Permission for cremation as a prerequisite for burial at sea can only be obtained if the following documents are available:

• Express disposition of the deceased person or - if there is no such disposition - of the next of kin.
• Death certificate or death certificate (for deaths outside the state of Baden-Württemberg).
• Certification by the municipality of the place of death that there are no known indications of a non-natural death.
• Certification by a competent physician that he/she has not found any indications of a non-natural death during the examination of the corpse.

Permission to release the urn to the sea can be obtained from the local authority where the funeral ship has its home port.

Note: The examination of the deceased person must be carried out by a doctor other than the one who carried out the post-mortem examination. Information on the responsible doctors can be obtained from the district offices and the municipal administrations of the city districts that are responsible for the place of death or cremation.