๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ Phnom Penh ยท Paperwork

Registration, banking and utilities in Phnom Penh

One of the simplest immigration positions in the region, handled in practice through agents, with a work permit obligation people often overlook.

Get started in Phnom Penh

The thing people get wrongExtending a stay in Cambodia is genuinely easy, which lulls people into ignoring the separate work permit requirement. They are two different obligations and the second one is the one that gets forgotten.

Indicative figures

  • Ordinary (E) visaUS$35On arrival or online; 30 days.
  • 12-month EB extension~US$280 โ€“ US$320Typical agent price, including fees.
  • Work permitYearlyThrough FWCMS, from around US$100 in government fees.
  • Overstay~US$10/day

Checked . Ranges, not quotes โ€” your Insider confirms the current numbers in Phnom Penh before you commit to anything.

Visas and extensions

Most long-stay foreign residents enter on an ordinary E visa, US$35 on arrival or online for 30 days, and then extend it in-country. The extension follows the purpose: EB for employment and business, ER for retirement, ES for study, and EG, a one-off job-seeker extension. Extensions of six or twelve months for work now ask to see a work permit. They are commonly arranged through agents, which is normal practice here rather than a workaround; confirm the current documents with the General Department of Immigration or a reputable agent.

  • Enter on an E visa: a tourist (T) visa cannot be extended for work, business or retirement.
  • Every air arrival files the online Cambodia e-Arrival card in the seven days before landing.
  • Agents typically charge about US$280 โ€“ US$320 for a twelve-month EB extension; shop around and get a receipt.
  • Overstay is fined per day, around US$10, and accumulates.

The work permit

Foreign nationals working in Cambodia must hold a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, applied for and renewed each year online through the Foreign Workforce Control Management System (FWCMS). Employers must also declare their foreign staff and stay within a quota. It is separate from the visa extension and it is the obligation most commonly neglected, and late renewal is fined. Enforcement has tightened, not least because longer EB extensions now depend on it.

  • Apply and renew through FWCMS, with a medical certificate and photos; government fees run to around US$100 or more a year.
  • Renew early in the year: late renewals attract fines.
  • Ask your employer directly whether yours has been filed, and see it.

Banking and money

Cambodia runs on US dollars with riel for small change, which removes most currency friction. Opening a local account is comparatively straightforward with a passport, a visa and often a letter from an employer or landlord. ABA and other local banks have good apps, and QR payments via Bakong and bank apps are widely accepted.

  • Passport, valid visa and often an address or employer letter to open an account.
  • Dollars for prices, riel for change below a dollar.
  • QR payments are widely accepted; cash is still common in markets.

In order

  1. Enter on an E visa and file the e-Arrival card before you fly.
  2. Arrange the extension through a reputable agent or directly.
  3. Confirm your employer has filed the work permit on FWCMS, and see it.
  4. Open a local bank account and set up QR payments.
  5. Diarise the visa extension and the annual work permit renewal.