How long does it take to enbalm a body?

Answer 1

This depends on how extensive you want to embalm the body, which is often dictated by why you want to embalm the body. Reasons for embalming include for air transport, for viewing, or for donation to medical science, the latter of which would require more extensive embalming techniques. Embalming could take between 45 min. for minimal embalming to four hours for pre-donation embalming. It also depends on the size of the body: the larger the body the more embalming time required. Finally, remains that have been fully autopsied (known as posted) take longer to embalm than bodies that are intact. Bodies that are listed for direct burial or cremation are generally not embalmed unless they are going to be interred into a mausoleum.