From 2 March 2026, anyone arranging a cremation or burial in Scotland will use new paperwork. Ministers have approved a refresh of every application form and set clearer rules for what crematoria must record, with the aim of making the process simpler and more consistent across the country.

The change is set out in the Burial and Cremation (Applications and Registers) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 (SSI 2025/360). Signed on 20 November 2025 by Jenni Minto and laid before the Scottish Parliament on 24 November 2025, the instrument updates forms and removes guidance notes after consultation with burial and cremation authorities, according to legislation published on legislation.gov.uk.

For cremations, the detailed requirements in regulation 8(3) of the 2019 rules are rewritten. There are specific forms for adults and children, still‑births, and pregnancy loss, with different routes depending on whether an individual or another body (such as an NHS board) arranges the cremation. A dedicated local authority form applies where councils act under section 87 of the 2016 Act.

When body parts are cremated following a post‑mortem, a distinct application is required. The same updated form also covers the cremation of a whole body or body parts after anatomical examination authorised under sections 4(2) and 4A(1) of the Anatomy Act 1984. A legacy route remains for body parts retained where the deceased died before 14 February 1988.

Registers are being modernised too. Rather than prescribing register pages, the law now sets the data every crematorium must capture for three categories: whole bodies, body parts, and stillbirth or pregnancy loss. Required fields include the crematorium and authority, a cremation number, key dates, the deceased’s details, what happened to the ashes, and the funeral director’s contact details where used.

For body parts, the register must also note the parts cremated and any later burial, cremation or hydrolysis of the body. For stillbirth and pregnancy loss cases, crematoria must record the case type, any baby name given, and-where a health authority applied-its unique reference and applicant details, alongside whether ashes were recovered and what was done with them.

Burial paperwork is updated as well. The 2024 Burial (Applications and Register) Regulations are amended to replace forms BF1 to BF7 and make a small drafting fix to clarify wording in the burial application provisions. In short: new forms for all routine burial applications.

There’s a clear transition. If an application for cremation or burial is submitted before 2 March 2026 but the service happens after that date, the existing rules continue to apply to that case. Cremations carried out before 2 March 2026 will also be registered under the current register requirements.

Why this matters to readers north and south of the line: families in Northumberland and Cumbria often choose a Scottish service, and vice‑versa. From March, anyone arranging a cremation in Scotland-regardless of where they live-must use the new Scottish forms. That includes funeral directors based in Berwick, Carlisle and along the A1 and A7 corridors who regularly work across the Border.

Scottish councils have clearer paperwork where they step in under section 87 to arrange a funeral. English councils won’t see their public health funerals law change, but teams liaising with Scottish crematoria or transferring remains for a Scottish service should be ready for the refreshed forms and tighter recording of ashes outcomes.

For funeral homes, the practical work starts now: update case‑management templates to the new A1–A7 and BF1–BF7 formats, brief staff on categories covering pregnancy loss and anatomical examination, and agree with partner crematoria how register data will be shared. Families should expect clearer questions about ashes, with decisions recorded in a standard way.

These amendments sit within the framework of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 and the Cremation (Scotland) Regulations 2019. SSI 2025/360 was authorised by Jenni Minto and published on legislation.gov.uk. As operational guidance emerges ahead of the 2 March 2026 start, we’ll return to what councils and funeral directors across the North need to do.