Cambodia Visa for Indians: E-Visa vs Visa on Arrival (2026)
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-22
Indian passport holders need a visa for Cambodia. Choose the e-Visa (₹3,468 (~36 USD)) if you want zero queues at the airport counter, or the Visa on Arrival (₹2,890 (~30 USD)) if you’d rather save ₹578 (~6 USD) and you’re flying into Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or Sihanoukville. Both give you 30 days, single entry, and the same paperwork. The e-Visa takes 3 business days to process online, VOA takes 20 to 30 minutes once you land. For related planning, see our guide on Sea Backpacking Hub.
What Is the Cambodia Visa for Indians?
A Cambodia tourist visa is a single-entry, 30-day visa available to Indian passport holders in two forms: a pre-approved e-Visa you apply for online before flying, or a Visa on Arrival (VOA) you buy at the airport immigration counter on landing. The e-Visa costs more (₹3,468 (~36 USD) vs ₹2,890 (~30 USD)) but skips the airport paperwork queue. The VOA is cheaper and equally valid, but you wait in line at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or Sihanoukville international airports to buy the sticker. Both visas can be extended once inside Cambodia for an extra 30 days at ₹4,335 (~45 USD). You may also find Cambodia Itinerary 7 14 Days Backpacker Route useful for this trip.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa type | Tourist visa (T-class), single entry | , |
| VOA fee | ₹2,890 (~30 USD) | ₹2,890 (~30 USD) |
| e-Visa fee | ₹3,468 (~36 USD) | ₹3,468 (~36 USD) |
| Processing time (e-Visa) | 3 business days | , |
| Processing time (VOA) | 20-30 min at airport counter | , |
| Max stay | 30 days | , |
| Extension | +30 days for ₹4,335 (~45 USD) | ₹4,335 (~45 USD) |
| Photo required | Yes, 4x6 cm white background | , |
| Apply online | Official e-Visa portal | , |
| VOA airports | Phnom Penh (PNH), Siem Reap (REP), Sihanoukville (KOS) | , |
Note: 1 USD = ₹96.53 at current rates. So $30 ≈ ₹2,896 and $36 ≈ ₹3,475 (~$36.07). See also: Koh Lipe Temple Etiquette a Respectful Visitor S Guide.
Step-by-Step: Cambodia e-Visa for Indians
This is the option I’d pick if you’re flying into Siem Reap for Angkor Wat and want to walk straight past the visa queue with your passport already stamped. For related planning, see our guide on Ngapali Temple Etiquette Guide How to Respect Local Customs At Pagodas Near the Beach.
Step 1: Apply at the official portal
Go to https://www.evisa.gov.kh. This is the only legitimate Cambodia e-Visa site. There are scam sites at similar URLs (.com, .org) that charge double and never issue the visa. The official portal ends in .gov.kh. You may also find Southeast Asia Trip Budget Breakdown By City How Much a Backpacker Actually Spends in useful for this trip.
Pro Tip: Bookmark the URL before you start. Scam portals buy Google ads and rank above the real one for “Cambodia e-visa application.” If the URL isn’t
.gov.kh, close the tab.
Step 2: Fill the application form
You need:
- Passport scan (bio page, PDF or JPG, clear)
- Digital passport photo (4x6 cm, white background, no glasses, no smile showing teeth)
- Flight details (arrival date, flight number)
- Accommodation address in Cambodia (hostel name and address is fine)
- Email address (where the approved visa will be sent)
The form takes 10 minutes if your documents are ready.
Step 3: Pay ₹3,468 (~36 USD) by Visa or Mastercard
The portal accepts Visa and Mastercard. Indian debit cards on Visa/Mastercard networks work. UPI does not. If your card declines, it is usually a forex activation issue, call your bank and ask them to enable international transactions.
You will get a transaction reference number on screen and by email.
Step 4: Wait 3 business days
Standard processing is 3 business days. Travellers report getting approvals in 24 hours during low season (May to September) and 4 to 5 days during peak season (November to February). There is an “express” option on some scam sites, the official portal does not offer it. Anyone charging extra for “express e-Visa” is running a scam.
