, often only with a special permit or at certain cemeteries. The deadlines range from a 48-hour minimum waiting period to a maximum of ten days. Anyone arranging a burial outside Hamburg should ask the local funeral director or the cemetery administration. Our Germany directory lists cemeteries with Islamic burial sections by federal state.

The second post-mortem examination

Before a cremation, a second medical examination is mandatory; before an earth burial, it is not. In the case of repatriation abroad, the public health officer checks the documents for the Leichenpass (mortuary passport).