Cambodian Visa Application and Essential Information

UPDATED on July 21, 2023

Everything you need to know to apply for a visa to Cambodia.

The legality of the length of stay in a foreign country is essential for travelers. Thus, it is important to understand the legal policies of visa application in Cambodia.

To apply for a visa to Cambodia, it is essential to understand the legal policies and regulations related to visas. Failure to comply with these policies can lead to application rejection or legal consequences. 

Being familiar with the local currency, transportation options, accommodation choices, and popular tourist attractions is also essential. Travel insurance can also help travellers prepare for unexpected events and protect against financial losses. By being well-informed and prepared, travellers can avoid potential issues and fully enjoy their time in Cambodia.

Aside from its popular tourist destinations, Cambodia has also become one of the world’s best countries for retirement and relocation. One of the main reasons behind this is the easy visa application process compared to other South-east Asian countries.

Immigration Laws in Cambodia 

Travellers should be aware of the immigration laws in Cambodia to avoid any legal problems during their stay. These laws include restrictions on employment, customs regulations, and penalties for breaking the law. It is crucial to comply with these regulations to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip to Cambodia. Travellers are advised to conduct research or seek legal advice beforehand to better understand these laws.

Read also: Relocation Guide: 10 Things to Consider When Moving to the Kingdom of Wonder

Do I need a Cambodian visa?

To enter the Kingdom of Cambodia, a passport which has a validity of no less than six (6) months is required as well as a valid visa (except for certain nationalities), including for children. 

Visa exemption is given if you hold a passport from countries that are members of ASEAN. These countries are Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. You will be allowed to enter Cambodia visa free for a period of 14-30 days. However, if you plan to stay longer, you will be required to exit the country and seek an appropriate visa.

Passport holders from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nigeria, or Sri Lanka are not eligible to acquire neither a visa online nor visa-on-arrival in Cambodia. Thus, applying for a Cambodian visa in advance can only be done through the nearest Cambodian Embassy. It is important to first contact the Embassy for the requirements as they are more exigent to African and Middle-east countries. 

The Kingdom also offers a more convenient way to apply for a visa. On January 2023, Cambodia E-Visa announced that online application for “Visa Type E” is now available for all countries!

Types of Visas in Cambodia

• Tourist or T-class Visa – This is a type of visa that allows foreigners to stay for at least 30 days. It is a single-entry visa which means leaving the country will forfeit its validity. The tourist visa can only be renewed once for an extension of additional 30 days. Beyond that, tourist visa holders must leave the country and re-enter with a new visa.
• Business or E-class Visa – This type of visa allows foreigners to stay for 30 days for business / work purposes. Business visas can be renewed for unlimited times unlike tourist visas. It can be extended for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or 12 months.
• K-class Visa – This type of visa is only issued to Cambodian Nationals entering the country with a foreign passport. It is a lifetime visa that allows multiple entries. The K-class visa requires proof of Khmer parentage, Khmer surname, and facilitation fee.
• B-class Visa – It is a type of visa that is only issued to employees of international NGOs with a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia. The B-class visa is valid for three months and is renewable for up to twelve months. The length of stay depends on the length of the contract with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Transit or D-class Visa – This is a type of visa that is valid for just 3 days. Transit visa is issued upon arrival with a requirement of proof of intention for the short visit or stay.

What type of visa should I get?

Staying in Cambodia for short-term – The Tourist or T-class Visa is best applicable for foreigners who intend to stay for less than 2 months. It has a maximum validity of 90 days. Beyond that, tourist visa holders must leave the country otherwise their stay is considered illegal. 

Staying in Cambodia for long-term – Business or E-class visa is pertinent to those who have found a reason to stay longer in Cambodia, for instance employment or education. It can be renewed multiple times for one month, three months, six months, or one year.

Other common purposes for staying in Cambodia

Attending A Sports Event Or Competition?

• You can apply for a tourist visa to attend a sports event or a competition.

Travelling For Medical Purposes?

• For medical purposes, you can apply Evisa for Cambodia visit.

Have A Sponsor Or Guarantor?

• Evisa is perfect for those who are planning to work in Cambodia.

Religious Workers In Cambodia?

• There’s no specific category for Cambodian visas applicable to religious workers.

Freelance Worker Or Digital Nomad?

• The Cambodian Evisa, or the ordinary visa, is perfect for those wanting to work as freelancers or digital nomads. It can be extended upto a year.

