How to Get a Cambodia Visa – Your Quick and Easy Guide

So you’re going to Cambodia? Amazing! We love travelling in Cambodia and know you’re in for a great time. This is your guide to getting the right Cambodia visa for your trip and passport. Read on…

This post is written in partnership with e-visa.co.uk.

Cambodia offers several different visa options for travellers. Depending on where you’re arriving, how long your trip will be, and what passport you hold, some options are better than others.

Once you’ve decided what visa you need, the process is relatively straightforward.

And that’s great news because Cambodia is a fantastic country for travellers. It has something for everyone, whether you are backpacking, want affordable luxury, are looking to hang out on a tropical island, or dive into a real jungle adventure.

On our first visit to Cambodia, Stephen and I cycled in from the Thai border, through Siem Reap, Battambang, and Phnom Penh, and then to Kampot and along the south coast. On my second visit, I did a solo adventure, arriving at the southern border and going north into Cambodia’s wild east.

I know you’re going to have an incredible time in Cambodia, so let’s get that Cambodia visa organized so you can start planning your trip!

Are you ready to get started? Then read on to discover…

How to Get a Visa to Cambodia

Do You Need a Cambodia Visa?

Almost all nationalities need a visa to visit Cambodia.

If you’re from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, or anywhere in Europe, South America or most other countries in the world, our visa tips apply to you.

You don’t need a visa if you’re from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. With one of the above passports, you are allowed to stay between 14–30 days, so check before you arrive.

If you are from Afghanistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Sudan, you’ll need to get a visa at a consulate before you arrive.

Which Visa do You Need?

Get the tourist e-visa if you are:

Staying less than 30 days and…

• Arriving by air to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, or Sihanoukville
• Arriving by land from Thailand (at Cham Yeam/Koh Kong, Poi Pet/Banteay Meanchey)
• Arriving by land from Vietnam (at Bavet/Svay Rieng)
• Arriving by land from Cambodia (at Tropaeng Kreal/Stung Treng)

Find out how to get the e-visa below.

Get the tourist visa on arrival if you are:

• Staying less than 30 days, arriving at one of the land border crossings not mentioned above
• Staying less than 30 days, not sure when or where you will arrive

Find out how to get the visa on arrival below.

Staying 30–60 days?

You should still get an e-visa or the visa on arrival. You’ll need a visa extension after 30 days.

Need a multiple-entry or long-term Cambodia visa?

For long-term stays, you can get a business visa, known as the e-Class visa. (Note that the e-Class visa is not the e-visa — which is a t-Class visa). For e-class visas longer than 6 months, you are also granted multiple entries.

There is no multiple entry visa for shorter stays in Cambodia, so if you’re going in and out, you need to get a new visa each time.

What’s better? The Cambodia e-visa or visa on arrival?

These are actually the same visa — a 30-day travel visa — just delivered in two different ways.

Reasons to get the e-visa

• You can plan ahead, so no nasty surprises at the airport
• Avoid the visa line at the airport after your long flight
• Avoid scams when using a land border

Reasons to get a visa on arrival

• It can be a little cheaper if arriving by air
• More flexibility if you’re not sure when or where you will be arriving
• Your trip starts in less than 4 days
• You’ll be arriving at a land border where the e-visa is not valid (see the list in the e-visa section above for valid crossings)

How to Get a Cambodian Tourist e-visa

If you qualify for an e-visa, we recommend you get it. It’s just more convenient to get your visa online before you arrive in Cambodia, preventing unwelcome surprises when you get there. Plus, you’ll be able to skip the long visa line at the airport.

Cost of a Cambodia e-visa

• $40 from the Cambodia e-visa website
• $55–70 from a visa service

What you’ll need to get a Cambodia e-visa online:

• Must have 6 months on passport with at least one double-sided blank page
• Must apply online at least 4 days before travel (we advise you leave a couple of weeks just in case)
• One passport photo to be submitted online
• Take 2 copies of your visa letter with you. You’ll give one to the officials when you arrive, one when you leave

How to get your Cambodia e-visa

On the Cambodia website

You can get the e-visa on the official Cambodia government website. They say processing takes three days but the system is not fool-proof, so apply at least a week in advance. Also, if there is any problem with your application, you will lose your visa fee and have no visa to show for it.

From a visa service

If you’d rather have someone else deal with the red tape, you can use a visa service to get your Cambodia e-visa. They make the process easier for you by providing:

• Smart application forms that automatically track down frequently made mistakes
• Customer service 24/7, including holidays and weekends
• Checking your application manually to make sure everything is correct
• More payment options, including PayPal
• Full refund of the application fee if the visa application is denied for any reason
• Can get a rush service if you are applying late

You will pay a little more for the service but it might save you time, stress and even money in the long-run.

How to Get a Tourist Visa on Arrival

If you’re not sure where you’ll arrive in Cambodia, or when you’ll get there, then a visa on arrival makes sense. Getting a visa on arrival is a simple, if sometimes stressful, process.

