Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Cameroon
You have ashes in Cameroon and need to bring them home. This page covers what Cameroon requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Cameroon require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: NSI (Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport); DLA (Douala International Airport)
Carriers serving the UK: Air France (via Paris CDG); Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa); Brussels Airlines (via Brussels)
Authority that must release the case: Centre d'Etat Civil, local civil registration office; Ministere de la Sante Publique (Ministry of Public Health); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Yaoundé, forensic department; Tribunal de Grande Instance (court of first instance)
The rules that apply on any route, and what you may do with ashes once home, are covered in bringing ashes into the UK.
What are the airline rules for carrying ashes?
What does Cameroon require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Cameroon due to religious or legal reasons. If you are dealing with ashes from a previous cremation held elsewhere, the export rules may differ. Contact us for guidance specific to your situation.
What affects the cost?
Carrying ashes home yourself is the least expensive way to bring someone back from Cameroon, and for many families it costs little more than the return flight they are already taking. We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.
| What changes the cost | Why |
|---|---|
| Whether the cremation has already taken place | Arranging it locally adds funeral director and crematorium involvement |
| Where the death happened | Distance to the nearest crematorium changes local transfer |
| Carrying versus shipping | Hand luggage costs nothing extra; a specialist courier is a separate arrangement |
| Documentation Cameroon requires | Export permits and translation, where they apply |
Send us the details of your situation and we will give you a figure, with no obligation.
What else is worth knowing about Cameroon?
Cameroon is a Commonwealth member; the British High Commission Yaoundé is the consular authority; Cameroon has both French-speaking (Francophone) and English-speaking (Anglophone) regions; the North West and South West regions are predominantly English-speaking, while the rest of the country uses French administration; Deaths in Anglophone regions (Bamenda, Buea, North West and South West provinces) involve English-language documentation; deaths in Francophone regions require French documentation and certified translations; No direct UK flights; the main cargo routing is via Paris CDG with Air France, or via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines; both add at least one transit day; The security situation in the Anglophone regions has been volatile since 2017; the FCDO has travel warnings for the North West and South West regions; deaths in these areas involve additional complications including access constraints
high
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Cameroon
Official support
British Embassy in Cameroon: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Centre d'Etat Civil, local civil registration office; Ministere de la Sante Publique (Ministry of Public Health); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Yaoundé, forensic department; Tribunal de Grande Instance (court of first instance) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Official lists for Cameroon
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Cameroon
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Cameroon
Tell us where the ashes are now and where home is. We will explain what is needed and send you a quote. We send ashes home to the UK, Ireland or any other country.