For the travels to Cambodia the process of organizing a tourist visa is a very easy and straightforward process.
There is a choice of applying for one of two types of visa:
Cambodia tourist visa
The tourist visa is the most practical option for the Cambodia holiday that is lasting for a period of 30-days or less.
The actual process of applying for the visa is relatively straightforward with the option to apply in person on arrival (not available to all nationalities) or organised in advance. The cost of a standard visa to Cambodia is $30 – although it can be renewed at least once for a further 30-day period at a cost of $45. This type of visa is single entry only.
For the travellers on the Cambodia tours that are planning a trip that lasts in excess of 30 days it may be worth looking at the ordinary visa instead.
Ordinary visa
The ordinary visa is the most practical choices for the tourist that plans to stay in Cambodia for longer periods. This type of visa was previously referred to as the business visa, but that name is no longer used. This visa starts at an initial period of 30-days and costs $35. But, this visa has the option to renew or extend on a repeated basis – there is no limited on the amount of times the visa can be extended.
Even though this visa was once called a business visa, it doesn’t give the traveller any right to find work while in the country. To legally work in Cambodia it is a requirement to apply for a separate work permit.
After organizing the initial 30-day visa for the Cambodia tour package, it is relatively easy to continue to renew on a one, three, six or twelve month basis. All extensions take place in the country, and the six or twelve month visas can act as a multiple entry visa. The one and three month visa is restricted to single entry only, so does not allow visits to neighbouring countries like Vietnam or Thailand.
For the travellers that are looking to organise a visa on arrival, there are certain airlines that will block the entry to the country if flying with a one way ticket.
Visa exemption
A few countries have a mutually agreed Cambodia visa exception in place for trips that last between 14 and 30 days; this applies to citizens of countries like Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Passport|On entering Cambodia it is a requirement to hold a passport that has at least three to six months remaining from the date of arrival. While the Cambodian authorities aren’t so strict on this rule, it still benefits to travel with a useful amount of time left on the passport.
Applying for a Cambodian visa
There are a few options to apply for the visa for the Cambodia customized tour, including:
Airport
The option of applying for a visa on arrival is available to citizens from most counties – but only offered at certain airports, such as Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. There is no need to do anything before travelling. The only thing to do is complete a form on the plane that is needed to apply for the visa at the counter in the airport. Use US dollars to pay for the visa. Most of the large airports will have an ATM that pays out in this currency.
Cambodian embassy
For the travellers on the Cambodia travel that want to be fully organised before setting off there is the option to apply for a visa in advance.
A visa in advance is the only option for citizens from countries like Sudan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. Plus, the rules to obtain a visa for these countries are more rigid with a need to obtain a sponsor letter and have a return ticket.
Land border crossing
There are a few land border crossings to apply for a visa but this is far from being the easiest option.
Possible border crossings include
The Kha Orm Sam Nor International checkpoint and Bavet International checkpoint for the Cambodia-Vietnam border
The O’Smach International checkpoint, the Poipet International checkpoint and Cham Yeam International checkpoint for the Cambodia-Thailand border
The process of obtaining the land border crossing is quite slow with the potential to make numerous payments or bribes. The preferred option is to get the visa at an airport or embassy before making any attempt to cross the border into neighbouring countries.
Online
A further option is the ability to apply for a Cambodian E-visa which is easily organised by going online. This type of visa is available to those citizens from countries that can apply for the visa on arrival. An E-visa is the tourist type only and costs slightly more with an extra $7 to pay on top of the standard fee. But, it does limit the entry points to the country – for air entry this is Phnom Penh or Siem Reap airports, or Cham Yeam, Poipet or Bavet land border crossings.
Extending your visa
For those enjoying their time in Cambodia it is possible to extend both types of visa. The tourist visa at 30-days can be extended on one occasion for a further 30-day period at a cost of $45. For the ordinary visa it is possible to extend this for a period of one, three, six, or twelve months at a cost of $45 to $300.
The most practical method to renew the visa is to visit a local travel agent who files the paperwork and has the extension prepared in two or three days. It isn’t possible to extend the Cambodian visa using online methods.
Overstaying your visa
Even though it isn’t an advisable thing to do, there is the possibility of staying in Cambodia after the visa has expired. For overstaying a visa there is a daily charge of $10 per day (recently increased from $5 per day). This charge is payable to immigration on leaving the country.
