Cambodian e-Type & Tourist Visa Costs Reduced In 2025
As was widely reported before the end of 2024, the Royal Cambodian Government announced a reduction in e-visa (Ordinary) and Tourist (T-Type) visa fees which will come into effect from January 1, 2025.
Cambodia Visa Fees 2025
In reality, the reduction in prices for both visas which are the most commonly sought visas to visit and work in Cambodia, are marginal and have only mitigated the previous cost of processing fees.
- The e-type (Ordinary) visa is often incorrectly referred to as the Business Visa and the price has been reduced from US $35 + a $7 processing fee to US $35 (In effect from January 1 2025).
- The e-visa T (Tourist) is intended for travellers who know they will be staying for 30 days or less and is available to travellers in advance or on arrival (for most nationalities). The price has been reduced from US $30 + a $6 processing fee to US $30 (In effect from January 1 2025).
Although the government has indicated the move has been made to attract more tourists and investors, the response has widely been that these small changes will have minimal impact on attracting more tourists to Cambodia.
There undoubtedly has been an increase in tourism since the pandemic but we will need to wait for official verified figures to see if 2024 tourism numbers surpass those of pre-pandemic levels. More than 6 million international tourists were recorded between January and November 2024 and the top five international tourist arrivals were from; Thailand, Vietnam, China, Laos and the United States.
Between January and October 2024, the number of Chinese tourists who visited Cambodia was just below 700,000, and Cambodian tourism officials anticipate this to increase to 2 million in 2025, with 7 million international tourists in total.
How Do Cambodia Visa Fees Compare to SEA?
Comparisons have been made to neighbouring countries regarding visa fees:
- Thailand waived visa requirements for citizens of 93 countries, allowing them to stay for up to 60 days, and there is no paperwork to complete on arrival.
- Vietnam offers 45-day visa exemptions for European tourists.
- Laos introduced visa-free travel for certain nationalities from July 2024 until the end of the year; including a 15-day visa exemption for Chinese tourists and for specific European nationalities for the same period of time in addition to multiple-entry visas.
With ongoing budget cuts announced by the Cambodian government, it is unlikely visa fees will be waived as the revenue is a significant source of national income.
However, it is hoped the new Cambodian airports in 2025, potentially new direct routes, the possibility of Protocol 5 being implemented, and in the future an agreement on an ASEAN Schengen-style visa, will all further boost tourism which remains a key economic pillar for the Kingdom of Cambodia.