Cambodia Visa for Indians: On Arrival vs E-Visa, Fees, Documents & Processing Time (2026)
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-17
For the full SEA trail, check our SEA backpacking hub. Indian passport holders do need a Cambodia visa for Indian citizens before entering the country. The two realistic options are the e-Visa and the Visa on Arrival (VOA). Both are valid 30 days, single entry. This guide covers fees, documents, and processing time.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Do Indians need a visa for Cambodia? | Yes, visa required before or on arrival | |
| Cheapest option | Visa on Arrival (VOA) | ₹2,890 (~30 USD) |
| Most convenient option | e-Visa (apply online) | ₹3,468 (~36 USD) |
| Max stay on tourist visa | 30 days, single entry | |
| Photo spec | 4x6 cm, white background, recent | |
| Official portal | https://www.evisa.gov.kh |
All USD figures here are computed at the current rate of 1 USD = ₹96.33, the live rate verified on 2026-07-17. The VOA and e-Visa fees are set by the Cambodian government in USD and don’t fluctuate with the rupee; the INR equivalents above are rounded snapshots at that rate and will move daily.
Price disclaimer: Figures above are USD-based and converted to INR for convenience only. Your rupee cost will move with the exchange rate on the day you pay.
Option 1: Visa on Arrival (₹2,890 (~30 USD)). Cheapest
The VOA is the budget option for Indian travellers flying into Phnom Penh (PNH), Siem Reap (REP), or Sihanoukville (SOK). You pay in cash, hand over your documents at the immigration counter, and walk out stamped.
What you pay: ₹2,890 (~30 USD) cash (no card accepted at the counter). Travellers report the counter accepting crisp USD bills only, no torn notes, no Indian rupees. Bring exact change if you can.
Documents you need at the counter:
- Indian passport valid for 6+ months beyond entry date, with at least 1 blank page
- One printed passport photo, 4x6 cm, white background (some counters accept 4x6 only; the canonical requirement is 4x6 cm, so don’t bring 2x2 inch US-spec prints)
- Arrival/departure form, handed to you on the plane or at the desk before the counter
- Hotel address in Cambodia (hostel name and address is fine, a screenshot works)
- Return flight ticket (rarely asked but carry it)
Processing time at the counter: 5 to 25 minutes depending on queue length. Phnom Penh at peak hours (4 PM to 7 PM, multiple international arrivals stacked) is the slowest; Siem Reap mornings are the fastest. The actual stamping takes 60 seconds once you reach the officer, the wait is the variable.
Honest take: VOA is great if you’re already carrying USD and hate filling forms online. It’s also the only realistic option if you’re crossing a land border with no printer handy. The downside is the queue, and the fact that a few officers will ask “tip for fast service” in broken English. You don’t have to tip, and the line moves at the same speed either way.
Option 2: e-Visa (₹3,471 (~36 USD)). Best Experience
The e-Visa costs $6 more than the VOA but buys you two real advantages: you skip the on-arrival visa queue, and your documents are pre-verified before you board the flight, which removes the “will they let me in?” anxiety that comes with VOA.
How to apply: Go to the official portal at https://www.evisa.gov.kh. The site has been redesigned several times, so ignore any third-party “Cambodia e-Visa” sites that charge ₹4,820 (~50 USD) to ₹5,780 (~60 USD) for the same application. The portal accepts Mastercard, Visa, and a few local payment methods. Indian debit cards work on the international checkout. Processing is 3 business days for most applications, sometimes faster, occasionally slower during Khmer New Year (mid-April).
What you carry to the airport: Printed e-Visa approval letter (the PDF with the QR code), passport, one 4x6 cm photo, arrival form. At immigration, you go to the “e-Visa” line, which is usually 5 to 10 people shorter than the VOA queue.
Documents for the online form:
- Passport scan, bio page only, JPEG or PDF, under 1 MB
- Digital photo, 4x6 cm ratio (the portal will accept other ratios but resizes awkwardly)
- Flight number and arrival date
- Hotel address in Cambodia (any confirmed booking, even refundable)
- Email address for the approval PDF
Processing time: Official turnaround is 3 business days per the evisa.gov.kh portal, cross-checked with traveller reports from June 2026. Apply at least a week before your flight to give yourself buffer for a rejected photo or a typo in your passport number. Rejection isn’t common but it’s not zero, and if your photo doesn’t pass the auto-check you reupload, which adds a day.
