Cambodia has plenty to offer for anyone who wishes to tour it. The Southeast Asian country is particularly famous for its beautiful tropical beaches, rich culture, ancient temples, and hip cities. For example, the most famous tourist destination, Siem Reap, is popular for the temples of Angkor Wat, which formed the backdrop for Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider movie.
But travelling to Cambodia means that you have to prepare for a trip and ensure that you have a visa, passport, and relevant travel documents.
The Cambodia E-Visa
The best part about visiting the country is that the Government of Cambodia made it easier for people to tour the country by introducing the Cambodian e-Visa. The visa’s application is entirely online, quick, and straightforward.
You can only apply for the pass through the country’s e-Visa website and cannot cancel your e-Visa once the government approves it. In this case, your only option is to continue holding the Cambodia e-Visa until it expires.
The Validity of the Cambodian E-Visa
The Cambodian e-Visa is an electronic visa that allows you to visit the country for touristic purposes. The permit is valid for three months from its issue date and only allows a single entry into Cambodia.
However, your stay should be short-term and distributed across the three-month validity period of your visa. You need to apply for a new permit if you leave the country and postpone your visit.
You can also postpone your actual arrival date from your expected arrival date. But since the Cambodian government processes the e-Visa for a few days, your visa’s validity will start 23 to 28 days before the scheduled arrival date. In this case, you will receive your e-Visa immediately after the approval, which is likely to be at most 30 days before your expected arrival date.
Requirements That Make Your E-Visa Valid
The Cambodia visa is only valid as long as you meet the country’s e-visa requirements. These requirements include:
- Your passport should be from one of the Cambodia e-Visa eligible countries, valid for at least six months from your arrival date, and have at least one blank page for entry and exit stamps. The passport should also state that you have British citizenship or the nationality of one of the eligible countries that offer the Cambodia e-Visa.
These countries include the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Egypt, Canada, and Switzerland. If your passport expires within six months of your arrival, you need to apply for a new pass before applying for an e-Visa. An emergency passport does not qualify for the application process, but you can use the urgency procedure if you hurry.
- You must have a passport-style colour photograph of yourself.
- You must have a debit or credit card to pay for the visa’s fee.
The Cambodian government sends your e-Visa as a PDF file via email. For this reason, you need to provide your current email address and print two copies of the Cambodia e-Visa. You will present these copies at the country’s entry and exit points. If possible, always have a copy of your e-Visa for the entire time you stay in Cambodia.
Itinerary Requirements That Make Your E-Visa Valid
You must meet the following itinerary needs for your Cambodian e-Visa to be valid:
- Your stay in Cambodia should not exceed the maximum allowed of 30 days. You can break down your visits into three 30-days trips distributed across the three months of your visa’s validity. According to Cambodian laws, you need to visit the country only within the validity term of your electronic permit.
- After passing the border check, you can only enter the country through one permitted entry location.
These locations include three international airports and four border locations:
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- The Phnom Penh International Airport.
- The Siem Reap International Airport.
- The Sihanoukville International Airport.
- The Cham Yeam border location at Koh Kong, which borders Thailand.
- The Poi Pet border location at Banteay Meanchey, which borders Thailand.
- The Bavet border location at Svay Rieng, which borders Vietnam.
- The Tropaeng Kreal border location at Stung Treng, which borders Laos.
There are fewer restrictions on the exit points that you can use to leave the country. You can leave Cambodia at any crossing with a border post as long as your e-Visa is valid and you meet all the passport and visa requirements.
Travelling With Children
Each child travelling to Cambodia also needs to own as passport and e-Visa. If you will be travelling with a child, it is best to submit your application as a group. This way, you can use the same online application and only add the child as a traveller at the bottom of the application form.
If none of your children are travelling to Cambodia, they need a signed English statement from either parents or guardians that grants permission for the trip.
Types of Cambodia E-Visas
The Cambodia e-Visa, Type T, allows tourists to visit the country. You are only a tourist if you go to Cambodia for sightseeing, vacation, or other leisure activities. You need to get your visa from the Cambodian embassy if the purpose of your visit is to study or work or if you want to stay in Cambodia for more than 30 days.
The Type T e-Visa provides single entry into the country and costs $36, with free processing. Individuals from Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore can receive Type T visa exemption.
In Cambodia, you can extend your electronic tourist visa by up to 30 days. All you have to do is contact the Cambodia National Police Immigration Department at the country’s Ministry of Interior. If you get the extension, you can stay in the country for two months.
You can also renew your tourist visa by submitting a new online application to the Cambodian National Police Immigration Department if you are still in Cambodia.
Visa Exemption
The maximum period you can stay in Cambodia without a visa is 30 days. But, you can stay in the country visa-free for more extended if you are a regular passport holder from the following nine countries:
- Brunei
- Laos
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Seychelles, and
- Thailand
People from Brunei, Seychelles, and Thailand can stay for 14 more days.
COVID-19 Requirements for the Cambodia E-Visa
If you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to quarantine on arrival to Cambodia. However, all tourists must meet the following COVID-19 health requirements:
- You need a printed, signed, and stamped medical certificate that shows you do not have COVID-19. The results should not be older than 72 hours before your departure. If you are travelling from Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho or Namibia, you will undergo a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival.
- You need a minimum medical insurance cover of $50,000.
- You need to deposit $2000 in a designated bank on your arrival. This amount covers your possible COVID-19 testing and treatment during your trip. You will get back the deposit three days after your quarantine period. Remember that travel insurance is not mandatory for receiving the Cambodian e-Visa.
You also need a yellow fever vaccine if you travel from a high-risk country.