CAMBODIA VISA REQUIREMENTS

If you are reading this article, you might be asking yourself: “Do I need a visa to visit Cambodia?”, and the answer to your question is “Yes, you do”. Cambodia requires foreign citizens to get a visa in order to enter our beloved “Kingdom of Wonder”, unless their passports qualify for one of the exceptions listed below. This rule applies to both adults and children.

But don’t worry, the process is actually very simple and fast for nationals of most countries.

Most common Cambodia visas

The two main visa types people frequently use to enter and stay in Cambodia are:

• Tourist Visa (T Class) or
• Ordinary Visa (E Class), a.k.a. “Business Visa”

Both visas are valid for one month starting on the date you set foot in Cambodia and can be extended while you are here.

Visa-exempt Countries

• Citizens from the ASEAN countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar -Burma-, Laos and Brunei) do not need a visa to enter Cambodia for 14 to 30 days, depending on the country.
• Diplomatic & official passports from certain countries.

Required Documents:

• A passport with a validity of at least six months and at least one empty page, as a Cambodia visa alone takes up one page.
• One passport-sized photo (if you don’t have this, you can just pay a $2 extra fee)
• Visa fee paid in cash in United States Dollar (from $30 to $35 depending on the visa)

Short-Stay Visa (30 days or less)

• Tourist Visa (T Class) & Electronic Visa (e-Visa)
  • Initial Stay: 30 days
  • Entries to Cambodia: single entry
  • Price: $30 ($37 for “e-Visa”)
  • Allowed Extension: 30 more days ($45 fee)
  • The extension is “single entry” as well, meaning that if you leave Cambodia, you will need to request a new visa before entering the country again.
  • You must stay in Cambodia for at least 24 hours if the visa is issued at Siem Reap airport.

Long-Stay Visa (Up to 1 year)

• Ordinary Visa / a.k.a. “Business Visa” (E class)
  • Initial Stay: 30 days
  • Entries to Cambodia: single entry (initial visa)
  • Price: $35
  • Allowed Extensions: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months (fee ranges between $45 and $300)
  • 6 and 12-month extensions allow multiple entries into Cambodia, but 1 and 3-month extensions don’t.
  • If you are unsure whether you will stay one month or longer in Cambodia, it is advisable to request this visa type (E Class) to enter the country.
  • For second and subsequent extensions, you might be required to exit and re-enter Cambodia, which basically means starting the process all over again, first with a 30-day visa and later on with an extension.

Where can I get a Cambodia Visa?

• Upon Arrival
  • Airports: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville
  • Land Borders: Thailand, Vietnam and Laos
• Online (Electronic Visa or “e-Visa” from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Embassy of Cambodia in or near your country

Countries ineligible for Visa On-Arrival

Citizens from Afghanistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Sudan, are not eligible for a visa on arrival.

It is highly recommended that, if you are a citizen of any of these countries, you make arrangements in advance at the nearest Embassy of Cambodia in your country or nearby prior to your trip.

Some of the minimum requirements you will need are:

• A return ticket
• A letter of invitation or sponsorship from a Cambodian company or organization

Please, note that although residents from African countries are technically eligible for Cambodia visas, some are rejected upon arrival.

Where can I extend my Cambodia visa?

• Travel Agencies and Motorbike Rental Shops
  This is the easiest way to get your extension since they take care of all the necessary paperwork and get it done in approximately one week. Of course, you will be charged a small processing fee, but to be honest, it’s definitely worth it and not that much.

• Department of Immigration (across from Phnom Penh’s International Airport)
  This the official and most direct method, but can take longer and mean some hassle. The little money you might save could turn into a lot of time you will waste.

What documents are required to extend my Cambodia visa?

• A passport with a validity of at least six months and at least one empty page.
• One passport-sized photo.
• Visa renewal fee in US Dollar ($45 to $300 depending on the extension length)
• Any additional documentation required, for example, an Employment Letter for E Class visa extensions longer than 3 months.

What happens if I overstay my visa?

It goes without saying that it is not recommended to overstay your Cambodia visa. However, if you did so for 30 days or less, then a $5 – $10/day fine would be imposed on you by the Immigration Department upon your departure.

If you overstayed for more than 30 days, you would still have to pay the fine mentioned above and could additionally face potential imprisonment, deportation and future bans on entering the country.

Were you subject to any overstay fine, we would strongly encourage you to have the exact amount in US dollars at the time of payment, or else you might not get any change back.

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We look forward to seeing you in Cambodia. Bon Voyage!

CREDITS

• This article was written for educational purposes using information from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia.

NOTES

• This information is accurate as of July, the 7th 2018.
• Although we’ve made great efforts to keep this article as reliable as possible, we still encourage you to double check the information herein on the official government platforms before making any important decision, as it might change last minute.
• If you happened to find any false, misleading or outdated information on this article, please drop us a line. Your input would be very helpful to other users, such as yourself.