Visas, borders and practical travel in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
Visas and entry · Cambodia
Cambodia: visa on arrival, e-visa and arrival card
Cambodia is the easiest of the three for paperwork: a tourist visa on arrival is still issued at airports and at most land borders. The catches are the dollar notes you pay with, the e-visa that only some borders accept, and an overstay fine with no upper limit.
Contents
The rules in brief
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Cambodia entry requirements; Travelfish — Cambodia visas and borders (independent guide); Cambodia e-visa portal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs · last checked .
Visa on arrival or e-visa?
If you arrive by air, either works. The e-visa saves a queue and the cash; the visa on arrival saves the USD 6 processing fee and the four-day lead time. Both give the same 30 days.
Overland, the choice depends on the crossing. Independent reports list Bavet, on the main road from Ho Chi Minh City, and Trapeang Kriel, from southern Laos, as accepting the e-visa. Prek Chak (from Ha Tien), Phnom Den (from Tinh Bien), Kaam Samnor (the Mekong boat from Vinh Xuong), Trapeang Phlong (from Xa Mat) and O Yadav (from Le Thanh) issue a visa on arrival but do not take the e-visa. Holding an e-visa at one of those means paying again.
Bring the fee in clean US dollar notes. Torn, taped or heavily marked notes may be refused anywhere in Cambodia, and a border post is a bad place to find that out. A passport photo is also asked for with the visa on arrival.
Sources: Travelfish — Cambodia visas and borders (independent guide); UK Foreign Office — Cambodia entry requirements; Remitly — cash and cards in Cambodia (money transfer service) · last checked .
The e-Arrival card
Cambodia has an electronic arrival card for air passengers. The UK Foreign Office says it should be completed within the seven days before arrival, costs nothing, and applies at the three international airports: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Phnom Penh's airport is now Techo International, which replaced the old airport in September 2025.
The card is free. A website that charges for it is an agency, not the government. Land arrivals were not covered by the card when we checked; carry a pen in case you are handed a paper form at the border.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Cambodia entry requirements; TravelMole — Techo International Airport replaces Phnom Penh airport · last checked .
Overstays and extensions
According to the UK Foreign Office, overstaying in Cambodia can lead to a fine, detention and deportation, and there is no upper limit to the fine. People who overstay by more than 30 days are required to pay and leave. If your plans change, extend the visa before it expires; independent sources put the cost of an extension at USD 30 to 50 depending on type and length.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Cambodia entry requirements; Travelfish — Cambodia visas and borders (independent guide) · last checked .
What goes wrong at Cambodian land borders
- Requests for small unofficial extras on top of the visa fee, reported at remote posts. The official fee is the one printed on the visa.
- Bus staff collecting passports and money to "speed things up". It can work, but you lose sight of your passport and may pay a mark-up. You can queue yourself.
- Arriving with an e-visa at a crossing that does not accept it, and paying twice.
- Running out of passport pages: a Cambodian visa takes a full page.
The UK Foreign Office notes that remote crossings have basic facilities and that unofficial fee requests do happen. Keep the exact amount ready and a receipt request polite.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Cambodia safety and security; A Social Nomad — Vietnam to Cambodia overland (travel blog) · last checked .
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Can I pay the Cambodian visa on arrival in dong or kip?
Plan on US dollars. One overland report notes dong being taken at a Vietnam crossing, but dollars are the currency the fee is set in.
Is the e-visa accepted on the Mekong boat from Chau Doc?
Independent reports say no: the river crossing at Kaam Samnor issues a visa on arrival but does not take the e-visa. Check before you apply.
Do I need the e-Arrival card if I come by bus?
The card applies at the three international airports. At land borders it did not apply when we checked.
How long can I stay?
A tourist visa gives 30 days from the date of entry. An extension is possible inside Cambodia for a fee.
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