If death remains a taboo subject in our society, the financial question linked to funerals is just as much so. And so it is often during a death in those close to us that we understand that dying has a price. Potentially high, as evidenced by Tania, who paid around 6,000 francs for her uncle’s funeral.
The fifty-year-old Vaudoise says: “I was his only family and very close to him, so it was normal that I took care of everything. Finally when I say “I”… How super sad I was, completely overwhelmed by the steps to take and pressed for time (editor’s note: in the majority of cantons, the funeral must take place between two and five days after the death) , I delegated everything to a funeral home. Without being interested in the “numbers” aspect. But I should have. Because in hindsight, I think that certain transport costs could have been avoided and others reduced: it seems to me that my uncle could have been taken directly to the funeral center without passing through the mortuary room of this funeral home. Likewise, I’m not sure that the 1800 franc coffin was essential – especially since it was cremated! Well… I was at a loss and when the advisor suggested to me that I couldn’t “still go to the low end for a loved one”, I let myself be convinced. The fact remains that I am not Croesus and when I think about the final bill, I tell myself that we must have some serious means!” she sighs.
Six thousand francs is not nothing – but not rare: according to an estimate from the funeral planning site Everlife, the price of funerals in Switzerland fluctuates “between 3,800 and 8,100 francs” and the site entreprises.ch speaks of 7800 francs on average. Which makes you wonder if you have to be rich to say goodbye…
A very wide price range
Obviously, nothing is that simple. Because, as the Swiss Association of Funeral Services notes, the bill can go from 2000-2500 francs for very “basic” items to sums exceeding 10,000 francs if you have special requests. At issue: our choices and the more or less significant involvement of a funeral home – each salon applying its own rates. But that’s not all. Because funeral costs vary from one canton and even from one commune to another and you will not pay the same amounts depending on whether you die in Lausanne, Bienne, Delémont, Sion or Fribourg.
In Geneva, for example, you may only have to pay for “ancillary” costs such as ceremony, snack, publication of a death notice in the press, flowers, etc., with the City covering the minimum services. for its residents. Administrative formalities, provision of a poplar coffin, placing in coffin (or placing in the coffin and preparation of the deceased), possible deposit in a mortuary chamber, transfer to the place of ceremony, burial or cremation are thus free.
A few things to know…
Concretely, what are the essential funeral expenses? A short, non-exhaustive overview.
The death certificate: This document, generally charged at 30 francs, must be requested from the Civil Status Office of the municipality of death – a process which can be carried out by the funeral home. With money, of course. Note that this act is essential for the various post-mortem formalities – such as the termination of a lease or insurance contracts and the closing of bank accounts.
The coffin: Will humusation, which consists of placing the body on a plant bed then covering it with biomass, change customs? Maybe. In the meantime, the coffin remains obligatory, whether for cremation or burial. You can find them in simple, unadorned wood for around 1000 francs. But also significantly more expensive – which can reach 8,000 francs depending on the species and options chosen. As for the “cardboard” versions, they are certainly more economical but not yet accepted for burial, as crematoriums are not technically suitable for them. Which could soon change, in Geneva in particular.
The urn: It is not obligatory: a container of your choice can be used as long as it can collect approximately 2 liters of ashes. Which can then be taken away. Then preserved or spread wherever desired.
Pouring into beer: Once the deceased person has been carefully groomed and placed in their coffin, which costs between 0 and approximately 200 francs, do we want to offer them a complete makeover? Here again, our choices are worth paying for – but rarely beyond 500 to 550 francs.
Accompaniment: Organized by the funeral home, this important meeting allows you to find out what the deceased person would have wanted. Or, if she hasn’t spoken about it, to go as close as possible to what we assume to be her wishes. In terms of price, this tune-up costs from 0 to 350 francs depending on the salon.
Transportation: This concerns the movement of the body between the place of death and the places of cremation, ceremony or burial, with or without a stopover at the funeral home. Again, no fixed price, it all depends on the company. And the municipality, which can tax or not a funeral procession on its territory.
Cremation/burial taxes: They vary from one municipality to another: just like Geneva, Lausanne provides free admission for its residents but charges non-Lausanne residents: 830 francs for a cremation, 280 francs for a burial and 720 francs for a line grave. .
The ceremony: You can go from practically zero to several hundred or even thousands of francs depending on whether you decide to pay the honors at home, in a small group, or to organize a “large” snack in an outdoor room: in addition to the rental, the staff and the caterer, we must also count the decorations, possibly music…
But still… This is not obligatory, but you may still have to pay for a notice in the press (at a price depending on the titles and millimeters purchased), flowers, post-ceremony thank you cards, a tombstone…
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