Honest take: For a first-time visitor flying into Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, the e-Visa is worth the ~₹579 (~6 USD) premium. The queue savings alone justify it, especially if you’re landing during the evening rush at PNH. Land borders are a separate story: the e-Visa works at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville airports plus most major land crossings (Poipet, Cham Yeam, Bavet), but a few smaller crossings still require VOA. See our Cambodia e-Visa entry points and airport queue guide for the full list of accepted crossings.
Option 3: VOA at a Land Border. Useful But Slower
If you’re entering Cambodia overland from Thailand (Poipet, Cham Yeam/Hat Lek) or Vietnam (Bavet/Moc Bai, Prek Chak/Ha Tien), the VOA process is the same ₹2,890 (~30 USD) fee and same documents but the queues are much worse than airports.
At Poipet (Aranyaprachom on the Thai side, the most popular crossing for backpackers coming from Bangkok), the VOA counter is a small room that fills up fast. Travellers report 30 to 90 minute waits during peak season (November to February). The e-Visa line at Poipet is also slower than at airports, but it is still faster than VOA here.
Crossing at Prek Chak (Vietnam side: Ha Tien, the gateway to Kampot and the coast) is the opposite: under-visited, fast, both VOA and e-Visa work, queues under 15 minutes outside weekends.
Pro Tip: If you’re crossing from Bangkok via Aranyaprachom, apply for the e-Visa. The extra fee pays for itself the first time you skip a 90-minute queue with a heavy backpack.
For the full breakdown of land crossings, including scams to watch for at Poipet, see our Poipet border crossing guide for Indian backpackers and the Prek Chak (Koh Kong / Vietnam) crossing guide.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | VOA (₹2,890 (~30 USD)) | e-Visa (₹3,468 (~36 USD)) |
|---|---|---|
| Apply where | At airport/land border counter | Online at evisa.gov.kh |
| Payment | USD cash only | Card on portal |
| Photo | 4x6 cm, printed, white background | 4x6 cm, digital upload |
| Processing time | 5 to 25 min at counter | 3 business days |
| Best for | Spontaneous trips, land borders | Flights, peak-hour arrivals |
| Queue | Longer | Shorter (e-Visa line) |
| Total cost (INR at 1 USD = ₹96.33) | ₹2,890 | ₹3,468 |
Both options give you the same 30-day, single-entry tourist visa. Both are extendable once for an additional 30 days at the immigration office in Phnom Penh for an additional USD fee, if you decide to stay longer.
Indian Passport Specifics
The USD-denominated fees (~30 USD for VOA, ~36 USD for e-Visa) are fixed by Cambodia in USD. Your rupee cost moves with the exchange rate, but the dollar amount doesn’t change based on where you’re from. There is no “Indian discount” and there’s no bilateral agreement that waives the fee.
Photo spec gotcha: The canonical Cambodian requirement is 4x6 cm, not the 2x2 inch (5x5 cm) that Indian passport offices use domestically, and not the US 2x2 inch (5x5 cm) used for Schengen visas. Bring at least two 4x6 cm prints from an Indian photo studio. Most shops near passport offices know this spec, but if you’re getting photos at a generic studio, ask explicitly for 4x6 cm.
Currency at the VOA counter: USD only, crisp bills, no rupees. Indian travellers who try to pay in INR at the counter are turned away. ATMs are typically located after immigration, not before, so withdraw USD before you fly.
Blank pages: Cambodia requires at least one full blank page. Indian passports with observation pages near the back count as blank, but some officers prefer a clean page in the visa section. If your passport is heavy on stamps, save a clean page near the middle for Cambodia.
Passport validity: 6 months beyond your arrival date. The airline will check this at boarding; the Cambodian officer will check it again at immigration.
