Requirements for entering Cambodia as foreigner

hdgh29 wrote:

A guy I know in the US got a visa from the Washington KH embassy a couple of weeks ago, as a retiree.

Did he enter Cambodia?

Hello everyone,

Please note that some unnecessary posts have been removed from this thread.

Thanks,

Diksha
Team Expat.com

hdgh29 wrote:

As you know, there are no visas on arrival, and no tourist visas being issued. The third option is what is called the E- Ordinary visa, also known as Business visa. This is what you would get previously on arrival if you intended to apply for an extension of stay for retirement, an EOS-ER. Up till August this was only available for genuine business travelers or people with job offers. However the changes announced on August 4 allowed for visas for travelers who have not been invited or sponsored by a company.
https://www.embassyofcambodiadc.org/emb … o-cambodia
Towards the end, paragraph IV.
I asked the official in the Consular section in the UK if that applied to retirees, and without committing himself too much he said it was a possible interpretation and that I should apply when I have made a definite decision about travelling. If you send me a PM I will give you his name and contact details so you can check out your own situation. I doubt he would want his details on a public forum in case he got inundated!

Thank you for the lengthy response, I appreciate it.
As for the official in the UK, thank you for your offer, but I’m not from the UK (I’m Swiss). Anyway, I’ll just wait a little more and hope for a positive development.

Diksha wrote:

Hello everyone,

Please note that some unnecessary posts have been removed from this thread.

Thanks,

Diksha
Team Expat.com

Thank you Diksha, but where is now my original post re Requirements to enter Cambodia? I can't see it anymore.....

Best regards

Joe

Last Thursday the Cambodian Embassy in Malaysia informed me that I could re-enter KH via flying from Singapore. Another resident complained that only daily workers may cross the MY-SG borders. Tuesday I'll personally visit the SG Embassy for clarification and post it here. Was provided with a form stating requirements for entering KH included a Health certificate indicating a Covid-19 negative, and a Health Insuracne package for Covid-19 (USD90/20 day validity) The FORTE insurance company was recommended /covid-19-insurance/ On this document from Royal Embassy of Cambodia to Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, dated 04 August 2020 is no mention of bank deposits.

Hi Joe,

Can you confirm whether it's still the case that flights need to be routed through Seoul or Taipei? I'm about to book my ticket, and Google keeps directing me toward Singapore Airlines.

You can now transit in Singapore too,  provided you book the whole trip with Singapore Airlines or their alliance.

Cheers 

Joe

When I left in April, I booked PNH - MAN return with Qatar. Sadly they and Singapore are in different alliances... But always good to see any movement opening up. Thanks, Joe for keeping us informed.

Thanks, Joe! Very helpful info. Looking forward to being back in the Kingdom next week.

In your post you state you must have a job or invitation to get a visa.    I’m a retired US citizen living on approx 2k social security monthly.     Am I eligible to get an evisa  assuming I put down the 3000 dollar deposit?     Thanks  Gary

Gary - I had annual visas for the last 4/5 years. I think they only became "Retirement Visas" last year or two. I was never asked for any details about income.
I think the requirements may have become more stringent recently, however.
I do have decent UK pensions but have to share between 2 families (+ occasional Thai granddaughter!)
Given no heavy US commitments, I think $2K month is a comfortable (if not luxurious) income.

First the deposit is $2000 as I stated.

Second retirement is not a job and many consulates refuse to issue an Ordinary Visa based on retirement.

But the Washington embassy /consulate is very lenient and there are a few stories of people that got an Ordinary Visa based on retirement.

Try it,  nothing to lose.

Good luck.

Joe

Hi joe
I have spoken to the embassy in London and i can apply for a e type visa no problem, I have shown proof of my wedding to my Khmer wife pics only    No paper work as it was a Buddhist  wedding in a village.
Not sure what to do, as the embassy  employee informed me that PP  immigration might. Ask for a letter of invitation .my   Concern Is being refused  entry at PP. But I would have a  valid visa!!!!!!!
Not sure what to do take the chance or be stuck here for the winter. NO! NO! NO! 🙀
Would do you think joe
Thanks Gary

Hi Gary.

That's a tricky one mate, being married to a Khmer but no marriage certificate.

You have paperwork re the marriage whatsoever?

Can your wife ask the Sangkat to get a marriage certificate?

