Cambodia visas explainedវីសាកម្ពុជា

Citizens of most countries need a visa to enter Cambodia, including travellers from the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan and Korea. ASEAN nationals — Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Myanmar — can generally enter visa-free for 14 to 30 days depending on nationality.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry and have a blank page for the visa sticker. Immigration officers can refuse entry on a damaged or heavily worn passport, so replace one that is coming apart before you travel.

A small number of nationalities cannot use the e-Visa or visa-on-arrival routes and must apply through a Cambodian embassy with supporting documents. If your passport is from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan or Syria, check with the embassy before booking flights.

The e-Visa is applied for online through the official government portal, costs US$36 including the processing fee, and is usually issued within three working days. You print the approval letter and hand it over at the border. It is valid for a single entry of 30 days and must be used within three months of issue.

Visa on arrival costs US$30 for tourism or US$35 for business and is issued at both international airports and at the main land crossings. You need one passport photo, US dollars in cash and a completed arrival form. Bring the photo — the on-the-spot photo service and any request for extra dollars beyond the posted price are informal charges you can decline politely.

The e-Visa is accepted at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap–Angkor and Sihanoukville airports and at the Bavet, Poipet and Cham Yeam land borders — not at every smaller crossing. If you are entering overland at a remote border, take the visa on arrival route instead.

Since 2024 all arrivals must also submit a Cambodia e-Arrival declaration (immigration, customs and health in one form) within seven days of travel. It is free, separate from the visa, and produces a QR code that is scanned on entry.

A tourist (T-class) visa can be extended once, for 30 days, at the General Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh. After that you must leave the country. A business (E-class) visa is the flexible option: it can be extended in-country for one, three, six or twelve months, with the twelve-month multiple-entry extension being the standard choice for residents.

Extensions are handled either directly at the immigration office on Russian Boulevard near the airport, or through an agent. Agents charge a service fee on top of the government price and are the norm for long extensions because they handle the paperwork and the return trip.

Overstaying costs US$10 per day, payable at departure, and immigration keeps a record. Long overstays can mean detention, deportation and a re-entry ban, so if you are close to your expiry date, extend or exit — the fine is not worth the risk.

Longer-term options beyond extensions include work permits arranged by an employer through the Ministry of Labour, retirement (ER) visas for those over 55 with proof of funds, and the Cambodia My Second Home programme for property-linked long stays.

Carry crisp, undamaged US dollar notes. Cambodian immigration will refuse torn or heavily marked bills, and ATMs at land borders are unreliable. Keep US$50 in small notes separate from the rest of your cash for fees.

At Poipet and other land crossings, ignore anyone offering to arrange your visa before the official building. Fake visa offices operate near the border and charge many times the real price for stamps that immigration then queries.

Keep the departure card that is stapled into your passport. Losing it means paperwork on exit. Photograph your visa page and e-Arrival QR code so you have a copy if your passport is lost.