Researchers Or Academics In Cambodia?

• Researchers must have an ES visa. It can be extended upto 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.

Attending Conferences Or Events In Cambodia?

• To attend conferences or events, you need to get a Business (E) visa to enter Cambodia.

Children Travelling To Cambodia?

• All the children who are non-Cambodians must apply for the E-class visa.
• If a child has one Cambodian parent in that case they can apply for a free K-class visa.

Journalist Visa In Cambodia?

The professionals who want to visit this kingdom and pen down all its beauty and news must apply for a journalist visa.

Also, based on the different categories and immigration routes, journalists can opt for different kinds of visas:

• Standard Visa for Business. 
• An employee of Overseas Newspaper, news agencies or Broadcasting organizations.
• Tier 2 – Intra Company Transfer.
• Tier 2 – General.
• Tier 5 – Temporary Worker – Creative.

Volunteers in Cambodia?

• If you’re volunteering for less than a month, simply go for visa-type- T (tourist visa), and if the volunteering stay is over two months, you need to apply for employment (visa type E).

Students Studying In Cambodia?

• Students trying to obtain a student visa at Cambodia for the University Of Cambodia (UOC), Panyastra University Of Cambodia, or any other university must provide an acceptance letter confirming that the student has been provided with a place of study at the educational institution.
• Besides this student must also have an ES visa extension that can be extended upto 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.

Documentary Production In Cambodia?

• For documentary production, you need to apply for a type of visa in Cambodia which can be obtained upon arrival.
• Ensure that your passport at the time of arrival must have a validity of 6 months.
• If the stay is of one month, the tourist visa is enough. If it’s more than one month, apply for the Business K-visa, which can be extended up to a year.

How to Apply for a Cambodian Visa

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville airport, you can immediately apply and obtain a tourist or business visa. With complete documents or requirements, the process can only take 20 to 30 minutes. It can also be applied in all major land borders or seaports in between countries.

Visa-On-Arrival Requirements

• Passport (At least 6 months valid with at least one full page for the visa stamp)
• Two recent passport-sized photos (USD $2 charge if you don’t have)
• USD $30 (Tourist visa) $35 (Business visa) in cash
• Filled visa application form (available upon arrival)

Visa-On-Arrival Procedures and Processing Time

1. Application form is available on the Visa counter. 
2. Fill up the visa application form. 
3. Submit the accomplished form with your passport and photos.
4. Pay the visa application fee.
5. Processing time may take about 20 to 30 minutes. It may take longer at land border crossings and seaports.

To avoid spending time applying for a visa on arrival, you can arrange it before traveling. In your home country, a tourist visa can be obtained at the Embassy or Consulate of Cambodia.

Visa from a Cambodian Embassy Requirements

• Passport (At least 6 months valid with at least one full page for the visa stamp)
• Two recent passport-sized photos
• Filled visa application form (available upon arrival)
• Visa application fee (visa fees may vary for each country)

The procedures and processing time may vary for each country. Some countries do not have an Embassy of Cambodia. The Embassy Worldwide has a complete list of all the Cambodian Embassies in the world.

Getting an E-Visa (Electronic Visa)

This is an online visa processing service for tourist visas only. It can be applied through the websites of Cambodia Immigration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and eVisa Cambodia. Visa Type T (Tourist visa) and Visa Type E (Business visa) are available for online application.

Read: E-Visa To Cambodia Now Available Online

Online e-Visa Application Requirements

• Soft copy of a recent passport photo in JPG/PNG format
• Soft copy of the passport photo page (passport must be valid for at least 6 months)
• Filled online application form
• Debit or Credit Card for paying $35 fee

Online e-Visa Procedures and Processing Time

1. Fill out the online application form.
2. Pay and fill the necessary card information.
3. Submit the application form and wait for the confirmation via email.
4. Normal processing duration can take 3 business days. After 3 days, the e-Visa will be sent via email.
5. Print out the e-Visa and present it upon arrival in Cambodia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a list of the port of entries in Cambodia that supports e-Visa.

The online process of tourist visa comes with fast processing services with a corresponding additional fee. It has an “Urgent Service” that takes 24 hours for $79 USD. The “Super Urgent Service” is guaranteed within 5 business hours for $99 USD.

Health Requirements For Visa Application In Cambodia

Providing details about health requirements for visa application in Cambodia, such as the need for vaccination certificates or medical checkups, can help travellers prepare for their trip and minimise the possibility of encountering health concerns.

