| Premises in which ashes may be kept without a private columbarium licence include: | |
| (i) | a columbarium in a private cemetery specified in the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) (for the contact information of the major private cemeteries, please press here); |
| (ii) | a columbarium under the management and control of the Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries (for enquiries, please contact 3719 7833); |
| (iii) | domestic premises (no more than 10 containers of ashes are kept and each container contains the ashes of only one person. Domestic premises mean premises used solely or principally for residential purposes and constituting a separate household unit); and |
| (iv) | a columbarium that was in operation immediately before 30 June 2017 and has submitted on or before 29 March 2018 an application for a temporary suspension of liability (TSOL), and the application has not yet been disposed of or withdrawn (grace period is applicable to this category of columbarium); the Private Columbaria Ordinance (the Ordinance) does not prohibit the new interment of ashes during the grace period. Nevertheless, if the above-mentioned private columbarium is applying for a licence but not for an exemption, ashes may be newly interred only in the niches sold before 30 June 2017. If the private columbarium is applying for an exemption, ashes may be newly interred only in the niches sold before 8:00 am on 18 June 2014. Please note: if the above columbarium’s application for a licence, an exemption or TSOL is refused by the Private Columbaria Licensing Board, the private columbarium must cease operation and lawfully dispose of the ashes according to the requirements under the Ordinance, including returning the ashes to the eligible claimants. |
| (Remark: For details, please refer to sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of and Schedule 7 to the Ordinance.) | |