After the funeral, the administrator of the estate of the deceased has to assess any life, health and accident insurances the deceased may have had. It is also worth asking whether the deceased’s workplace or trade union provides burial grants for funeral arrangements. Also, any organisation that paid a pension to the deceased should be notified of the death.

The estate inventory has to be carried out within three months of the death. Certain official documents are required about the deceased and their heirs for the inventory. Extracts from the population register can be ordered from the Central Registry or, for non-members of the church, from the Local Register Office.

Management and maintenance of the grave

The Burial Services of the Parish Union of Helsinki is in charge of matters pertaining to the management of a grave and grave maintenance agreements. The term of the exclusive right of burial is 25 years. The holder of the right of burial right does not own the actual grave, however, but the agreement is similar to a rental contract that can be extended after the expiry date. The ashes placed in the Kallio Church columbarium are kept there for years, after which they will be interred in a grave carved in the rock under the church.

There are strict rules about who can be buried in a certain grave. In general, the right of burial only extends to family members. These strict rules have been created to avoid any disputes over graves.

The care of the grave is the responsibility of the holder of the exclusive burial right. You can do it yourself or outsource it to the Parish Union of Helsinki for one or more years at a time. Maintenance for a grave can be ordered from the Burial Services or cemetery offices. In areas where graves are tended by the cemetery staff, they will be maintained for a separate fee. The Parish Union tends the gardens of remembrance. Further information about the fees is available on the Parish Union of Helsinki website.

Tombstones

The tombstone placed on the grave must comply with the memorial regulations of the Parish Union of Helsinki.