How to choose a funeral director in Singapore

Many families make their first call to a funeral director within hours of a death, sometimes in the middle of the night. You may be tired, upset and unsure what to ask. This page gives you a short list of questions, a few warning signs, and a plain explanation of what licensing does and does not tell you.

You do not have to decide everything on the first call. It is fine to speak to more than one director, ask for details in writing, and take a little time before you agree.

Before you call

If you can, take a few minutes to note down:

• Any wishes the person who died shared, such as burial or cremation, or a preferred religious rite.
• Roughly how many days of wake the family has in mind.
• Where you would like the wake to be held, for example at home, at a void deck, or at a funeral parlour.
• Who in the family will make the decisions and sign the agreement.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) encourages families to start by considering the wishes of the deceased and the family, then ask clear questions before buying. Having these points ready makes the calls shorter and easier.

Questions to ask each funeral director

Availability

• Are you available 24 hours a day, and can you collect the body tonight if needed?
• Who will I be dealing with from now until the funeral? Is there one person I can call?

What the package includes

• What exactly is in the package, item by item? For example, body collection, embalming, the casket, the wake setup, tentage, chairs and tables, a hearse, and transport to the crematorium or cemetery.
• Which items are not included, and what do they cost?
• Will you apply for the Permit to Cremate or Bury on our behalf? NEA allows families to authorise a funeral director to do this.

CCCS advises families to clarify phrases such as “one-stop service” or “full package” so you know what you are getting for the price you pay, and to check that all mandatory costs are included.

Religion and customs

• Do you regularly serve families of our religion or tradition?
• Can you arrange the religious leaders, prayers or rites we need, or do we arrange them ourselves?

The wake venue

• Can you set up the wake at the venue we have in mind?
• If the wake is at an HDB void deck, will you help with the permit? A wake at a void deck needs a permit from the Town Council.

Embalming

• Will the body be embalmed, and where? Do you run your own licensed funeral parlour with embalming facilities, or do you use another licensed parlour?

The quote and payment

• Can you give me a written, itemised quote before we agree?
• If the final bill can differ from the package price, what would cause that?
• When is payment due, and how much, if any, is needed up front?
• Will you ask me before adding anything that is not in the agreed quote?

Warning signs

Most funeral directors work hard to help families at a difficult time. Still, it helps to know what to look out for. CCCS has flagged practices such as charging for add-ons the family did not agree to, and not making clear that the final price may differ from the package price.

Be careful if a director:

• Pushes you to sign or pay immediately, before you have seen what is included.
• Gives only a single total price and will not break it down.
• Is vague about what is included, or says “everything is covered” without detail.
• Adds items during the wake without asking.
• Discourages you from reading the agreement or invoice before signing.

CCCS suggests reading the agreement or invoice before you sign or pay, to make sure only the items you agreed to are included. If something is unclear, ask. A good funeral director will be happy to explain.

What NEA licensing means, and what it does not

This is a common point of confusion.

In Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) licenses funeral parlours with embalming facilities under the Environmental Public Health Act. The licence is about the premises where embalming and body preparation happen, and the aim is to uphold environmental hygiene standards. Licensed parlours must, for example, use NEA-registered embalmers and keep records that track each body from arrival to removal.

There is no licence for being a funeral director as such. A funeral director is the person or firm that arranges the funeral with you. Many directors do not run their own embalming premises. Instead, they use a licensed parlour for embalming, which is a normal and common arrangement.

So:

• A firm that holds a parlour licence has premises that NEA has licensed for embalming.
• A firm without a parlour licence is not doing anything wrong: there is no licence for arranging funerals. If embalming is needed, ask where it will be done.
• The licence does not rate a firm’s prices, service or care. You still need to ask the questions above.

You can read more on our page about NEA licensing.

Comparing your options

If you have time, speak to two or three directors and compare their itemised quotes side by side. Look at what is included, not just the total. A lower price may leave out items another firm includes, and a higher price may cover things you do not need.

When you are ready, you can find a funeral director in our directory. You can search by area, see which religions a firm lists on its own website, and check which firms run an NEA-licensed parlour.