Resomation moves closer, but is not yet a right
The Cabinet sends a bill on new funeral options to the Council of State.
Resomation is to become a legal option in the Netherlands alongside burial and cremation. The Cabinet sent the bill to the Council of State for advice on Friday, but the new method is therefore not yet permitted.
The proposal replaces the current Wet op de lijkbezorging with the Wet bestemming lichamen van overledenen. Minister Heerma of the Interior sent the proposal to the Council of State, also on behalf of the ministers of Justice and Security and Health, Welfare and Sport.
In resomation, a body is dissolved in an alkaline liquid. The government wants to give people an additional choice in what happens to their body. According to the explanatory memorandum, dignity, the interests of next of kin and public health must remain central.
The bill also contains changes to existing forms of funeral. Two deceased people could be buried or cremated together in a single coffin. It would also become possible to place an urn in the same coffin, while burial within 24 hours would become easier.
The law is not concerned only with funerals. According to information from the Cabinet, the police and forensic doctors will have more scope to investigate when there is doubt about the cause of death. The Cabinet wants to prevent a possible crime from going unnoticed.
The Council of State is now assessing, among other things, the proposal’s legal quality and practical feasibility. The Cabinet may then need to amend the bill before submitting it to the Lower House (Tweede Kamer). Parliament has therefore not yet voted on it.
The precise technical and practical rules are not public either. Verbond van Uitvaartzorg warned on Friday that the current text of the proposal is not yet available. As a result, it is not yet clear what requirements will be imposed on equipment, permits and supervision.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Cabinet wants to make resomation legally possible.
- The proposal still has to be assessed by the Council of State and Parliament.
- The method concerns dignity, public health, next of kin and freedom of choice.
Left
Arguments The government should give people more control over their bodies and funerals, provided public health and supervision are properly regulated.
Values Autonomy, inclusivity and scope for new, potentially less burdensome forms of farewell.
Consequences A ban would unnecessarily restrict people; inadequate regulation could instead cause inequality and uncertainty.
Centre
Arguments An additional choice is defensible, but its introduction should depend on careful legal, medical and practical supervision.
Values Legal certainty, practical feasibility and protection of next of kin.
Consequences A phased introduction could make room for innovation without leaving municipalities and funeral companies unprepared.
Right
Arguments The state should be restrained in prescribing how people deal with their bodies and farewells, but should also guard against new public costs.
Values Personal freedom, responsibility and limited government.
Consequences The method can be permitted if the costs and supervisory burdens do not end up being imposed uncontrollably on taxpayers.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central points are based on the Cabinet’s statement and an independent response from the funeral sector. The text clearly distinguishes between a bill and law currently in force.
- confirmed The bill was sent to the Council of State on 25 September 2026. — This is stated in the news report by the Dutch national government. source
- confirmed The proposal permits resomation alongside existing funeral forms. — The Dutch national government refers to resomation as a new form of disposal. source
- confirmed The current text of the bill is not yet publicly available. — Verbond van Uitvaartzorg explicitly reported this. source
- confirmed Under the current rules, resomation is not yet a permitted form of disposal. — The Dutch national government’s current information lists burial and cremation as permitted forms and does not refer to resomation as an existing option. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the Cabinet has sent the bill to the Council of State and wants to permit resomation. The current text of the bill and the implementing rules are not yet public; its introduction is not certain.Sources
- Wetsvoorstel bestemming lichamen overledenen naar Raad van State — Rijksoverheid
- Nieuwe uitvaartwet in het nieuws, maar actuele wetsvoorstel nog niet beschikbaar — Verbond van Uitvaartzorg
- Wanneer mag ik een overledene laten begraven of cremeren? — Rijksoverheid
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „resomeren uitvaart”
- NU.nl — „resomeren uitvaart”
- De Telegraaf — „resomeren uitvaart”