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The passing of a loved one is always an incredibly stressful period. Besides the grief that one has to deal with, there are a whole host of other matters that have to be attended to. These include handling the will of the deceased, taking out an obituary in the newspaper, obtaining a death certificate, settling the logistics of the wake and funeral, handling the cremation process, and most importantly, finding the final resting place for the remains. With so many things to think about, we thought we’d help you out with an all-in-one guide on the two most important matters to be settled — cremation and storage of remains.
In this article, we will outline the process of cremating and finding a final resting place for a loved one at the Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium.
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium is often selected as the final resting place due to its large size and the fact that it houses both a crematorium and columbarium. This was in part due to the Singapore government’s plans to create a facility that can handle the bulk of the nation’s cremation services.
Throughout the article, we will be covering everything you need to know about the facility at Mandai, including information like its location, scheduling and booking, price, and operating hours. We’ll also explore some alternatives to common practices.
First, let’s answer the often asked question, “What is a crematorium, and what is a columbarium?”
1) What is a Crematorium and Columbarium?
A crematorium (or crematory) is a complex where the dead can be cremated. Most modern crematoria contain at least one cremator, which is a purpose-built furnace. Many crematoria around the world also house additional facilities like a viewing hall, temple, and columbarium.
A columbarium is a structure where funerary urns that hold cremated remains can be stored.
2) About Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium is one of the two government-run complexes that provides cremation, burial, columbarium, and ash scattering services. The complex is the most commonly picked final resting place for many Singaporeans. Mandai Crematorium was just the second crematorium to be constructed in Singapore. It was built after the first crematorium, Mount Vernon Crematorium, reached its maximum capacity in the late 1970s.
Upon initial completion in 1982, Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium consisted of four big cremators and four small cremators, as well as 1,200 niches. Shortly after the complex opened, it was designated to cremate the exhumed remains of Singaporeans from decommissioned cemeteries.
In 2000, the Singapore government decided that all cremation services were to be designated to Mandai. In order to deal with the new uptick in operations, a new extension to the crematorium was built south of the original complex. The extension, which was finally completed in 2004, added four service halls, four viewing halls, 12 cremators, and one waiting hall.
The columbarium section of the Mandai complex was also expanded to include remains displaced from the planned closure of Mount Vernon Crematorium.
Further expansions to Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium are being planned and constructed. These expansions include six service halls, six viewing halls, three waiting halls, and 18 cremators. The complex sits in the Central Catchment Area and is surrounded by lush natural greenery. The still waters of Seletar Reservoir can be viewed from the upper levels of the columbarium.
The complex can be found at 300 Mandai Road, Singapore 779393.
3) Mandai Crematorium Schedule and Bookings
Mandai Crematorium handles the cremation process at the Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium complex. Applicants may call the office of Mandai Crematorium at 6554 5655 between 8:30am and 4:30pm to make enquiries for the application of cremation services. Do take note that the booking office is closed for lunch between 1:00pm – 2:00pm.
Bookings can also be made online at the National Environmental Agency’s (NEA) web portal. Of course, if you choose to book in person, you can do it at the booking office at the Mandai complex.
It is important that you read through the terms and conditions before making a booking at the crematorium as this will prevent any confusion or time wastage. The main points of the terms and conditions include documents that need to be presented when making the booking. The documents you’ll need are:
Documents needed at Mandai Crematorium
Original Death Certificate
Original Permit to Cremate
Identification of Next-of-kin and Applicant
Letter of authorization, if the applicant is not a next-of-kin of the deceased
Once you’ve made your booking, you can make payment via NETS, cash card, or credit card. The cost of cremation is $100 for adults and $50 for children under 10 years old. All cancellations and changes to confirmed bookings must be made by the applicant or next-of-kin of the deceased in person at the booking office, together with all relevant documents.
4) Mandai Columbarium Schedule and Bookings
Cremated ashes from the Crematorium can be stored in columbarium niches found at the Mandai Columbarium. Bookings for a niche at the columbarium can be made over the phone at 6554 5655, online at the same NEA web portal, or in person at the booking office of the Mandai complex. Similar to booking for a cremation, it is important that you read through the terms and conditions before making a booking at the columbarium to avoid confusion. The operating hours of the columbarium differ from the crematorium, and they are as follows:
Mandai Columbarium Operating Hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 8:30am – 4:30pm
Saturdays: 8:30am – 12:30pm
Closed for lunch at: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
No advance booking of niches is allowed and payment is to be made once the niche is confirmed. You will need the following documents for the niche booking:
Documents needed at Mandai Columbarium
Death Certificate (original)
Identification Papers of Next-of-kin (e.g. NRIC, passport, etc.)
Letter of Authorisation (if applicant is not a next-of-kin)
Once you have made your booking, you will be required to make payment via NETS, cash card, or credit card. The price of a Standard Niche is $500, and the price of a Family Niche is $900. Family niches are larger and can usually store at least two urns. All niches at Mandai Columbarium are allocated sequentially. An additional $250 selection fee will apply if you choose to select a different location from the one that was allocated to you.
5) Ash Scattering
Besides storing the remains of the deceased at Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium, you also have the option of ash scattering. This untraditional rite has become more common in recent times. There are two options for ash scattering in Singapore — you can either do it at sea or do it inland at designated areas.