Step 5: Print two copies of the approval letter
When the visa is approved, you get a PDF by email. Print two copies: one for immigration on arrival, one for the hotel check-in. Digital copies on your phone are not accepted at the airport counter, you need the physical printout.
Step 6: Present at the airport immigration counter
On landing, follow the “Visa on Arrival / e-Visa” signs (not “Foreign Passport” which is for residents). Hand your passport, both printouts, and your photo to the officer. They stamp the visa in your passport in under 5 minutes.
Step-by-Step: Cambodia Visa on Arrival for Indians
This is the option if you’re landing on a late flight, forgot to apply online, or just want to save ₹578 (~6 USD).
Step 1: Confirm your arrival airport accepts VOA
VOA is available at three international airports:
- Phnom Penh International (PNH)
- Siem Reap International (REP)
- Sihanoukville International (KOS)
Land border crossings have VOA at some crossings (Poipet, Bavet) but reports of Indian passport holders being refused are common. Fly if you can.
Step 2: Fill the VOA form on the plane or at the counter
Cabin crew on most Cambodia-bound flights hand out the visa application form before landing. If not, blank forms sit on a stand right before the immigration counters. Fill it in pen:
- Full name (as in passport)
- Passport number
- Date of birth
- Nationality: Indian
- Purpose of visit: Tourism
- Address in Cambodia
- Flight number
Step 3: Have these documents ready
- Passport (6+ months validity, 2 blank pages)
- 1 passport photo (4x6 cm, white background)
- ₹2,890 (~30 USD) cash (exact change, no cards accepted at the counter)
- Printed hotel/hostel booking confirmation (sometimes asked, sometimes not)
- Return flight ticket (sometimes asked)
Pro Tip: Bring 4 passport photos total. One for the VOA form, one for any hostel check-in that asks for ID photos, two as spares. Photo shops at Phnom Penh airport charge ₹482 (~5 USD) for a reprint, it’s cheaper to bring them from India (₹50-₹100 (~$0.52-$1.04) at any Studio Karishma).
Step 4: Pay ₹2,890 (~30 USD) at the “Visa Fee” counter
The flow at the airport is: queue at the Visa Issuance counter first, pay ₹2,890 (~30 USD) cash, they give you a receipt, then queue at Immigration with the receipt + passport + photo + filled form. Total wait time on a Tuesday afternoon is around 25 minutes. Friday evening peak season can hit 90 minutes.
Step 5: Hand over to immigration and get stamped
The officer takes your documents, stamps the visa into your passport, and hands the passport back. You’re in.
E-Visa vs VOA: Head-to-Head Comparison
| Factor | e-Visa | VOA |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | ₹3,468 (~36 USD) | ₹2,890 (~30 USD) |
| Total cost in INR | ₹3,475 (~$36.07) | ₹2,896 (~$30.06) |
| Processing time | 3 business days before flying | 20-30 min at airport |
| Forms | Online | On paper at airport |
| Payment | Card (Visa/MC) | ₹2,890 (~30 USD) cash only |
| Photo size | Digital 4x6 upload | Physical 4x6 photo |
| Documents at airport | Passport + 2 printouts | Passport + 1 photo + ₹2,890 (~30 USD)+ filled form |
| Land border valid | Yes | Spotty at some crossings |
| Extension inside Cambodia | +30 days for ₹4,335 (~45 USD) | +30 days for ₹4,335 (~45 USD) |
| Best for | First-time visitors, peak season, late-night arrivals | Repeat visitors, off-peak, budget-tight travellers |
Pick the e-Visa if:
- You’re flying into Siem Reap for Angkor Wat during November to February (peak season, queues are long)
- You land after 10 pm and the VOA queue is closed or understaffed
- You want zero paperwork on landing
Pick VOA if:
- You’re flexible on timing and want to save ₹578 (~6 USD)- You forgot to apply online (the e-Visa portal rejects same-day applications)
- You’re crossing by land from Thailand (Bavet border from Ho Chi Minh City is reliable)
Common Mistakes Indians Make
Mistake 1: Applying on the wrong website. The only legitimate Cambodia e-Visa site is https://www.evisa.gov.kh. Scam sites use domains like cambodia-visa.com, cambodiaevisa.org, and evisa-kh.com. They charge ₹5,780-₹7,707 (~60-80 USD) and either send nothing or send a fake approval letter that gets rejected at immigration. If the URL is not .gov.kh, it is a scam.
