If you plan to travel to Cambodia to discover the interesting culture, friendly people and special sights you will need a visa. Here you will find the information you need, so you can prepare yourself for discovering the beautiful Cambodia.
To travel to Cambodia it is required to have a valid visa. This can easily be requested online for about €60,- per person, but can also usually be done through the hostel in which you are staying in the surrounding countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. This is especially useful if you don't yet know when and how long you will be in Asia and when you are going to Cambodia. Often this is in combination with your bus trip and you will lose about that amount of money as well.
All inhabitants of the Netherlands (and Belgium) must have a valid visa when you want to enter Cambodia. Are you not traveling alone, but in a group? Then everyone (including the children) must have a valid visa for Cambodia.
The visa Cambodia is a proof that you can validly enter the country Cambodia. This travel authorization has been created by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so that they have insight into who is visiting the country. You can apply for the visa online if you are staying less than 30 days in Cambodia. If you plan to stay longer, you will have to visit the embassy in Brussels. Unfortunately, there is no embassy in the Netherlands on behalf of Cambodia.
With the visa you can stay in Cambodia for a maximum of 30 days. However, it has a validity of 90 days. This validity period is immediately active as soon as your application has been approved by the immigration service. Such an approval is generally faxed within a few days.
If you arrange your visa for Cambodia more than 30 days before arrival. In that case it will only be processed 30 days before your indicated arrival date. This way you can be sure that your visa is valid during your trip in Cambodia. However, you may only enter and leave the country during the validity of the 90 days.
You only need this visa if you want to enter the country. There you need the following documents with you to get through the passport control of the immigration post:
You can't come into Cambodia just like that. You can leave Cambodia at anybody's border crossing. You can travel into Cambodia via the locations below:
| Arrival | Type |
|---|---|
| Phnom Penh | International airport |
| Siem Reap | International airport |
| Sihanoukville (Preah Sihanouk) | International airport |
| Cham Yeam (Koh Kong) | Border cross at Thailand (South-West) |
| Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey) | Border cross at Thailand (West) |
| Bavet (Svay Rieng) | Border cross bij Vietnam |
| Tropaeng Kreal (Stung Treng) | Border cross bij Laos |
During my trip, I went from Thailand (Bangkok) to Cambodia (Siem Reap) via the border cross of Poi Pet by bus. This bus trip was about 10 hours and easily booked through my hostel. I'd like it is so easy. The border crossing was mainly waiting, but went smoothly.
There are several organizations that can arrange a visa for Cambodia. I can't tell you which one is the best but I've arranged my visa through VisumBuiteland.nl. I'm very satisfied and when I had questions their help quickly and explained well. Take a look at one of the organizations below and see what makes you feel most comfortable:
Please note that when applying, you will be asked to upload a recent passport photo and passport scan. And double check your details when applying. With these parties you can make the payment via iDeal, PayPal or Credit Card.
You can apply for a visa 24/7 from the Netherlands but also from abroad. As long as you've access to the internet. It is logical that you do not know exactly when you will arrive, but try to apply as soon as you know when you will be there.
You are going to travel through South-East Asia for 3 months and you want to visit Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. You start in Thailand and you have planned to be here for 1 month, then you can set your arrival date as the 1st of the second month. Because of the validity period of 90 days, you can be somewhere during the trip a maximum of 30 in Cambodia. This gives you flexibility with your exact arrival date in Cambodia.
At some agencies you can request an urgent procedure for an extra surcharge. In most cases this is faster, but there is absolutely no guarantee that it will actually be arranged within 24 hours. Just do it on time if you can arrange it in advance. Should you think of visiting Cambodia during your trip (highly recommended). Then take an extra day in the country where you are staying and save those costs for the emergency procedure.
If you have any questions, send me an email. I will try to help you as best I can. If you have any questions about an applied for visa, ask your visa organisation or the embassy.
And please check the official website for the latest information on travel advice for Cambodia before you leave.