Frequently Asked Questions

I want to arrange to be cryopreserved. Where do I start?

With a cryonics storage provider.

UK cryonicists tend to have signed up with either Alcor, Cryonics Institute or KrioRus. You can contact them directly via their own websites.

You will also need a funding mechanism. A common method is life insurance with the storage provider named as the beneficiary in a trust deed.

Additionally, if you want someone to walk you through it step by step, contact one of our team at enquiries@cryonics-uk.org

How much does it cost?

The cost can vary depending on the provider and the options chosen. The preservation fee can be covered by life insurance or prepayment (other funding options may be available). There are annual membership dues to pay whilst you are alive. There are no ongoing charges after preservation. Part of the preservation fee is placed into a trust fund by the storage provider to provide long term patient care. The following information was correct at the time of publication:

Alcor whole body preservation is $210,000, head only preservation is $90,000, with annual membership of $525. Alcor preservation fees include storage, shipping and emergency assistance.

Cryonics Institute whole body preservation is $35,000 with annual membership of $120. Or $28,000 with lifetime membership of $1250. Cryonics Institute preservation fees include storage only. You will also need emergency assistance, see below for costs.

KrioRus whole body preservation is $36,000, head only preservation is $18,000, membership fees unknown. KrioRus preservation fees include storage only. You will also need emergency assistance, see below for costs.

How can I know that it works?

You can't... yet. You have a choice though: you can try it, and maybe live or maybe die. Or you can not try it, and definitely die. Cryonics is an experimental field and comes with no guarantees. When thinking about signing up, it helps to balance the potential benefit against the time and cost involved in taking part in the experiment.

How can I know it's not a scam?

Cryonics has been around for over fifty years now. Many operators in the field are non-profit organisations. You can tour the facilities and visit the patient storage areas. Cryonics UK is a non-profit organisation operated by volunteers. Feel free to come along to our training weekends to see what we're about. If you really think it's a scam, don't sign up.

If you're not a cryonics storage provider, what do you do exactly?

Cryonics UK has several roles. We act as a cryonics information resource for potential cryonics patients and their families, other cryonics groups, medical service providers, regulatory bodies, the media and the general public. We carry out research and development in respect of emergency protocols, techniques and equipment. We also research the legal and logistical considerations affecting cryonics. The fruits of our research and development are made available in the form of operational documentation, practical training, technical reports and document templates. Our approach is to share what we know to encourage others with an interest in the field to contribute to the improvement of infrastructure and furtherance of research. Cryonics UK also aims to educate the public on the ethos and realities of cryonics so that whether or not people are supporters of the field, they make that decision with a sound understanding. And, of course, we also provide cryonics emergency assistance.

What is cryonics emergency assistance?

It's said that a friend will help you move, but a true friend will help you move a body. That's part of what we do. We aim to attend cryonics patients pre-motem so as to enable an immediate response upon clinical death. We will initiate cardio pulmonary support, carry out the initial cool down, administer stabilisation medications and transport them to mortuary facilities for the surgical phase. Once sufficiently cool, we will carry out a blood wash out and perfuse with cryoprotectants. After surgery, they will be cooled in dry ice over several days and then shipped to their cryonics storage provider.

How do I know you'll show up?

Cryonics UK is not a commercial service provider. The organisation is operated entirely by volunteers. As such, there is no guarentee that volunteers would be willing or available to attend any given emergency call-out. However, our volunteers are committed and we have an excellent track record of availability.

How do I fund cryonics emergency assistance?

Cryonics Institute members can cover Cryonics UK emergency assistance costs by overfunding their storage fee with CI. They can then complete an additional form to allow CI to reimburse Cryonics UK

Alcor will make emergency assistance arrangements on a case by case basis as they see fit. Current practice is to deploy Alcor staff and/or Cryonics UK. Our costs are covered by Alcor in such circumstances. 

Can you break down the possible costs of emergency assistance?

Cryonics UK is a non-profit organisation operated by volunteers. To ensure the financial viability of Cryonics UK, we must recover the direct costs incurred in providing a particular emergency call-out plus a fixed contribution towards general operating costs.

The following charges are fairly comprehensive:
Medications and consumables               - £2,800
Airway management consumables         - £230
Data logging consumables                     - £65
Perfusion kit consumables                     - £375
Agency doctor's fee                               - £1,745
Embalmer and mortuary hire                 - £1,000
Funeral Director's fees & expenses        - £4,500
Shipping costs                                       - £1,475
Dry ice and water ice                             - £2,020
CUK accommodation and food               -£2,660
CUK travel costs                                     -£900
CUK admin costs                                    -£100
Contingency Fund                                  -£5,000
Fixed contribution                                 -£5,000

Total                                                      -£27,870

Emergency call-out expenses and charges incurred by CUK are passed on at cost. Every case is different so costs can vary. In the cases we have attended, the reality has been that we have incurred extra costs in some areas and saved in others. In all of those cases, the savings have exceeded the extra costs. In each case the final bill for expenses was below £20,000. The above figures include no allowance for the time commitment from Cryonics UK team members. We all carry out every aspect of our CUK activities without any payment for our time.

Why should I become a member of Cryonics UK?

In the event of an emergency call-out, the fixed contribution towards general operating costs is subject to reduction based on the length of membership. For members requiring a call-out and having a year or more of continuous and current CUK membership, the fixed contribution reduces to: £3K within the second year, £1K within the third year, nil after the third year. Monthly membership fees already paid count towards any fixed contribution due. CUK relies on membership fees to provide a steady source of funding to ensure that our resources remain in place on an ongoing basis.

What do you do with the membership fees?

Membership fees, and fixed contributions from call-outs, are used to fund the ongoing operational costs and the long term development of Cryonics UK resources. Such costs include the running and maintenance of our ambulance, the purchase and maintenance of equipment, the periodic replacement of equipment and the ambulance, the research into and development of protocols and equipment, the provision of training, the provision of assistance on a non call-out basis, etc. Any surplus funds generated are retained to act as a financial buffer and to cater for long-term larger investment in our operations.