What happens: You land at Siem Reap, the immigration officer scans your approval letter, sees it is fake or not in their system, and tells you to go buy VOA at the counter for ₹2,890 (~30 USD). You paid ₹7,707 (~80 USD) online and now pay another ₹2,890 (~30 USD). Worst case: you’re denied boarding at your origin airport because the airline staff checks the QR code on your fake approval letter.
How to avoid it: Use only https://www.evisa.gov.kh. Type the URL manually, do not click search ads. Confirm the URL in your browser bar before paying.
Mistake 2: Bringing rupees or rupees-converted dollars. The VOA counter at all three Cambodia airports accepts USD cash only, in clean, undamaged bills. Old, torn, or marked bills get rejected. Indian travellers sometimes try to pay with Indian rupees or with USD notes they got exchanged at a bad rate from a Mumbai forex agent who gave them old-series bills.
What happens: You stand at the counter with no working payment, the officer waves you aside, and you watch the queue behind you grow.
How to avoid it: Get crisp ₹2,890 (~30 USD) from any major Indian bank forex counter before flying. State Bank of India, HDFC, ICICI all stock fresh USD notes for travelers.
Mistake 3: Not printing the e-Visa approval letter. The e-Visa PDF that lands in your email is your visa. The QR code on it is what the immigration officer scans. If you only have it on your phone and your battery dies (the airport Wi-Fi is down), you cannot prove you have a visa.
What happens: The officer sends you back to the VOA line to re-buy a visa for another ₹2,890 (~30 USD), your e-Visa is wasted.
How to avoid it: Print two copies at your hotel in Bangkok/India before flying. Carry one in your hand luggage, one in your checked bag.
Mistake 4: Forgetting passport photos or bringing the wrong size. Cambodia wants 4x6 cm (not the standard 2x2 inch / 5x5 cm used for US visa photos, not the 3.5x4.5 cm Schengen size). If you bring the wrong size, the officer may reject the photo or tell you to re-take at the airport (which costs ₹482 (~5 USD)).
How to avoid it: Ask your Indian photo studio for “Cambodia visa photo, 4x6 cm white background” specifically. Most photo shops know the size. Take 4 copies, not 1.
Mistake 5: Landing at a land border expecting smooth VOA. Cambodia has land borders with Thailand (Poipet, Aranyaprachom), Vietnam (Bavet, Moc Bai), and Laos (Trapeang Kreal). VOA is technically available at major crossings, but traveller reports over the past year show inconsistent treatment of Indian passport holders, especially at smaller posts like O Smach and Koh Kong.
How to avoid it: If you’re crossing by land, fly into Phnom Penh and get VOA there first, then take a bus overland. If you must cross by land, use Poipet (Thailand side) or Bavet (Vietnam side), which have the smoothest records.
What Most Guides Don’t Tell You
The e-Visa is single-entry. If you cross into Thailand (anywhere else) and come back, you need a new visa. Cambodia does not currently offer a multiple-entry tourist visa for Indian passport holders. Travellers planning a Thailand-Cambodia-Thailand loop either need two e-Visas (apply before each entry) or pay for two VOAs.
Extensions cost ₹4,335 (~45 USD) and require a visit to the immigration office. You can extend the visa once for an extra 30 days. The process takes 1 business day, costs ₹4,335 (~45 USD), and is done at the Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh (Siem Reap and Sihanoukville offices). Bring your passport, a passport photo, and the ₹4,335 (~45 USD). Hotel or hostel staff at most backpacker hostels handle the run for a small service fee (around ₹482-₹963 (~5-10 USD)), this is normal in Cambodia.
