Guidance

Cambodia: bereavement: death abroad

Updated 7 February 2022

Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither His Majesty’s Government nor its staff take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information, nor accept liability for any loss, costs, damage or expense that you might suffer as a result of relying on the information. Some of the information may not be relevant to your circumstances. The language used is intended to be general and factual and is not meant to cause offence.

Cambodia: bereavement information

Introduction

When a relative or friend dies abroad, the different procedures, laws or language can cause additional distress. You may be uncertain about what to do or who to contact.

This country specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which applies to all countries.

Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like.

How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on 020 7008 1500.

If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate online.

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is to provide assistance to British nationals overseas who need the most help. The level and type of assistance we can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case.

Next of kin

In both the UK and Cambodia, there is no legal definition of next of kin. Please note, if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the deceased did not identify their next of kin, this may delay arrangements being made.

If you are not the next of kin, please be advised that the next of kin will need to be informed about the death of their family member. If required, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can help you do this.

The next of kin will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. They can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf.

If you are not the next of kin or their designated representative, we regret to inform you that we are not able to take instruction from you.

Release of information to next of kin

The authorities will usually notify the Embassy of the death of a British National in Cambodia. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will try to notify the next of kin as soon as possible.

Consular officers will normally have to obtain information about the death of your relative or friend on your behalf. We will try to obtain as much information as possible, although the amount of detail provided by the authorities can be very limited. We may also be able to provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, charities, or other organisations.

Requests for the authorities to investigate a death in more detail should be made through a legal representative or funeral director. See list of English speaking lawyers and funeral directors in Cambodia for information. The release of information can take many months, if not years and any documents released will be in the Cambodian language (Khmer).

Insurance

It is very important to check if the deceased had insurance.

If the deceased was covered by insurance, it is important for next of kin to contact the insurance company without delay. If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or cremation will need to be met by the family. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with these costs.

Appointing a funeral director

If the deceased did not have insurance, the next of kin will have to appoint a funeral director. We appreciate that the next of kin may not always live in the UK; international Funeral Directors can organise repatriations to most countries in the world.

If you decide to repatriate the deceased to the UK, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

If you decide to hold a funeral or cremation in Cambodia, a funeral director can usually organise this on your behalf. For information regarding funeral directors in Cambodia, see our list of funeral directors.

Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You will need to register the death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. A local death certificate, sometimes citing the cause of death, can be issued by the Cambodian authorities at the request of the next of kin and can be obtained by a funeral director in Cambodia. You should be aware that the cause of death given on the death certificate often lacks detail and may not always state the underlying cause.

The local authorities will need to be told if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis or HIV so they can take precautions against infection.

You will usually need to produce documents about you and the person who has died, which includes information such as full name, date of birth and passport number. A funeral director will then pass the information to the Embassy to issue supporting documents. The funeral director will then take steps to obtain the death certificate. This will take approximately four to six weeks (or longer) after the date of the death; this is reliant on the local authorities and the Embassy cannot influence this timeframe. The certificate will be issued Khmer. If you decide to have a document translated into English, you will have to pay for an official translation service. See list of translators and interpreters in Cambodia.

If you wish to obtain a certified copy of translation (you may need this, to assist in the liquidation of the deceased’s estate in the UK, for example) please get in touch with your contact at the FCDO.

You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities. The local death certificate can normally be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. You can, however, sometimes apply for a consular death registration. This is not mandatory and cannot be used in place of a death certificate from the country where the person died. It is only available in some countries. If you wish to do this, you can find more information and apply online.

Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

Post mortems (autopsies) are not carried out in Cambodia.

Mortuary facilities

There is no Cambodian law stating the time in which a body must be interred, but the scarcity and expense of refrigerated storage facilities dictate that the disposition of remains be completed as soon as possible.

There are two mortuaries in Phnom Penh and another in Siem Reap Province. Please note that mortuary facilities in Cambodia are not comparable with those in the UK.

Phnom Penh:

There is one mortuary located in the grounds of Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh. The cost is US$40 per day.

Two international undertakers in Phnom Penh - John Allison Monkhouse and Evergreen Funeral Services (see details in our list of Funeral Directors in Cambodia) - can also provide storage. They should be contacted directly for costs.

