Cremation of the Deceased Banned in Kyrgyzstan

The cremation, or burning, of the bodies of people who died in Kyrgyzstan has been banned. This is stipulated in amendments to the law “On Burial and Funeral Affairs” signed by President Sadyr Japarov. Nur.kz reported this.

The document was adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh on June 25, 2026. Under the new procedure, provisions on cremation as a method of burying the deceased have been removed from the law. Rules concerning the burial of urns containing ashes have also been abolished.

The law now defines “cremation” not as the burning of a human body, but as the thermal destruction of biological waste generated by medical activities in specialized facilities.

Therefore, crematoria may not be used to burn the bodies of deceased people or aborted or stillborn fetuses. Such facilities may only be used to destroy biological materials generated by medical activities in accordance with sanitary requirements.

The document also establishes procedures for burying unidentified or unclaimed deceased people. With the consent of the relevant internal affairs agencies, specialized services will bury them in specially designated areas of cemeteries.

The law will enter into force 10 days after its official publication. The government has been tasked with bringing existing regulatory documents into line with the new law.