Visas and Health in Cambodia

Whether you have decided to go to Cambodia for professional, personal, internship or holidays, consider taking out travel or expatriate health insurance for you and your family. This will avoid the financial, health and legal risks that would occur unexpectedly. In your choice of international insurance, pay attention to repatriation, hospital costs, civil liability and other emergency medical expenses.

Political regime: Constitutional monarchy
Capital: Penh Phnom
Area: 181,035 sq km
Population: 16.01 million
Languages spoken: Khmer
Currency: Riel

Visas Cambodia

If you are a French national, you need an entry visa to Cambodia. Arrival and exit must take place within three months from the date of issuance of the visa.

Visa exemptions for Cambodia

Unless you are a citizen of an ASEAN member country, it is not possible to be visa exempt.

However, in case you have not been able to apply on time, you can get your visa directly at the airport (Phnom Penh or Siem Reap). The documents requested are the same as those required by the Embassy in France. You will therefore need to be in possession of them when you arrive on Cambodian soil.

Nevertheless, we recommend that you make your steps before you leave. Obtaining a visa for Cambodia in France takes between 48 hours and 7 days.

Holders of the following passports are not eligible for visa at the airport and must apply upstream: Afghanistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Nigeria.

Documents required for any visa application

All visa applications must be accompanied by the following documents:

• Your original passport and a copy of it. It must still be valid 6 months after you leave the country.
• The visa application form available on the embassy’s website.
• A recent and compliant photo ID, pasted to the application form.

You will need to carry your round-trip transport tickets on Cambodian territory in order to proceed with boarding.

Short-stay visas

Tourist visa (T)

This visa allows you a simple entry within 3 months after obtaining. It authorizes a 30-day stay in the territory. It can be extended only once on site for a period of one month. This is done with the Department for Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior in front of Phnom Penh airport.

This visa currently costs 35 euros in cash from the embassy or by check by post. It is obtained within 48 hours.

If you can’t get around, it’s possible to get an e-visa on the internet.

Courtesy Visa (C)

This visa applies to public figures or working for NGOs. Your mission must fall within the non-profit domain of bilateral cooperation. Therefore, additional documents must be provided by your agency and the relevant Cambodian administrations.

Once you have applied, the visa is obtained within 7 days. It will be renewable with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Phnom Penh) if your mission is to continue.

Diplomatic or service visa

You must hold a diplomatic or service passport. This visa also requires a diplomatic note or an official mission letter issued by the relevant administration.

It is issued free of charge for a stay in Cambodia of less than 90 days. It is obtained within 7 days.

If your stay is to continue, you will need to renew your visa with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Phnom Penh). This is done under written request from the administration deploying you to Cambodia.

Long-stay visas for Cambodia

Business visa (E)

This visa applies to workers, journalists, trainees and students. It allows a 30-day stay on Cambodian territory. During this period, the owner must go to the Competent Ministry to obtain a residence permit covering the duration of the contract or studies.

For expatriates with an employment contract,you will turn to the Ministry of Labour in Phnom Penh. It is also possible to go to the employment department of the province in which you will reside. This permit is renewable each year and accompanied by an annual medical examination.

For students,you will have to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Phnom Penh) with your acceptance letter from the university.

The E visa costs 40 euros and is obtained within 48 hours.

Visa for Cambodian nationals with dual nationals (K)

This visa is multi-entry, indeterminate and free. It is obtained within 48 hours.

In addition to the usual documents, you will need to provide proof of your dual nationality. You will be asked for a birth certificate (original and copy) as well as the family booklet (original and copy).

The list of specific criteria for this visa is available on the embassy website.

French Embassy in Phnom Penh
1 Monivong Boulevard – BP 18 – Phnom Penh
Tel: 855 43 00 20 (to 23)
Fax: 855 43 00 38
Email: ambafrance.phnom-penh-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Cambodian Embassy in Paris
4 Adolphe Yvon Street – 75116 Paris
Tel: 01.45.03.47.20
Fax: 01.45.03.47.40
Email: ambcambodgeparis@mangoosta.fr

Vaccines and Security in Cambodia

vaccination

• Compulsory vaccines and certificates: No vaccine is required. The yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers from an endemic area.
• Recommended vaccines and certificates: be up-to-date on the vaccine schedule at the DTP level, viral hepatitis A and B, typhoid (except for a short stay in the capital) and for children, especially rabies and measles. For an extended stay in rural areas, it is a good time to vaccinate against Japanese encephalitis.
• Local diseases: Do not approach stray dogs or wild animals as they often carry rabies. Although malaria is “almost non-existent” in large intramural cities, malaria continues to wreak havoc all year round, especially among children.
  It is more than necessary to protect yourself, take the right steps against mosquitoes.

Security

There are cases of robberies and scams to tourists in major cities. Also pay attention to pickpockets at parties and at tourist spots.

If you choose to buy or rent a vehicle, consider taking out liability insurance. This will have to cover both the damage and suffered. Cambodians do not always buy insurance, so hit-and-run is quite common.

The health situation is quite distressing.
It is strongly discouraged to drink tap water as a vector of disease.
Avoid drinks with ice cubes.

Health insurance in Cambodia

Why take international health insurance when travelling or living in Cambodia? Simply because health spending quickly reaches very high amounts abroad. On the other hand, health insurance is essential in Cambodia in order to be covered in a public or private institution. In addition, the repatriation guarantee is an essential criterion. In the event of a serious accident it is sometimes necessary to carry out a medicalized repatriation to the nearest medical centre or to the country of residence. Depending on where you are at the time of the accident, and depending on the medical prognosis, it may be necessary to Charter a helicopter or a medicalized aircraft.

Mondassur supports you in your choice of international health insurance by helping you compare the different offers on the market. Depending on your profile, we will be able to offer you different travel, international student and expatriate insurance packages.