We administer these burials: we check proposals for burials at sea follow the rules and we issue certificates to allow them to go ahead. As a part of the law, we must also notify affected iwi, hapῡ, customary marine title groups and protected customary rights groups. 

What you need to do

Download and read our Guide to Burials at Sea in New Zealand, which explains the rules and gives practical advice for arranging this type of burial. Then send us a Burial at Sea proposal at least three working days before the planned burial.

Please note, this guide is primarily designed for funeral directors and other industry professionals.

Download our Guide to Burials at Sea in New Zealand (pdf 0.5MB)

How to send your proposal

Our Burial at Sea proposal form is designed to help you provide the information we need to issue your certificate. Use this form, or simply send us the required information, preferably by email. 

Download the Burial at Sea Proposal form (docx 1.5MB) 

We prefer all information to be submitted electronically to permitted.compliance@epa.govt.nz  

If you prefer to submit your proposal by mail, send a hard copy to:

The EEZ Compliance Team
Environmental Protection Authority  
Private Bag 63002  
Wellington 6140

Any questions? Please contact us  

If you didn’t find what you needed in our Guide to Burials at Sea, please contact us. 

Email: permitted.compliance@epa.govt.nz 

Phone within New Zealand: 04 916 2426

Phone from overseas: +64 4 916 2426