The numbers
Published on the Cambodian government e-visa portal, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Listed on the portal as Visa T. Widely reported elsewhere as 36 dollars, which is wrong.
Three business days is the published time.
The window in which you must enter.
Single entry.
The correct figure is 30 dollars. A number of guides and comparison sites currently quote 36 dollars for the Cambodian tourist e-visa. The government portal publishes USD 30 for Visa T. If a site quotes you 36, it is either out of date or quietly including its own margin.
Where the e-visa is actually accepted
This is the part that strands people, and it is not on most guides at all.
Flying into Phnom Penh, Siem Reap or Sihanoukville
AcceptedAll three international airports accept the e-visa: Techo International, Siem Reap Angkor and Sihanoukville.
Crossing at Poipet from Thailand
Closed to e-visaPoipet is listed as temporarily closed for e-visa entry. This is the busiest land crossing from Thailand, and the one most overland travellers plan to use.
Crossing at Cham Yeam from Thailand
Closed to e-visaAlso listed as temporarily closed for e-visa entry.
Crossing at Bavet or Tropaeng Kreal
AcceptedBavet in Svay Rieng, on the Vietnamese border, and Tropaeng Kreal in Stung Treng are the two land checkpoints currently accepting the e-visa.
If your plan is to travel overland from Thailand and enter at Poipet, an e-visa is currently the wrong document. Check the portal's entry port list before you buy, because the closures are described as temporary and the list does change.
The second form nobody mentions
Cambodia has an arrival card that applies even to travellers who already hold a visa.
The e-Arrival form is required for all travellers, including visa holders. The government portal states it plainly and recommends submitting within seven days before arrival. It is separate from the visa, and having paid for the visa does not cover it. This is the same pattern as Vietnam and Thailand, where the permit and the arrival declaration are two different obligations.
Where to apply
One government address, and the agencies that outrank it.
evisa.gov.khOfficial, Cambodiacibtvisas.comNot the governmentapply.joinsherpa.comNot the governmenttraveldocs.comNot the governmentThe three below the line are real visa agencies, not impostors, and they hold page one for Cambodian e-visa searches. They are not the government, they charge more than 30 dollars, and they submit the same application to the same portal.
What goes wrong
Four failures, and the border one is the expensive one.
- Buying an e-visa for a crossing that does not accept it. Poipet and Cham Yeam are currently closed to e-visa entry. Arriving there with one leaves you at a border with a document the checkpoint will not process.
- Paying 36 dollars because a guide said so. The published government fee for the tourist visa is 30 dollars.
- Skipping the e-Arrival form. It is required for everyone, including people who already hold a visa.
- Confusing visa validity with length of stay. Three months is the window to enter. One month is how long you can stay.
What changed
Two administrative changes this year, both worth knowing before you print anything.
The barcode on the e-visa certificate is replaced by a QR code, and diplomatic, official and courtesy visas are added to the e-visa service.
Poipet and Cham Yeam remain listed as temporarily closed for e-visa entry.