Exit Visa for Cambodia:

Travellers leaving Cambodia do not need an exit visa. However, it is essential to have all required travel documents, including a valid passport and relevant visas for the destination country. Complying with customs and immigration regulations is also crucial to avoid any complications during departure.

How do I apply for a visa extension?

Once you have acquired either a tourist or business visa, you already have a legal stay of 30 days in Cambodia. After that, a renewal and extension of visa should be applied.

Renewing a tourist visa can only be done once for an extended stay of 30 days. It is also a single-entry type of visa extension. Business visas, on the other hand, can be renewed indefinitely for up to 12 months. 

The renewal of business visas includes an extension of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. Extending it for 1 or 3 months will give you a single-entry type visa. Meanwhile, the extension of 6 and 12 months are multiple-entry visas.

There are Four types of Business or E-class Visa Extensions to which you can choose from:

It is advisable to renew a Cambodian visa ahead of the visa expiration date. The renewal process may take approximately 3 to 5 business days. So, the extension of visa must be done 5 days before it expires. 

There are two ways to which you can extend a Cambodian visa:

1. Extending Visa at the Department of Immigration

Before going to the Department of Immigration, it is important to know everything about the office. From where it is to what time and days are they operational. In getting there, you can take different modes of public transportation like tuk-tuk, taxi, or bus. 

Department of Immigration
Office Days: Monday to Friday (closed on Holidays)
Office Hours: 7:30-11:30 AM, 2:30-5:30 PM
Address: 332 Russian Federation Blvd. (110), Phnom Penh, Cambodia [map]
Telephone: + 855 (0) 23 890 380

The paperwork and release of passport and visa extension usually occur in the afternoon. 

In extending a visa, you will only need to present the requirements and pay for the extension fee to the consular officers. Once collected, you will be given a receipt and a temporary ID which contains the pick-up date.

2. Using a Licensed Travel Agency

Extending a visa through a travel agency is the most convenient method. The only thing that you need to do is to provide them the requirements needed. After that, they will do all the work to extend your stay.

The extension of stay can only be processed at the Cambodian Immigration in Phnom Penh. So, this option also suits those who are staying in other cities and provinces in Cambodia. However, this method may take longer as it requires sending your passport to Phnom Penh. 

Travel agencies also require a more expensive service charge than doing it yourself. In general, these are the approximate fees charged by a travel agency or the Cambodian Immigration. 

Failing to extend a visa and staying beyond the validity of stay is considered illegal in Cambodia. But, it will be legal once you declare it at the Cambodian Immigration and pay $10 USD for each day that you plan to stay. 

Overstaying legally is possible for a maximum of 30 days. After that, paying a $10 cost may still be applicable, however, with an impending risk of deportation or a future ban of entering Cambodia. On the other hand, illegal overstaying is subject to paying a higher fee or imprisonment.

Things To Keep In Mind Before Applying Visa To Cambodia

Currency Information: 

Travellers to Cambodia should be aware of the local currency, including the exchange rate, acceptable forms of payment, and where to exchange money. This information can help travellers prepare financially and avoid confusion or inconvenience during their trip.

Transportation Information: 

Travelers need to have information on transportation options in Cambodia, including public transportation, taxis, or car rentals. This can help them plan they’re itinerary and get around the country more easily.

Accommodation Options: 

Travelers to Cambodia should be aware of the various accommodation options available, such as hotels, guesthouses, or homestays. Knowing these available Cambodia property options can help to choose the best property as per budget & preferences.

Tourist Attractions: 

Cambodia has many popular tourist attractions, including temples, beaches, and national parks. Travelers should know these attractions to plan they’re itinerary and make the most of their stay in the country.

Travel Insurance: 

Travelers need to have travel insurance, especially for medical emergencies, accidents, or trip cancellations. Travel insurance can help travelers prepare for unexpected events and avoid any financial losses during their trip.

FAQs

Can I get a multiple-entry visa for Cambodia?

Yes, you can get a multiple-entry visa for Cambodia only if you extend it for 6-12 months.

Can I apply for a retirement visa in Cambodia?

Yes, you can apply for a retirement visa in Cambodia through ER visa extension only if you’re above the age of 55 and have enough funds to support yourself.

Can I change my visa type while in Cambodia?

No, you can’t change your visa type while you’re in Cambodia.