Background
The General Department of Immigration (GDI) issues ministerial-level prakas to define administrative procedures for foreign resident records and related civil registration functions. Prakas No. 12644 establishes procedures for entering newborn children of foreign immigrants into parental dependency lists maintained under the Ministry of Interior.
The prakas also provides a formal application pathway for recognition of individuals aged 18 and above as foreign immigrants when their name appears on a parent’s dependency list. The 26 May 2026 publicisation was led by the head of the Department of Foreigners, with authorisation from the Director General of Immigration.
Scope of Application
Prakas 12644 applies to children born to persons identified as foreign immigrants in Ministry of Interior dependency records and to individuals aged 18 years or older named on a parent’s dependency list who seek formal recognition as foreign immigrants. The announcement was delivered to foreign residents assembled at Wat Yakhann in Phum No.1(k), Svay Rolum Sangkat, Ta Khmau City, Kandal Province.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The General Department of Immigration publicly promulgated Prakas No. 12644 during a meeting on 26 May 2026. The meeting was authorised by Director General Sok Vanna and chaired by Major General Suon Sochat, head of the Department of Foreigners within the GDI. Attendees included provincial foreigner-management officers, district police station personnel, local Khmer–Vietnamese association leaders, and foreign residents from Ta Khmau, Svay Rolum and Sitbo sangkats as listed in the source announcement.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Officials responsible for civil registration and foreigner management must follow the procedures set out in Prakas 12644 when recording newborns of foreign immigrants and when processing recognition applications for persons aged 18 or older named on parental dependency lists. Service providers that assist foreign residents with documentation should update client intake and record-keeping practices to reflect the prakas’ procedural requirements.
Official Source
The public announcement was posted by the General Department of Immigration on 26 May 2026: https://www.facebook.com/GDIOfficial/posts/pfbid02B3KMNooLh4LZPHyqD52D4rc1vSW9b6ipyetru1KSN2a6WKMen9nTnS1RvtnWeDMKl. Additional institutional information is available at the Immigration website: www.immigration.gov.kh.