The “Cambodia e-Visa fee” includes a ₹578 (~6 USD) processing charge. The ₹3,468 (~36 USD) you pay online is ₹2,890 (~30 USD) visa fee + ₹578 (~6 USD) processing. If you land without applying and get VOA, you pay only the ₹2,890 (~30 USD) visa fee. The processing charge is purely for the online service. So the “real” comparison is not ₹2,890 (~30 USD) vs ₹3,468 (~36 USD), it is the cost of your time at the airport vs ₹578 (~6 USD)+ 3 days of waiting.
Safety Alert: Cambodia’s land border regions can see periodic security incidents. Before crossing by land, check the current advisory on the Indian Ministry of External Affairs site at mea.gov.in (look under “Travel Advisories” for Cambodia). For the live embassy contact in Phnom Penh, keep +855-23-210-928 and the 24x7 Indian helpline +91-11-2301-2113 saved in your phone before you fly.
Getting Connected: SIM Card at the Airport
Once you’ve cleared immigration, the first thing you’ll see at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports is the Cellcard and Smart telecom kiosks. Both sell tourist SIMs for ₹289 (~3 USD) for 7 days, around 10GB data. This is enough for Google Maps, Grab (Cambodia version called PassApp), and WhatsApp for your whole stay. They’ll set it up at the counter, takes 5 minutes. Passport required.
Pro Tip: If you already have an eSIM-compatible phone and want data the moment you land (before you even reach the SIM kiosk), get a Nomad eSIM before flying. It activates on landing with no airport queue. Get Nomad eSIM
FAQ
Q: Do Indian passport holders need a visa for Cambodia?
Yes. Indian passport holders need a visa for all tourism visits to Cambodia. No visa-on-arrival-free arrangement exists. You must get either an e-Visa (₹3,468 (~36 USD), applied online) or a Visa on Arrival (₹2,890 (~30 USD), paid at airport) before your 30-day stay begins.
Q: How much does a Cambodia tourist visa cost for Indians?
The Visa on Arrival costs ₹2,890 (~30 USD). The e-Visa costs ₹3,468 (~36 USD). Both give 30 days, single entry. An extension inside Cambodia costs ₹4,335 (~45 USD) for another 30 days.
Q: How long does the Cambodia e-Visa take from India?
Standard processing is 3 business days. Travellers report getting approvals in 24 hours during low season (May to September) and 4 to 5 days during peak season (December to February). Apply at least 5 business days before your flight to be safe.
Q: Can I get a Cambodia visa on arrival at Phnom Penh airport?
Yes. Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) issues VOA to Indian passport holders at the dedicated counter before immigration. The fee is ₹2,890 (~30 USD) cash, bring exact change and a 4x6 cm passport photo. The full process takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Q: Is the Cambodia e-Visa single or multiple entry?
Single entry only. If you leave Cambodia and re-enter, you need a new visa. Indian passport holders do not currently have access to a multiple-entry tourist visa for Cambodia.
Q: Can I extend my Cambodia visa from inside the country?
Yes, once, for an extra 30 days. The extension costs ₹4,335 (~45 USD) and is processed at the immigration office in Phnom Penh (also branches in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville). It takes one business day. Most hostels handle the paperwork for a ₹482 (~5 USD) to ₹963 (~10 USD) service fee.
Q: What photo size does Cambodia want for the visa?
4x6 cm, white background, taken within the last 6 months. Standard Indian passport photo (3.5x3.5 cm) is the wrong size. Ask your photo studio specifically for “Cambodia visa size 4x6 cm white background.”
Subodh’s Take
The Cambodia visa process for Indians is one of the easiest in Southeast Asia. The VOA queue at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is a non-event most days, and the e-Visa process is so clean that I’ve never heard a traveller get rejected for paperwork reasons, only for using the wrong website. Spend the ₹578 (~6 USD) extra for the e-Visa if you’re flying into Siem Reap for Angkor Wat in peak season. Otherwise, save the money and just walk up to the VOA counter with your ₹2,890 (~30 USD), your photo, and a printed hostel address. That’s the whole thing.