To make sure things go smoothly at the border, you’ll need all the items listed in the requirements section below, plus some patience and a sense of humour.

Cost of a Cambodia visa on arrival

• $30 at the airport
• $35–55 at a land border, depending on bribes and other services you might choose

What you’ll need for tourist visa on arrival:

• Must have 6 months on passport with at least one double-sided blank page
• Immigration form which you’ll get on the plane
• Cash in US dollars (there is a US ATM in the airport arrivals area)
• One passport photo (apparently this is no longer needed as of June 2019 but you might want to bring one just in case)

Visa on arrival at the airport

If you’re arriving at the airport and for some reason did not get an e-visa, getting a visa on arrival is relatively simple.

Just fill out the immigration card you’re given on the plane and then wait in line. Follow the instructions of the officials at the airport and eventually you will have your visa.

Visa on arrival at the border

Crossing into Cambodia by land can be an exciting, confusing, and aggravating experience. It’s true that everyone wants to make a little money off you, including the guest house where you arranged your transportation, the mini-bus driver, random guys hanging out at the border, and the border-crossing officials, too.

So along with the basic visa requirements listed above, you should be aware of the border crossing scams so you come away with less stress and more money in your pocket.

We’ve crossed the land border in and out of Cambodia several times with no trouble. Read our post about getting the bus to Cambodia and pay close attention to the section on border scams to be sure you know what to expect.

How to Get an e-Class Visa

If you’re planning an extended stay in Cambodia, of more than 60 days, and don’t want to be doing visa runs every month, then consider applying for an e-Class visa. This is not to be confused with the e-visa, which is actually a t-Class (tourist-class) visa.

An e-Class visa is technically a business visa, but it also applies for digital nomads, students, and retirees who want to live in Cambodia.

Like a tourist visa, you can get your first e-Class visa on arrival and it is valid for 30 days.

The big difference is that, unlike the tourist visa, an e-class visa can be extended indefinitely. The longer extensions, of 6 or 12 months, are even valid for multiple entry.

Find out more about e-Class visas in this post →

Can You Extend Your Cambodia Visa?

A tourist visa can be extended once, for up to 30 days.

The easiest way to do this is to use a travel agent. It will cost you around $40–50 but might take a week or more.

You might get a slightly cheaper deal at the Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh. However, that means a couple of trips out to the airport, where the office is located, and the hassle of dealing with red tape. Plus, you may be charged the same fee as through an agent anyway.

The main problem with getting a visa extension is that you might be left sitting waiting in one place while someone else has your passport.

What if You Overstay Your Cambodian Visa?

If you try to leave Cambodia with an expired visa, you will be charged $10 per each day of overstay. If you’re only over by a couple of days, this can be a better option than trying to get a visa extension. Just make sure you have exact change in USD, as your chances of getting change from the immigration guards is slim!

If you overstay by more than 30 days, official action, like arrest or deportation, can be taken against you. So don’t do it!

Do You Need Travel Insurance for Cambodia?

Of course you do!

Though Cambodia is generally a very safe place to travel, you should still make sure to have good travel insurance.

Travel insurance is a small expense (usually about a dollar or two per day) to guard against bankruptcy in case the worst comes to the worst.

It certainly came in handy when Stephen had elbow surgery in Germany after a simple fall off his bike. And I was happy to have it when I got malaria in Laos.

The good news is, we can recommend a couple of travel insurance companies that are great — reliable, inexpensive, and trustworthy. Their plans give you coverage for delayed or lost baggage, emergency medical treatments, trip interruption and more.

Plus, they both make it super-quick and easy to sign up so you can spend your time trip planning.

World Nomads — One of the most popular brands recommended by most of the pro travel bloggers we know, World Nomads provides reliable coverage for short and long trips.

Get a quote →

SafetyWing — A new player in the market, designed especially for people who travel frequently or for long stretches at a time. You can sign up for the monthly plan and then cancel whenever you decided to go home.

Get a quote →

Don’t Miss Our Great Cambodia Travel Guides

We’ve spent lots of time in Cambodia and been to all corners of the country.

Check out our other Cambodia posts, like:

• Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Cambodia →
• The Best Cambodia Itinerary for 2 Weeks →
• Choose the Best Elephant Sanctuary in Cambodia →
• 13 Things to Know Before Backpacking Cambodia →

We hope you found this post about getting a visa for Cambodia helpful! If you did, please leave a quick comment below so we can feel good about ourselves ;). Also, if you have any questions, we’ll be happy to answer them.

♥  Happy transformational travels, Jane & Stephen

We’re not going to lie, it takes a LOT of work to create travel guides like this. But it’s easy to help us out! If you book or buy something using one of our personal links in this post, we’ll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. Of course, we would never recommend anything we didn’t 100% believe in! Huge thanks in advance! –S&J