Is it illegal to be buried without cremation?

Whether burial without cremation is illegal depends on whether there are cremation conditions in the local area.

The state practices cremation system. Except for ethnic minorities who are not suitable for cremation due to customs and habits, cremation should be carried out. It is illegal to bury the bodies of rural residents without cremation after their death. It is not illegal to bury people in areas that do not have cremation conditions.

The punishment for not being cremated or buried is: those who fail to be cremated nearby according to the regulations shall be ordered to be cremated within a time limit, and those who fail to perform within the time limit shall be forcibly cremated, and a fine of three to five times the cremation cost shall be imposed.

The policy of funeral management in China is to actively and step by step carry out cremation, reform burial, save funeral land, get rid of funeral habits and advocate civilized and thrifty funeral management.

Cremation, commonly known as "cremation", "cooked burial" or "corpse burning", is a way to dispose of corpses. Specifically, it is to burn the body into ashes, then put it in a container, bury it in the soil, scatter it in water or air, and even shoot it into space with a rocket. China advocates cremation, which has been advocated since the founding of the People's Republic of China for reasons such as protecting cultivated land and saving land resources.

It is forbidden to build graves in the following areas:

1, cultivated land and forest land;

2, city parks, scenic spots and cultural relics protection areas;

3. Near reservoirs, river dams and water source protection areas;

4. On both sides of railway and highway trunk lines.

Legal basis: Article 4 of the Regulations on Funeral Management: Cremation shall be carried out in areas with dense population, less cultivated land and convenient transportation; Burial is allowed in areas that do not have cremation conditions.

Areas where cremation and burial are allowed shall be designated by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the civil affairs departments of the people's governments at the corresponding levels shall report to the civil affairs departments of the State Council for the record.