Cambodia is a beautiful country located in Southeast Asia. It is well known for its unique culture, breathtaking landscapes, and beaches. Every year, millions of tourists visit Cambodia for its beauties. That being said, do you know if you need a Cambodia visa? You may be wondering how to get Cambodia visa, or what are the Cambodia visa requirements. Today, we will answer all of these questions with our comprehensive Cambodia visa guideline.
Guidelines for Cambodia Visa
Cambodia visa may sound intimidating but it definitely is not! The first thing you should do is to figure out if you need to apply for Cambodia visa and then how you can get your Cambodia visa. In general, there are three ways you can apply for a Cambodia visa. You can apply for a Cambodia visa on arrival, or you can apply for it at the embassy, and lastly, you can apply for a Cambodia eVisa. Before you decide to apply for a Cambodia visa by any of these three ways to do it, you should know the recent updates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Cambodia visa on arrival and Cambodia eVisa applications are suspended until further notice. There may be an obligation to go under 14 days of quarantine when you arrive in Cambodia. For this reason, we advise you to get a PCR test before your flight and make sure you have travel insurance that covers all the medical expenses regarding the pandemic. As of the lifting of the current restrictions, all the information about the Cambodia visa that we are about to give you will be valid again.
Do you need a Cambodia Visa?
Cambodia has a strict visa policy for its visitors. Therefore, almost everyone is required to get a Cambodia visa. However, there is a list of countries that Cambodia has given a privilege of visa exemption. If you are a citizen of the following countries, you do not need to worry about a Cambodia visa up to the given amount of time:
- Visa-free up to 14 days – Brunei, Seychelles, and Thailand
- Visa-free up to 21 days – Philippines
- Visa-free up to 30 days – Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore
If your country is not listed above, do not worry! Fortunately, you can easily apply for a Cambodia visa on arrival or a Cambodia visa online. Keep in mind that, if you are a citizen of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan or Syria, you are not eligible to apply for a Cambodia visa online. You should either apply for it on arrival or at the Cambodian embassy/consulate.
Cambodia Visa Types
According to the Cambodian Foreign Affairs, the following visa types are issued depending on the purpose of your visit. If you are not a citizen of the countries we have listed above, you are required to choose a Cambodia visa type from the list below that fits best for your needs:
- Cambodia Tourist Visa
- Cambodia Ordinary visa (E Type)
- Cambodia Business visa
- Cambodia Retirement visa
- Cambodia Student visa
- Cambodia Job seeking visa
All the visa types listed above have a visa code which you should be very careful when you are making your Cambodia visa application. A Cambodia tourist visa can only be issued for tourism and it has a code of T. A Cambodia ordinary visa withholds an E code and the difference between a tourist visa and an ordinary visa is the right to extend the visa for given purposes such as work, business, retirement, and education. A Cambodia Business visa is issued for foreign citizens who would like to enter Cambodian territory for business purposes such as a business meeting or attending a conference or to work at a Cambodian company. If you are older than 55, and you can sustain yourself financially without having to work, then you can apply for a Cambodia retirement visa and settle in Cambodia. A Cambodia student visa is issued for foreign citizens who would like to enter Cambodian territory for educational purposes. If you are accepted by a Cambodian higher educational institution and you are planning to study or do your internship in Cambodia, you can apply for this visa type. Keep in mind that Cambodia Student Visa is issued for up to a year. So, you may have to renew your visa or apply for a residence permit as you keep studying in Cambodia. Lastly, the Cambodia job-seeking visa is for foreign citizens who would like to work in Cambodia but have not received an offer of employment yet! This visa type can be extended for up to 6 more months. Bear in mind that depending on the type of visa you are applying for, you may come across different Cambodia visa fees. So, be careful when choosing the Cambodian visa type!
How can you apply for a Cambodian visa?
When applying for or a Cambodian visa, you have 3 options. You can either apply for it at the Cambodian embassy/consulate or apply for a Cambodia visa online or on arrival. If you are planning to apply for it at the embassy/consulate, you need to do the following steps:
- Choose the nearest Cambodian embassy/consulate to your home.
- Contact the embassy or consulate via email or phone call to learn more about the Cambodia visa application process and the required documents.
- Ask for an appointment date.
- Make sure you print out all the required documents.
- Go to the embassy or consulate to submit your application in person.
