Burial

What information do I need to know when buying a funeral concession?

Publié le 28 octobre 2024 - Mise à jour le 29 octobre 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

In this period of All Saints, Public Service provides an update on the questions you may have about funeral concessions. Who can acquire a concession in a municipality? What are the different types of concessions that exist? How long? What procedure is followed when a concession is abandoned? Here are some practical answers to help you.

One funeral concession is a place in a cemetery (cellar, tomb) or in a columbarium (urns containing the ashes of cremated persons).

The contract signed with the municipality, called act of concession, specify the beneficiaries and the duration of the concession.

Find the handsheets proposed on Public Service for specific answers on the funeral concessions.

Who can acquire a concession in a municipality?

Article L. 2223-3 of the General Code of Local Authorities (CGCT) specifies the persons for whom the burial in a cemetery in a municipality is due. These are people:

  • deceased in its territory, irrespective of their domicile;
  • domiciled in the territory of the commune, even if they have died in another commune or not domiciled in the commune but who have the right to a family burial (family or collective concession).

French citizens living outside France who do not have a family burial in the commune and who are registered on the electoral lists of the commune also have a right to burial.

Please note

If you do not meet these conditions, you have the right to apply for a concession in the municipality. However, the mayor may refuse your request because of a lack of places in the cemetery, for example. It is useful to consult the cemetery's office before submitting your application.

What are the different types of concessions?

There are 3 types of concession:

  • the individual concession is reserved for the person who acquired it;
  • the collective concession is reserved for the persons designated in the act of funeral concession, whether they are family or not. If the holder can, during his lifetime, change the beneficiaries, no person can be added to the contract after his death;
  • the family concession is reserved for its initial holder and members of his family.

What is the duration of a concession?

Municipalities may establish 4 concession periods:

  • temporary concessions granted between 5 and 15 years;
  • 30-year concessions;
  • 50-year concessions;
  • perpetual concessions (if maintained and there are still heirs).

A concession is also convertible into a longer-term concession, for example, a 30-year-old concession into a 50-year-old concession. It is appropriate to contact the town hall that granted the concession. However, it is for the municipal council to choose the concession periods it wishes to grant, in particular in view of the place the municipality has in the cemetery.

Please note

The term of a funeral concession begins on the date of its acquisition. The concession belongs to the holder or co-holders. After the death of the person holding the concession, it belongs to his heirs (undivided). You can apply for renewal if you are an heir to the concession. In this case, you must apply for renewal to the town hall where the cemetery depends, within 2 years of the expiry of the concession.

FYI  

The price of a concession is set by the municipal council and varies from one municipality to another. It may also vary depending on the location of the concession.

What procedure for an abandoned concession?

The holder of the funeral concession is required to maintain his burial, for example to check that the monument does not collapse and to respect the cemetery's rules. In the event of damage to a concession (indecent or dilapidated appearance), the municipality may establish its state of abandonment and initiate a take-back procedure where:

  • the concession is more than 30 years old;
  • the last burial was at least 10 years ago;
  • the state of abandonment is established.
  • one 1 year waiting period from the statement of abandonment is respected.

The state of abandonment must be noted by a report drawn up on the spot by the mayor (or his delegate). The family or person responsible for the maintenance of the concession must be informed of this report.

Know that one 1 year waiting period from the statement of abandonment is respected.

Please note

If a person who died for France is buried in the concession, a minimum period of 50 years must be respected from the time of his burial.

FYI  

The maintenance of the graves of the deceased is a moral duty but also a regulatory obligation. Indeed, Article R. 2223-17 of the General Code of Local Authorities provides that burial concessions of more than 30 years left to be abandoned (10 years after the last burial) may be taken over by the town halls.

The concession is a simple right of use. The municipality remains the owner of the land.

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