Safety Alert: The official portal is https://www.evisa.gov.kh. Third-party sites that charge ₹4,820 (~50 USD) to ₹5,780 (~60 USD) for the “same” e-Visa are middlemen adding markup on top of the same ~₹3,468 (~36 USD) government fee. If you see “Cambodia visa” ads on Google, ignore them. The government site is the only site you need.
When NOT to Apply for the e-Visa
When you’re crossing a small land border: A handful of smaller crossings (some routes in the northeast, a few crossing points on the Laos border) don’t accept e-Visa yet. If your route is non-standard, default to VOA or check the official list on the e-Visa portal before applying.
When you’re applying less than 72 hours before your flight: 3 business days is the published turnaround, but rejections on photo quality or passport scan resolution happen. If your flight is tomorrow, VOA at the airport is the safer bet.
When you already have a valid Cambodia visa in your passport: You don’t need a new one. The e-Visa portal will let you re-apply, but it’s a waste of the e-Visa fee.
Extending or Renewing
If you fall in love with Phnom Penh or want to spend more than two weeks in Siem Reap doing day trips, the visa is extendable. The 30-day visa can be extended once for another 30 days at the Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh for an additional USD fee, and the process takes 1 to 3 working days. Travellers report the office being bureaucratic but not hostile. Bring your passport, a passport photo, and the extension fee in cash.
Overstaying is a real risk with a 30-day single-entry visa. The penalty is reportedly around ₹964 (~10 USD) per day, and overstaying more than 30 days can result in detention, fines, or deportation. Set a phone reminder for the day before your visa expires. For the full breakdown of what happens if your application is rejected, you overstay, or you need a refund, see our Cambodia visa rejected, refund, overstay penalty guide.
For transit/layover rules (under 24 hours, do you need a visa at all?), see the Cambodia transit visa guide.
Getting Connected
Cambodia’s mobile networks (Cellcard, Smart, Metfone) cover the main cities and tourist areas well, with 4G/LTE in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville. Rural areas and the road between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh have spotty coverage. A local SIM costs roughly ₹386-₹482 (~4-5 USD) for 30 days with 5 to 10 GB, available at the airport kiosks right after immigration. For a full breakdown of which SIM to pick and where to buy, see our best Cambodia SIM cards guide for Indian travelers. If you’d rather skip the airport SIM counter, the Nomad eSIM option lets you buy data before you fly and activate on landing.
FAQ
Do Indians need a visa for Cambodia? Yes. Indian passport holders need either a Visa on Arrival (~30 USD, paid at the airport) or an e-Visa (~36 USD, applied online in advance). Both are valid for 30 days, single entry.
How long does the Cambodia e-Visa take for Indians? Officially 3 business days. Apply at least a week before your flight to give yourself buffer for a rejected photo upload or a passport typo.
What is the Cambodia visa on arrival fee for Indian citizens? ~₹2,890 (~30 USD) cash, paid at the airport counter in crisp bills. That’s roughly ₹2,890 at the current rate of 1 USD = ₹96.33.
What size photo do I need for the Cambodia visa? 4x6 cm with a white background, both for VOA (printed) and e-Visa (digital upload). Don’t bring 2x2 inch prints; they get rejected.
Can I pay the Cambodia visa fee in Indian rupees? No. VOA accepts USD cash only. ATMs are typically located after immigration, not before. Withdraw USD before you fly.
Is the e-Visa refundable if my trip is cancelled? No. The e-Visa fee is non-refundable regardless of whether you travel. Some third-party sites offer “cancellation insurance” for an extra fee, but the government itself does not refund.
What if I overstay my Cambodia visa? The penalty is roughly ₹964 (~10 USD) per day, plus potential issues at immigration on your next visit. Set a calendar reminder and extend at the Phnom Penh immigration office before you expire.
Subodh’s Take
For most Indian backpackers flying into Cambodia for the first time, the e-Visa is the right call. The small premium is the cheapest queue-skip you’ll ever buy, and you walk off the plane knowing your documents are already approved. The VOA still has its place, mostly for spontaneous trips and smaller land borders, but if you’ve planned your flights even a week out, the e-Visa wins. Bring a 4x6 cm photo, carry USD in small bills, and double-check your passport has 6 months of validity and a clean page.