As for visa. Yes you can have a visa but that is not a right to enter the country. It's always up to the discretion of the officer to let you enter.

I advise you the choice of two things:

1. Get the expertise of one of the best agents in PP, I can PM you the contact details;
2. Put your problem on the facebook group "Cambodia visa and work permit Group". Very knowledgeable moderators.

Good luck Gary!

Joe

Many thanks for the advice Joe, all I will have is a wedding pic and a passport full of Cambodia. E  Visas to show I have lived in the kingdom for  many years.
And  of course a couple of hundred   Dollars in the back pocket just in case of a  emergency.
I will try and find out as much information as possible starting with the Facebook Cambodia visa Community.
But at the end of the day,  in life ithings that you  strife for,  there. Is usally a calculate risk to gain them.
Gaining entrance to the kingdom/ getting turn away at PP  V  existiing   in the uk for a other dark cold depressing winter.
I rest my case your  honour .

I.rest my case your honour
Gary

hi Joe. I visited KOW quite a few times when I was working in VN around 2010 to 2016. I liked Siem Reap and now that I am retired I think I could have a decent lifestyle there on my pension of around $1300 a month. Nice apartments going for $300 or so......but do you think the place has changed in the last 5 years? I am not a boozehound or a sexpat, just looking for a quiet, easy life. What do you think. Would you recommend Siem Reap, or is Kampot the new SR?

That is a tricky question as I have just moved last month to Kampot.

For me SR has no attraction,  too many tourists in normal circumstances and too many backpackers.

Kampot has backpackers too but not too many,  same goes for tourists,  they are there but not overly present.

The riverside with view on Kampot river and many restaurants alongside is great.
Kep at the sea is only 28 km away,  buses bring you there,  tuktuks or even one of the river cruise boats.

Kampot is nice,  not with a Pub street but with many restaurants,  pubs and bars.

Come over when it's possible again and stay in both places,  so you can compare them yourself.

Cheers

Joe

I have been to both these places in 2017 (SR, Kampot and Kep) and had about the same impression. Siem Reap would just be to busy for me, and not very ‘interesting’ once you have visited the temples.
Between Kep and Kampot, I prefer the latter, but both are very beautiful places: while Kep has the sea, the riverside in Kampot is really nice in the evening. Kampot has more of everything , I guess if you’re on your own it’s probably the better choice

What about accommodation? I have been to SR a few times, and I know there are a lot of nice, modern apartments, and currently the rents are very reasonable. But I have friends who spent time in Kampot and they told me its harder to get somewhere decent to live if you dont want a stand-alone house or a villa, not many Western-style apartments available. Also I did an online search and got zilch. Any thoughts on that?

I must say just my experience only, kampot is somewhat limited on just the size, yet I agree with jo it’s really cool, but so many apartments in siem reap, western style and absolutely no tourist, I think the most bang for you buck is definitely siem reap, your going to find a abundance of cheaper western style apartments, and the city will be a few years to getting back to packed tourist in my opinion, I love Phnom Penh, yet if I came back I would get a really nice place for a few hundred bucks in siem reap

Yep, for a lot of people the home base is important. The town may be nice, with a river etc, but you got to have a good place to come home to, eat, sleep, wake up in.  I can always get on my motorbike and get out of town and visit , but I need a decent place to come back to. I guess we are all different in our lifestyle, so one size does not fit all.

It is true that you won't see many western style apartments in Kampot.
Instead, and it's an important thing for me, you can get a house of your own for the same price as an apartment in PP.
There are rooms for rent from about $150, rooms in guesthouses same price, and there are houses for rent from $200 - $500. Nice decent houses in quiet areas too, what I like, and well maintained.
You pay electricity directly to Electricity Kampot, for 770 riel per kWh. You pay water directly to Water Kampot for 1300 riel per m3. That is bloody cheap.

For myself, I have found a 2 bed 3 bath house with a large yard/garden, in a very quiet part of Kampot, but still 5 mins ride on PassApp. I ride mountainbike through the whole of Kampot. But my place is very quiet,no traffic, no tourists.

And that for the same price as my 1 bed apartment in PP!

Cheers

Joe

Since this thread was started about entry requirements, I would be very interested to hear about ‘success stories’ of people who managed to recently get a visa and successfully enter Cambodia. Specifically, how the managed to obtain a visa.