FAQ

1. Call us for immediate and step-by-step guidance.
2. Get the certificate of cause of death and subsequently death certificate.
3. Prepare a set of clothes and a photograph for enlargement.

Yes, our professional embalmers would help put the dentures back in the mouth of the deceased.

Bodies where the death cause cannot be confidently ascertained by doctors for various reasons would be sent to the Health Sciences Authority (Singapore General Hospital Block 9). An investigating officer would be assigned for each case and the Coroner would determine whether an autopsy is to be conducted to unearth the death cause. Do be prepared to wait for quite a while as a longer waiting time is needed if autopsy is being done to find out the death cause.

It is not mandated by law for bodies to be embalmed in order for funeral wakes to be held. However, if a viewing of the body is preferred, we strongly encourage embalming for a decent presentation of the body. Alternatively, the body can be placed in a coffin without a viewing panel and sealed hermetically for up to 7 days before burial or cremation.

Some decisions that have to be made for a funeral are:

• Location of wake (HDB void deck, HDB multipurpose hall, Funeral Parlours, Inside of the house)
• Number of days of the funeral wake
• Religion of the deceased and consequently the funeral wake
• Colors of tentage curtain drapings to be used. The usual colors are white and yellow but we do offer other colors as well.
• Species and color of floral frame.
• Songs to be played at the wake, if any.
• Whether cremation or burial is preferred.
• Whether a limousine or normal van hearse is to be used.

It is not customary for Christians and Catholics to wear mourning clothes (white T shirts) during the funeral wake. It is commonplace however to see descendants of the deceased wearing white T shirts and pants of differing colors. In the olden days, the uniform color worn is used to identify the family members of the deceased. Pants of different colors would be worn to identify which generation the descendant of the deceased belongs to. Note that these mourning clothes are usually provided on a consignment basis, meaning they are only charged per consumption.

An email will be sent upon body collection where the progress of the entire funerary process would be updated in real time. Another email would be sent when the body is collected from the embalming care centre to be sent to the wake venue. This allows family members to track at which stage of the funeral process the body is at.

At Harmony Funeral Care, we understand that some families might be financially tight during the demise of their loved one due to various reasons. It is our belief that everyone should have a dignified send off regardless of the financial background. Hence, we offer customized installment plans to allow families the flexibility of paying for the funeral service in stages so as to aid them in their cash flow management.

Yes, we do offer pro-bono funeral services out of goodwill. Usually such cases are referred to us by social workers of the hospitals and hospices.

Yes, you can pre-plan your own funeral. In fact, it is getting increasingly popular especially among families with older folks and cancer patients. We strongly encourage you to look into complementary issues like wills and trusts if you're planning your own funeral in advance so as to get holistic coverage. Contact us for a non-obligatory, customised consultation.

It is a myth that embalming involves taking organs out of a deceased's body. Embalming is usually done by draining blood out from the arteries of a cadaver and then putting preservatives fluids in whilst keeping the innards intact. However, for autopsy cases where the body has already been dissected to determine the cause of death, the organs would be removed and placed in preservatives fluid before being placed back into the body.

There are 3 crematoriums in Singapore:

1. Mandai Crematorium at 300 Mandai Road which accepts funerals of all religion.
2. Tse Tho Aum Crematorium at 601 Sin Ming Drive which accepts deceased with Buddhism or Taoism as his/her religion and;
3. Bright Hill Temple at 88 Bright Hill Road which also holds cremation for Buddhists and Taoists.

Different fees apply for the different crematoriums. Please contact us for further assistance.

Various things to consider after the funeral:

1. Would the funeral expense be reimbursable from the un-nominated CPF monies of the deceased? (Subjected to conditions being met and capped at $6k)
2. Apply for a letter of administration if no will is written by decedent, or for a grant of probate if a will has been written.
3. Apply for insurance claims (if any).

We have a team of lawyers helping us in these areas of expertise. Do allow us to help you.

Sea burials are conducted at either 51 Lorong Bekukong or Marina South Pier. Although the starting points are different, the only area allowed for ash scattering is in the open sea about 2.8KM off Pulau Semakau. Ash scattering can be conducted using a while cloth or a bio-degradeable urn or even a marble urn.

Funeral parlour options available can be found here.

At Harmony Funeral Care, we have a Catholic Funeral Minister as well as various Christian Pastors on board on a voluntary basis. We have Buddhist Monks and Taoist Priests that we engage for the funerary rites as well. Thus, we are able to source for religious leaders to help out in the needed rites if you do not have one.

Yes, it is possible to export the body back to the homeland of the deceased. We would need a few details to better assist you. We would need the rough weight of the deceased and the final destination where the body is to be shipped. Necessary documents like the embalming certificate and sealing certificate would be prepared by us to assist in the entire process of exporting the body back.

Do note that the word 'export' has to be stamped on the death certificate for the body to be exported.

Yes, you can export the ashes back to the deceased's homeland if cremation was done in Singapore. It will be cheaper than exporting the entire body back as the weight is a lot lesser.

A funeral can be conducted with or without a wake, depending on the family's budget and preference.

A funeral service without a wake is called a direct cremation. A direct cremation is one of the cheaper alternative and involves collection of the decedent and then going for cremation after providing the deceased with a final cleaning and change of clothes.

A funeral service with a wake is the most common option but would incur more costs for the venue.