Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Cameroon and bringing ashes home

For some families, arranging cremation locally and carrying ashes home is the right choice, and it can be quicker than full repatriation. This page sets out what Cameroon requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Cameroon

Cremation in Cameroon

Can you cremate someone in Cameroon?

Cremation arrangements in Cameroon depend on local facilities and on whether an investigation is open. Contact us and we will confirm the current position before you make any decision.

Weighing cremation abroad against bringing your loved one home intact? How families decide between the two.

Who must release the body

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)

Treaty position

Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

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)

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Cameroon

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case. For Cameroon the things that move it are:

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether 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) has to release the case first
Whether you carry the ashes yourself or need them shipped

Considering full repatriation instead?

Some families decide they want their loved one brought home intact. The full Cameroon guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Cameroon

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Cameroon

The step-by-step first response guide covers the first 24 hours in Cameroon.

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

Talk to us about cremation in Cameroon

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 funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.