Scattering ashes at sea (also known as a sea burial) involves releasing the remains from a ship or a boat. You have the option of either scattering the ashes or bones across the water, or placing the cremated remains in a biodegradable urn and gently releasing the urn into the water.
There are several funeral parlors in Singapore that can provide this service to grieving families. The price of such services usually range between $100 – $480. Sea burials are easy to perform and are often also less stressful due to having lesser traditional funeral rites.
If sea burials are not what you’re looking for, an alternative is Inland Ash Scattering. This practice is managed by the National Environmental Agency and can be done at the Garden of Peace. This purpose built garden was designed as an open garden setting with designated lanes for the scattering of cremated ashes. Each lane is spaciously laid out and surrounded by trees and hedges. This provides some privacy to grieving families, as well as a respectful and dignified environment for the ash scattering process.
This serene and tranquil garden setting is open from 9:00am to 5:00am daily, except on days where maintenance is being carried out. Bookings for ash scattering services at the Garden of Peace can be made online, over the phone at 6554 5655, or in person at the Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium booking office.
Booking hours are Mondays to Sundays 8:30am – 4:30pm, except during lunch from 1:00pm – 2:00pm. Payment can be made via NETS, cash card, and credit card at the booking office. The booking fee is $320.
The documents you will need before the ash scattering service include:
Application of Inland Ash Scattering
Identification papers (e.g. NRIC, passport) of authorised person or next-of- kin
It is important to note that only fine ashes are to be scattered at the Garden of Peace. The service to turn cremated human ashes into fine ashes can be found at the following facilities:
| Ash Collection Centre at Choa Chu Kang Crematorium | 960 Old Choa Chu Kang Road, Singapore 699818
Operating hours:
Monday to Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Saturday 8:30am – 12:30pm
(closed for lunch from 12:30pm – 1:30pm) (closed on Sundays and Public Holidays) |
| Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Booking Office | (For ash collection on weekends and public holidays only)
910 Choa Chu Kang Road, Singapore 699819
Operating hours: Weekends and Public Holidays 8:30am – 4:30pm (closed for lunch from 1:00pm – 2:00pm) |
| Ash Collection Centre at Mandai Crematorium | 300 Mandai Road, Singapore 779393
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday 8:30am – 4:30pm daily (closed for lunch from 1:00pm – 2:00pm) |
6) Burials
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium does not provide any burial services. However, if you would prefer to have a burial instead of cremating your loved one, the only cemetery in Singapore that is still open for burials is Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Complex. The complex can be found at:
910 Choa Chu Kang Road
Singapore 699819
Tel: 67937428
Once again, it is important to read through the terms and conditions before making a booking. Burial bookings can be made over the phone or in person at the booking office of the Choa Chu Kang complex. The booking hours are Mondays to Sundays 8:30am – 4:30pm, except for lunch between 1:00pm – 2:00pm.
You will need the following documents for verification before the burial:
Death Certificate (original)
Permit to Bury (original)
Identification Papers of Next-of-kin and Applicant (e.g. NRIC, passport, etc.)
Letter of Authorisation (if applicant is not a next-of-kin)
Upon confirmation of your booking, you will be required to make payment via NETS, cash card, or credit card. Burials are by far the most expensive option and can cost up to $1,880. For more accurate prices, please refer to the chart below:
For Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents
| Location | Adults and children of and above 10 years of age | Children below 10 years of age |
| Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery | $315 | $140 |
| Choa Chu Kang Ahmadiyya Jama’at Cemetery | $315 | $140 |
| Choa Chu Kang Jewish Cemetery | $315 | $140 |
| Choa Chu Kang Parsi Cemetery | $315 | $140 |
| Choa Chu Kang Bahai Cemetery | $315 | $140 |
| All Government cemeteries other than those mentioned | $940 | $420 |
For burials of a person who isn’t a citizen or permanent resident, the cost of burying an adult is $1,880 and the cost of burying a child below the age of 10 is $940. Foreigners are allowed to be buried in Singapore only if the deceased persons have immediate family members who are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Due to space constraints, burial periods for all graves are limited to 15 years. At the end of the 15 years, the graves will be exhumed. The outcome of the remains depend on the religious affiliation of the deceased. For those whose religions permit cremation, the exhumed remains will be cremated and stored in a columbarium. Where burial is mandated by religion, the exhumed remains will be re-buried in smaller individual plots.
7) Final thoughts
While the option of a burial is often what most people would prefer, the lack of space in Singapore makes it an expensive and unsustainable option. Cremation and storage in a columbarium is the common route, and Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium is a complex that can handle both of these matters.
Finally, ash scattering is slowly becoming more common over the years, and it’s something to be considered.
8) Funeral Services in Singapore for your Loved One
The passing of a loved one is a painful experience, and we will definitely want to have the best sendoff for them.
Besides writing the Best Condolences Message for the passing of a loved one, a trustworthy Funeral Services Singapore provider will make the best of the final sendoff for your him or her.
At Ang Brothers Funeral Services Singapore, they have a wealth of over 40 years of funeral services experience, providing this service for all major religions in Singapore, which include:
Buddhist Funeral Services
Taoist Funeral Services
Christian Funeral Services
Catholic Funeral Services
Soka Funeral Services
Have a loved one that just passed on? Enquire with us to understand more on how can they take care of your loved one’s funeral needs.
We hope this article has helped you on knowing more about Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium!