Cambodia eVisa
If you are eligible for a Cambodia eVisa, it is possible to apply for a Cambodia visa online. To get your Cambodia visa only, you need to visit the official website of Cambodian Foreign Affairs. On this website, you can submit your application by following these steps:
- Fill in the necessary information parts about your identity
- Pay the Cambodia visa fee with your debit or credit card. You will be paying $36. Make sure to print out your receipt.
- Wait for a couple of days until your Cambodia visa application is processed.
- Print out your Cambodia visa confirmation and carry it with you during your trip.
Keep in mind that you must enter the Cambodian territory through the following airports as other airports does not accept Cambodian eVisa: Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Preah Sihanouk International Airport, Cham Yeam (Koh Kong), Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey), Bavet (Svay Rieng), and Tropaeng Kreal Border Post (Stung Treng).
Cambodia Visa on Arrival
If you are planning to enter Cambodian territory at the following checkpoints or airports, you can apply for a Cambodia visa on arrival: Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Banteay Chakrey International Border Check Point, Bavet International Check Point, Kha Orm Sam Nor International Check Point, Oyadav International Check Point, Phnom Den International Check Point, Prek Chak International Check Point, Samrong International Check Point, Tropeang Sre International Check Point, Tropieng Phlong International Check Point, Anglong Veng International Check Point, Cham Yeam International Check Point, Doung International Check Point, Osmach International Check Point, Poi Pet International Check Point, Prum International Check Point, and Dong Krolar International Check Point.
Cambodian visa on arrival is also considered to be a Cambodia tourist visa and you must follow these steps below to get your Cambodian visa:
- Fill in the Cambodia immigration card which you will receive during your flight. This card is considered to be your Cambodia visa on arrival form.
- When you land in Cambodia, ask for the Cambodia visa on arrival application center.
- Hand over your passport, immigration card, Cambodia visa photos, and your return flight ticket (if you have any)
- Pay the Cambodia visa on arrival fee. There is two Cambodia visa on arrival costs you should know of. Cambodia tourist visa cost $30 on arrival and Cambodia business visa $35 on arrival.
- Lastly, give your fingerprints to the Cambodian border security officer.
Required documents for a Cambodia Visa
Cambodia visa requirements are made clear for you. It is advised to closely follow all of these Cambodian visa requirements to keep away any possible visa refusals. So, we have listed below all of the Cambodia visa requirements you should know of:
- You are required to have a passport that has a minimum of 6 months of validity. Also, your passport must have at least 2 blank pages.
- You should carefully fill the Cambodia Visa Application Form. You can download the form online, or you can get it on arrival.
- A return ticket to your home country, or another country than Cambodia.
- You must have cash in USD to pay the required Cambodia visa cost.
Keep in mind that additional documents may be required depending on your application, and nationality.
Cambodia Visa Photo Requirements
There are some specific requirements for the Cambodia visa photo. As long as you satisfy the requirements, your Cambodia visa photo will be accepted. Here’s a list of these Cambodia visa photo requirements:
- The background should be white or off-white. Any other color is not acceptable.
- Cambodia visa photo must be in color.
- When taking a Cambodia visa photo, your facial expression should be neutral.
- Cambodia visa photo size is 35 mm (0,35 cm), and the height of the photo is 45 mm (0,45 cm)
- Casual clothing is highly recommended. Extravagant outfits or uniforms may cause your Cambodia visa to be rejected.
- Excessive make-up may lead your Cambodia visa to be rejected. Your face should be recognizable.
- You should directly look into the camera with your full face in view.
Duration and Extension of a Cambodia Visa
Generally, the duration of a Cambodian visa is 30 days. However, you can always extend your Cambodia visa. If your Cambodian visa is about to expire and you would like to stay longer in Cambodia, then you can apply for a Cambodia visa extension that covers the purpose of your stay. It is always advised to consult the Cambodian National Police at the Immigration Office for the requirements of the Cambodia visa extension process. Depending on the reason why you would like to extend your stay, the required documents may vary. You may be asked to fill in a new Cambodia visa form and depending on your needs, your Cambodia visa can be extended for up to 12 months.
Cambodia Visa for US Citizens
US citizens are required to get a Cambodia visa. However, Cambodia’s visa for US citizens is pretty easy! You can apply for it before your flight or you can apply for a Cambodia visa on arrival at the airport! Either way will work just fine for the US citizens. If you would like to explore Cambodia for longer than 30 days to see what it has to offer, then you can always apply for an extension for your current Cambodia visa.