Siem Reap:

Located in Royal Angkor International Hospital. Further enquiries about the cost of mortuary storage should be made directly with Royal Angkor International Hospital. However, upon receiving the body, the hospital charges an initial sum of US$500 and a storage fee of US$150 per day thereafter. A deposit will also be required, depending on the period of time the body is kept in storage.

The cost of mortuary storage has to be met by next of kin and paid directly to the mortuary or via an international undertaker.

Other than those listed, there are no other mortuary facilities in Cambodia. In certain circumstances, the Cambodian authorities will go ahead with a local cremation on public health grounds within 24 hours of a death. We would therefore strongly recommend that you make a decision as to the funeral arrangements or repatriation, and contact an undertaker, as soon as possible.

Burial, cremation, repatriation

The next of kin will usually need to decide between a local burial, cremation or bringing the person home, which is known as repatriation.

Local burial

As Cambodia is a Buddhist country, burials take place very rarely and can be very difficult to organise. We advise that if the next of kin wish to have the deceased buried that they should consider having the body repatriated and the funeral take place in the UK or country of residence, subject to local laws.

Local cremation

Cremation is the traditional practice of Cambodians and is usually conducted at a Wat (local Buddhist temple).

Crematoriums are located throughout Cambodia. If the next of kin choose to have either a local cremation and wish to take the ashes back to the UK or a third country themselves, or to repatriate the ashes to the UK or a third country, they should contact one of the undertakers in Cambodia as soon as possible.

Cambodian law requires “Permission for Cremation” issued from the Ministry of Health and a Death Certificate/Certification from a hospital or the forensic police. Cambodian cremation procedures do not result in fine ashes as is normal in the United Kingdom; cremains will include large pieces of bone.

Repatriation

Repatriating a body to the United Kingdom from Cambodia is possible but can be very expensive.

If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally have a standing agreement with an international funeral director in the UK to arrange repatriations on your behalf. The undertakers will provide documentation required to repatriate the deceased with the assistance of the Embassy. Local formalities for repatriation can take up to seven days to complete. In certain circumstances, repatriation may not always be possible. Our consular staff will try to inform next of kin as soon as possible if this is the case.

Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements. The next of kin should also be aware that all hospital and or mortuary bills must be paid before the body will be released.

It is important to remember that if the deceased was travelling with a tour operator, they can be a valuable source of assistance and advice.

Return of personal belongings

Personal effects are normally returned to next of kin, or their authorised representative, without any formalities. If personal effects need to be returned to the UK and next of kin are not present in Cambodia, the undertaker can assist with making arrangements by commercial means. The undertakers will pass on any costs incurred to the next of kin directly so it is important to make sure you have explored and discussed options with funeral director or undertakers directly. Note that the British Embassy cannot take responsibility for personal belongings.

Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information online regarding steps to take in the UK. This includes information on arranging the funeral, informing the government of the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the deceased. There is a step-by-step guide on GOV.UK.

British passport cancellation

In order to avoid identity fraud, the passport of the deceased should be cancelled with HM Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you will need to complete a “D1 form”.

The form and instructions on where to send it is available online.

If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

Further information

Child death

There are no specific procedures for the death of a child.

Deaths in road traffic accidents

The traffic police will issue a report on the circumstances of accident but please note this can take many months.

Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter, a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support, including referring you to specialised organisations. You can find out more about what they can do online.

You should note that, if the death is deemed murder or manslaughter, and the deceased is repatriated to certain parts of the UK, a coroner or procurator fiscal may decide to hold an inquest. See the section on UK Coroners and inquests below.

UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the person who died to England or Wales, there may be an inquest. The decision on whether to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner. Please note, an inquest only takes place in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died is buried or cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.

If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.

Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.

You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guide on Death Abroad.

Legal Aid

There is no legal aid scheme available in Cambodia. The next of kin will need to contact a local lawyer or relevant local organisation to provide legal services. See list of lawyers.

Compensation

There is no government specific compensation scheme in Cambodia.

See information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas.

Translation and Interpretation

While English is widely spoken in the main cities, Khmer is the official language in Cambodia. The local authorities will not provide translation or interpretation in English. If the family or next of kin want to discuss a case with the local authorities, they will have to engage a translator or interpreter.

See list of companies providing translation and interpretation services.

Additional support

Local support organisations

There is no charity or organisation in Cambodia that can provide information, support or advice to bereaved families.

Support organisations in the UK

In the UK, there are many organisations that can help bereaved families. Some of these are listed in the Coping with death abroad guide.