Unless you are a citizen of countries within ASEAN, it is necessary to obtain a visa in order to enter Cambodia. However, if you’re reading this article, it is very likely that you need one. Cambodia is a country that is pretty easy to get into, and this article will tell you all you need to know about Cambodian visa.
Types of visas
Ordinary Visa (type E)
Ordinary Visa, also known as business Visa, is valid for 30 days and has a price of 35 USD. The visa type E allows applicants to extend its length for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or a year. For those who chose to extend it for 1 or 3 months, upon leaving Cambodia, the visa will be considered void and requires you to get a new one if you want to re-enter the country. On the other hand, 6 months and 1 year extension permits holders to be able to enter Cambodia multiple times. Depending on the length of stay, prices of visa E extension range between 50 USD to 300 USD.
Tourist Visa (type T)
This visa is simply for tourists who are looking for a short-term visit to Cambodia. Priced at 30 USD, visa type T is valid for 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days. The extension cost is 50 USD plus additional administrative fee.
Khmer Visa (type K)
K-type visa is for descendants of Cambodians possessing a foreign passport that looks to reconnect to their motherland. This visa is free of charge and permits those who have met the requirements to enter the kingdom for an unlimited number of times. Proof of documents that states that their parents are Cambodians are needed in order to receive this visa.
Diplomatic Visa (type A)
As the name suggests, diplomatic visas are reserved for diplomats on a mission in Cambodia. This visa is free of charge.
How to apply for a Cambodian visa
There are a number of ways that you can obtain a visa to Cambodia; however, your safest bet is to apply for it through your country’s Cambodian embassy. Check if there is one in your country and you can request a visa there.
Another way to get a visa is by purchasing the visa on arrival. As you can tell from the name, this method allows anyone entering Cambodia to pay for the visa in Cambodia’s international airports as well as the official border checkpoints if you want to cross into Cambodia by land. The airports that offer visa on arrival are Phnom Penh and Siem Reap international airport. As for the visa at the border checkpoints, they are available at the border between Thailand (Poipet, Cham Yeam, O’Smach), Vietnam (Bavet, Kha Orm Sanor), and Laos (Dom Kralor).
You can also get a visa online through the Cambodian government’s E-visa program. On the website, you will have to choose between Ordinary and Tourist Visa to complete the application and will have to provide your most recent passport photo (4×6). Payment for the fee is via credit card and costs around 30 USD to 40 USD depending on the type of visa.
The website to apply for E-visa is through: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/ .
You can also check for news on the website so that you can keep yourself updated on the regulations and restrictions imposed by the governments.
Where to extend your visa?
The official place to extend your stay in Cambodia is at the Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh. The address of their offices is on Confederation de la Russie boulevard (in front of the airport).
If you don’t happen to be in Phnom Penh, the best way to extend your visa is to contact a travel agency and pay them a fee to help you prolong your stay here. Be sure to make your decision ahead of the visa expiry, as the process can take from 5 days to a week to complete.