Kyrgyzstan has banned the cremation of human bodies following the signing of amendments to the law on burial and funeral affairs by President Sadyr Japarov. The law, adopted by Parliament on June 25, 2026, removes provisions allowing the burial of urns containing ashes.
Crematoriums are now defined as facilities for the sanitary thermal disposal of biological materials from medical activities. The use of such facilities for human remains, aborted fetuses, or stillborn fetuses is prohibited.
The law clarifies burial procedures for unidentified, unclaimed, and fetal remains, requiring burial by specialized funeral services at designated cemetery sites. The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to align existing regulations with the new law, which will enter force 10 days after official publication.