Construction of First Crematorium in Cyprus Scheduled for September 2026
- Maplebrook Services
- 49 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Cyprus has taken a long-awaited step toward offering cremation services on the island. Planning approval has been granted for the country’s first crematorium, which will be built in Agia Varvara, in the Paphos district.
A first for Cyprus
The project is being developed by Golden Leaves Cyprus Crematorium Limited, who received planning approval after cremation legislation was introduced in the Republic ten years ago.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2026 and the facility is expected to be completed in 2027.
What the project includes
The crematorium is planned to include ceremony halls and landscaped memorial areas. The facility will use cremation systems with advanced filtration and low-emission technology and will operate in line with European environmental regulations.
The company says the service is intended to provide a modern and dignified alternative to traditional burial.
Why it matters
The new facility is meant to fill a long-standing gap in funeral services in Cyprus. The report says many people on the island, including both Cypriot citizens and international residents, have until now had to travel abroad for cremation.
That has often meant extra cost and more complicated arrangements for families. The approval therefore marks an important development in how end-of-life services are offered in Cyprus.
A delayed project
The project did not move forward quickly. Plans faced a setback last year after the Ayia Varvara village council requested additional square metres following an initial licence to construct a crematorium.
The same report notes that cremation has been legal in Cyprus since 2016, but no crematorium had been built until now.
The people behind it
Golden Leaves Cyprus Crematorium Limited is described as a joint venture between Golden Leaves Ltd, a UK-based company founded in 1984 and Angel Guardians Funeral Home, a Paphos funeral director founded in 2010.
Maureen Watt, director of Angel Guardians Funeral Home and a representative of the project, said the company was proud to reach the milestone and aimed to offer a dignified, modern choice for families.
The approval makes Cyprus one step closer to having its first crematorium after years of legislative change and planning delays.
How to apply for cremation in Cyprus
People who want to be cremated in Cyprus must fill out an official form - available in Greek and English - and deliver it to the district office to give their consent. Cremation cannot proceed without this written consent.
The form is based on The Cremation of Human Remains Law of 2016 (53(I)/2016) and includes a declaration that the person is of sound mind and voluntarily requests cremation, with space to state how the ashes should be handled.
It also warns that it is illegal to scatter ashes in the sea, so that option must not be written on the form. Instead, the document lists permitted or intended choices such as family retention, burial in a family plot, taking the ashes abroad, leaving them with the funeral home, having the executor keep them or interring them in a crematorium garden of remembrance, with or without attendees. Download the form by clicking the button below.
More information about the crematorium
Golden Leaves Cyprus Crematorium has launched a new website featuring comprehensive information for interested parties. Click here to visit their website.
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