What to Do When Someone Dies in Cambodia

A phone call from Phnom Penh. A knock on the guesthouse door in Siem Reap. However it reaches you, the news that someone has died in Cambodia triggers a cascade of unfamiliar decisions — all under extreme time pressure, in a country where every official document is in Khmer.

Here is the sequence that matters, in the order it matters.

The First 24 Hours: Secure the Medical Records

If the death occurred in a hospital, the attending physician issues a Hospital Medical Certificate of Death. This document opens every subsequent administrative workflow — without it, nothing else moves.

If the death occurred outside a hospital — in a private residence, guesthouse, or public space — local police must be contacted immediately. The forensic police conduct an investigation to rule out foul play before issuing a Police Death Report. The body cannot be moved until this clearance is obtained.

Do not attempt to arrange cremation or any funeral services before you hold one of these two documents.

Days 1–3: Contact the Embassy

For foreign nationals, the next step is contacting the citizen services section of the deceased's embassy in Phnom Penh. The US Embassy emergency line is +855 (0) 23 728 000. The British Embassy routes through London at +44 (0) 20 7008 1500.

Embassies will not pay for funeral costs, manage the estate, or translate documents. What they will do is verify the deceased's passport, receive local death certificates, and issue a Consular Report of Death Abroad — the document that foreign banks, insurers, and probate courts accept as proof of death.

Because refrigerated storage facilities in Cambodia are scarce and expensive (Calmette Hospital charges $40/day; Royal Angkor Hospital in Siem Reap requires a $500 deposit then $150/day), disposition of remains must be arranged quickly.

Within 15 Days: Register the Death at the Sangkat

Under Cambodia's 2023 Law on Civil Registration, a death must be reported to the local Sangkat (commune) civil registrar within 15 days. Registration within this window is free. Miss the deadline and you face increasingly complex petition processes — and after one year, a court order or formal affidavits are required.

You will need: the hospital death notice or police report, identity documents for both the deceased and the person reporting, and the deceased's residence book.

Within 3 Months: Accept or Reject the Inheritance

Under Article 1248 of the Cambodian Civil Code, a successor has exactly three months from the date they become aware of the succession to formally accept or reject the inheritance. Extensions require a formal petition to the local court.

This is especially critical for real estate. Foreign heirs who inherit land face an additional constraint: Article 1155 of the Civil Code requires non-Cambodian heirs to sell inherited land within three months or the property reverts to the next Cambodian-citizen heir — or to the state.

What to Do Right Now

If you are reading this because someone has just died in Cambodia, here is your immediate action list:

1. Secure the death certificate — hospital or police, depending on where the death occurred
2. Call the embassy — open a consular file and request the Consular Report of Death Abroad
3. Engage a funeral director — only three international-standard providers operate in Cambodia
4. Register at the Sangkat within 15 days — it is free and prevents months of legal complications
5. Get the Sangkat death certificate translated and legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Cambodia Expat Death Guide walks through every step in detail, with bilingual Khmer-English request templates, a complete cost reference, and directories of English-speaking lawyers and funeral directors.

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