Background
The General Department of Immigration (GDI) and the Ministry of Interior oversee administrative registration for foreign residents and their dependents in Cambodia. Prakas No. 12644 formalizes procedural requirements for including newborn children of foreign immigrants in the dependent register maintained under the Ministry of Interior.
The prakas also sets application procedures for recognition of foreign-immigrant children aged 18 or older who are listed as dependents of a parent. On 25 May 2026, GDI leadership, including Director-General Sok Veasna and the head of the Department for Foreigners and Refugees, Soun Sochate, led a local dissemination meeting in Svay Chrum commune, Prek Dambang village, Muk Kampul district, Kandal province to publicize the measure.
Scope of Application
Prakas 12644 applies to foreign nationals residing in Cambodia and their children when those children are to be entered in the dependent register of a parent or when an application is submitted to recognize a child aged 18 or older. The measure is issued by the Ministry of Interior and is administered through the General Department of Immigration and its provincial and district offices.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The prakas defines procedural steps for: (a) including newborn children of foreign immigrants in the dependent register; and (b) filing and processing recognition applications for foreign-immigrant children aged 18 or over who are registered as dependents of a parent. The announcement process included local coordination with provincial immigration office staff, commune police, and community associations to communicate the required documentation and administrative points of contact.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Prakas 12644 creates a clearer administrative framework for civil-status recording of children linked to foreign residents, which affects compliance obligations for foreign nationals and any entities that assist with immigration documentation. Organizations that engage foreign staff or provide immigration-related services should update internal procedures to reflect the prakas’ requirements for dependent registration and adult-recognition applications.
Official Source
General Department of Immigration, Facebook post publicizing Prakas No. 12644 and local dissemination activities (25 May 2026): https://www.facebook.com/GDIOfficial/posts/pfbid0268c5XyvgkeMHJAN4GwfmH3HRnFZ7Vg9x5uvz7akbzFaB6jcexTPF5a6cj5TdgtYJl
