Visas for Cambodia

Popular visa types: Tourist and Business

Both tourist and business 30-day visas are available on entry at the airports and at some of the international crossings. A tourist visa costs US$20, a business visa $25. At international airports you'll generally get the visa for that price, but at overland crossings, overcharging may happen. This is a particular problem at the Ko Kong crossing. You will require a pen and one photo and the visa is paid for in US cash -- to be safe, have the right amount. You can also apply for a Cambodian visa online through the Cambodia eVisa online website. The visa costs US$20 plus a $5 processing surcharge and takes three days.

While most people get the visa on arrival, if you're planning on entering at Ko Kong, it is worth considering getting your visa beforehand to avoid any "misunderstandings" at the crossing. Given how easy it is to get an eVisa, and as they're valid at the Ko Kong crossing, the eVisa is really the way to go.

EVisas are only valid for entry into Cambodia via the international airports at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and via the land crossings at Ko Kong, Poipet and Bavet. You cannot use an eVisa to enter Cambodia at other crossings.

Extensions

A tourist visa can be extended once, for 30 days only. The extension costs US$45. Business visas can be extended pretty much forever on an annual basis. The fee for a year-long multiple entry extension is US$280. Both types of extensions take a day or two and are best handled through agents.

Validity issues

The main issue facing tourists is that tourist visas can only be extended once. If you're looking at a longer stay in cambodia, get a business visa. It costs just $5 more, requires no extra paperwork, and can be extended for a far longer period.

Overstays

While it isn't a big deal to overstay a visa in Cambodia, it does get expensive quickly. The base fine is $6 per day of overstay. So if you overstay by five days, you'll be required to pay $30 on exit.

Things to watch out for

The main potential problem revolves around buying your visa at the border. Some immigration officers demand that you pay in baht, using a very poor exchange rate (and they pocket the difference). This is a particular problem at the Ko Kong crossing. The easiest way to avoid the problem is to get your visa in advance -- or don't use the Ko Kong crossing.

Departure tax

There is no departure tax if using a land crossing. However, if you're flying out of Phnom Penh or Siem Reap international airport, the departure tax is US$25 for international flights and $6 for domestic flights. You need to pay departure tax in US cash.

Border crossings

For the latest information on border crossings and to read traveller reports, please see our Cambodia border crossing page, or the exhaustive Border Crossings FAQ thread on the messageboard, which includes reports from travellers who have recently crossed.