Travel Agency recommendation for getting 1 yr visa

after speaking with a few travel agencies in SR; they only make visa extensions.

the process of obtaining a Cambodian visa is dealt with personally at the port of entry.  depending on your nationality you can ask for an Ordinary visa ( non tourist visa ) at the airport; and it can be extended for 3, 6 and 12 months at the time.

Thanks for the reply,  i am planning on entering the country on an E-visa which i cannot extend to avoid the lines in PP.  it's good for 30 days.  that should give me time to get an ordinary visa for 1 yr.  i am looking for a specific travel agency that does visa extensions to see when i get there.  would you happen to remember the names of the travel agency you contacted?  and do you know if they are credible?  thanks again.

hello,

from my understanding so far; travel agencies can't help getting a different type of visa.  and its not possible to switch visa type without leaving the country and applying for a different one at the port of entry.

usually one has to get a tourist visa for the first entry.  then exit and apply for a business visa - ordinary visa in Cambodia -

perhaps some agencies can provide an invitation letter through a sister company; so as to apply for a business visa.

im not sure if the ordinary visa in Cambodia is available at the airport for only some nationalities without any documentstion or if its available to everyone after their second visit.

if i should get more concrete info from agencies here i shall PM your inbox.

hi,
did some more research and you are correct.  i got the tourist visa mixed up with the ordinary visa.  i am going to have to expedite getting an ordinary visa here from their wash dc embassy which they say takes at least 3 weeks in which i hope to get it back in time before i leave (jul 1).  from you comments, i was able to realize my error which meant having to leave and come back to get an ordinary visa.  thank you so much for your help.  it saved me a lot of problems otherwise. (what confused me was the term "e-visa" used for both tourist and ordinary visa on some websites on info on how to apply for a visa.  the cambodian's govt website cleared up my confusion about using the "e-visa" online purchase.  with the ordinary visa, i can then extend it later on.)

P.S.  would getting a business visa be more advantageous over an ordinary visa?  i have a friend where i think i could get a letter of invitation from the businesses they own.   i may want to do some kind of small part-time business if i see the opportunity there.  so would it be difficult to later change it to a business visa?

hiram

Hello Mr.Hiram,

yes of course getting a business visa ( ordinary visa ) is the best thing to do if planning a long term stay and a little work on the side. 

from the information online; they say that one can just request an ordinary visa upon arrival at the airport - it can be extended for 3, 6 or 12 months through a travel agency.  initial cost is about $30 to $35. 

i still haven't figured what's the criteria for obtaining an ordinary visa.  some say one needs an invitation letter from a company, while others say one just asks for it when filling the form at the airport.  perhaps it depends on the nationality of the passport holder -

as far as i know switching visa types without leaving the country and re-applying is not possible almost in any country besides a handful of exceptions.

many countries will only issue a business visa ( also called ordinary visa in Cambodia ) after the applicants second visit if applying without a sponsor.

generally speaking if you have a US passport then you should have no problem getting an ordinary visa on arrival even if its your first visit - an invitation letter from a local company would be a good precaution to be on the safe side, proof of funds ( cash ) and an outward ticket are also required.

the tourist visa issued on arrival is valid for 30 days plus a 30 day extension only.  it costs $25 and the extension ( depending on travel agency ) can be somewhere between $40 and $55.

meanwhile i'll be doing some more research in order to get more concrete info - also for myself - in regards to visas, business licenses and work permits etc.

hope that helps.

thanks again for replying,

i emailed the cambodian embassy in dc about obtaining a visa thru them.  i'm a bit confused on what they post on their site which states that they only issue a 1 month visa which i can extend when i get there.  i assume (which bothers me) that they are talking about getting an ordinary visa, visa-e, but they also state it as being a tourist visa which you stated being extendable too.  i hope to get a response soon because of the deadline date.  i tried calling them but cannot connect with anyone there, that also bothers me too.

if i can't get one thru them, then i'll have to do it upon arrival and wait in line like the rest.  i'm going to ask my cambodian friend here on what he can do for me over there from his family members regarding getting the right visa to stay there.

time wise, i'm cutting it close but if all else fails, the almighty dollar may be my only out.  i've committed myself to go there to live but i do have a back up plan to live in the philippines where i have friends living there.  i don't know anybody in siem reap but i like what it has to offer except the weather in general but it's like that everywhere else.  so i'm determined to get there and hopefully stay there and base my adventures from there.  it's centrally located to friends i have in thailand and laos and close to vietnam where i have friends here that could help with their contact/family members there.

i appreciate the time you have taken to give me better insights regarding visas.  yours is the only response which also tells me a lot about members in general on this site in helping others.  so a big thanks to you.  i don't know your name and if you wish to be incognito, that's ok with me too.

hiram

Requirements change but getting a Cambodian business visa a few years ago was easy by just paying $25 at the PP airport, ($5 more than the tourist visa). At far as turning that into a 1 year biz visa, almost any travel agency could do so for $285. As a US citizen it was simple but the process could be very different today.  At most Cambodian embassies one can pay extra for faster service.

Thanks Bob for your reply.  I did manage to get a business visa before I left USA which made it very easy and fast to enter the country.  They didn't even check my baggage at customs.  I was done in less than 10 minutes for both immigration and customs.  Many have said that any travel agency can process the extension for a small fee.  I wanted to know how much they charge, which travel agency to go to in Siem Reap that was creditable and how soon before my visa expires.  My visa ends in Aug so I need to renew it soon.  Any help on that info would be greatly appreciated.  I've been here a little over 3 weeks now and I must say that it's better than what I expected.  Need to get adjusted to the humidity again, lived in Nevada for over 20 yrs so it's a bit rough but I also expected it too.  The people and food here is super!!  I know it will get better when I learn to speak Khmer and be able to blend in better.

Thanks

Hiram