🇰🇭 Cambodia visa for United States citizens

Most passports get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival. Some Asian neighbours get 21 days visa-free. Don't assume you can just freelance on that.

Who gets what visa for Cambodia?

If you're from the US, EU, UK, Canada, or Australia, you're looking at a standard 30-day tourist visa. You can get this at the airport in Phnom Penh (PNH) or Siem Reap (REP), or at most major land borders. The fee is usually $30 USD. It’s a straightforward process, take your passport, a photo, and the cash.

Citizens of many Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia get 21 days visa-free. That's a nice perk if you're hopping around the region. Citizens of some other countries, like China, might need to apply in advance or have different on-arrival rules. It’s worth double-checking the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs website if your country isn’t listed here, but for the main Western blocs, it's the $30 tourist visa or nothing for short stays.

Cambodia visa stay limits and what happens if you miss them

That 30-day tourist visa is exactly that: tourist. You can extend it once for another 30 days, but that's it. This is a single-entry visa. If you leave Cambodia, even for an hour to Vietnam and back, your visa is void. You’ll need a new one. This catches people out who try day trips to border towns.

Overstaying Cambodia is where things get expensive fast. For the first few days, maybe up to a week, they might let it slide with a small fine. But after that, it's $10 USD per day. That adds up. Staying longer than a month past your visa expiry can lead to detention, deportation, and a ban from re-entering the country. Don't risk it. The $10/day fine is the official line, but it's best to leave before your initial visa runs out.

Can you actually work remotely on a tourist visa?

This is the greyest of grey areas. Officially, no. A tourist visa is for tourism. Working remotely on a tourist visa is technically not allowed. However, Cambodia isn't exactly checking IP addresses or asking for your employment contract at immigration. The reality is, for most digital nomads just hopping on Zoom calls and coding, nobody will bother you.

Authorities are generally more concerned with people taking local jobs or running businesses without the proper work permits. If you're just using Wi-Fi in cafes or co-working spaces, you're unlikely to face any issues. That said, it's not a legal right. If you were to encounter a particularly strict official, or if Cambodian immigration policy changes, you could theoretically be asked to leave. For now, though, most nomads operate on the tourist visa without incident.

What's new with Cambodia's visas?

Cambodia has been rolling out its e-Visa system, which is a big step forward. You can apply online before you travel for a 30-day tourist visa. The fee is usually around $36 USD online, slightly more than the on-arrival option, but it saves you time queuing. This service has been expanded to cover more land border crossings recently.

There was a temporary suspension of the e-Visa for certain nationalities during COVID-19, but that has long since been lifted. The core visa rules – the 30-day tourist visa, the single-entry nature, and the extension possibilities – remain the same. Fees are generally stable, though always check the official government site for the most current pricing before you travel. The e-Visa is the modern way to get your Cambodian tourist stamp.