Moving to Cambodia

Cambodia is a great place to live, but it isn't for everyone. There are a lot of positives but there are also some negatives. Here is a list of things that you might want to consider when deciding if Cambodia is right for you. We made a video that covers many of these points and more.

Poverty

You will no doubt have an intellectual knowledge that Cambodia is a developing country, but what that means on the ground can be confronting. You will see children out at night collecting items to sell for recycling. Their clothes are often dirty and it's common for them to have no shoes. You might see people with significant deformities and diseases that would have been effectively treated in the west. Seeing people, particularly men, missing limbs is quite common (likely ERW* survivors) - they do the best they can without prosthetics. You will come across people begging at markets and beside traffic lights, and sometimes they will have very young children with them.

*explosive remnants of war

Heat

It's hot in Cambodia. You've seen the videos, googled the weather, and prepared yourself as best you can. What it isn't possible to understand before coming here is how it feels to live in that heat day in and day out, and how living in that heat impacts your capacity and desire to do things. The heat is one of the reasons that life slows down here. It is difficult to be as productive in Cambodia as you might be in a cooler climate.

Animal cruelty / disease / deformity

Sometimes people behave in ways towards animals that would be considered inappropriate in the west. While the dog meat trade has been outlawed in Siem Reap province, at times evidence of it can still be seen. Another thing you will see is animals, particularly dogs, in horrible condition with full body mange or a huge tumour that they have to drag along behind them. Buddhist beliefs mean that these animals cannot be euthanased. There are organisations doing great work in this area, but the scale of the need makes this a nearly impossible task.

Road accidents

Road accidents are very common in Cambodia, and the longer you are here, the more likely it is that you will see an accident happen or come across one immediately after. Obviously the severity of the accident plays a big part in how much distress it causes onlookers. Being involved in a road accident is also a concern, particularly if you are going to be riding a bicycle or moto. If you have insurance, check that it covers you if you're riding a moto. 

Insurance

Getting long term insurance can be difficult the older you get. In Cambodia, finding insurance after 70 years of age is not easy, and it will likely be prohibitively expensive for most people. Being in Cambodia without insurance is a risk, and one that you should consider seriously before moving here. Medical care for routine and less serious things is very inexpensive, so it's no problem to pay for those things as you go. Insurance is for the catastrophic events, and if you don't have it when something big goes wrong, it can be devastating. Also consider family members who would have to deal with the situation from back in your home country. Give this one a lot of thought. 

Health and mobility

If you have serious or complex health issues, Cambodia might not be the right place for you. Similarly, if you have limited mobility, you would find it very difficult to live here. The standard and availability of health care is very much developing. Cambodia does not have the breadth of medical specialists that you might be used to, and if you are looking for a specialist in a less common area of medicine, it is likely they will only work from expensive hospitals or clinics in Phnom Penh. Mental health is an emerging field in Cambodia, and many of the people (western expats) who go missing in this country have a history of mental illness and instability. They are usually found, but then family members have to come to Cambodia to bring them back to their home country.

Money

Many people move to Cambodia because their money goes further, and in many cases, they can afford to retire. We understand, everyone enjoys the lower cost of living here. However, coming to Cambodia with a very small amount to live on, and with no safety net to bail you out if something goes wrong, can be a recipe for disaster. Always try to keep aside at least enough money to cover an airfare back to your home country. 

Facebook

Cambodia is the land of Facebook. Nobody wants to use that platform, but in Cambodia, if you don't have Facebook you are choosing to make your life more difficult by about 72% (technical guestimate). Finding a house or apartment, seeing promotions at bars and restaurants, asking where to find something, or discovering local events - all of this happens on Facebook, and in particular in Facebook Groups. Be warned that there is a particular breed of disgruntled expat that can be found in these groups. These people delight in making others feel awful. Get busy blocking them and your Facebook experience will improve dramatically.

Visit before moving here if you can

If you have the means, visiting Cambodia before deciding to move here is ideal. Many people who decide to move to Cambodia have been visiting regularly for a long time. With each visit, they accumulate knowledge so that by the time they make the move, they are quite familiar with how things are done here and what it's like to stay here longer term.

Staying long-term in Cambodia is very easy, with one of most simple and generous visa systems in the world. We are not visa experts and suggest that you spend some time learning as much as you can about the process. Below is an outline of the most common scenarios.

Tourist visa 

• The tourist visa costs US $30 on arrival or US $36 if you apply online prior to arriving.

• Tourist visas are single entry.

• Tourist visas are valid for 30 days and can be extended for a further 30 days without leaving the country. Visit a travel agent to organise the extension, and expect to pay around US $50.

• You are not allowed to work on a tourist visa, and please bear in mind that, for visa purposes, volunteering is seen as working. 

• If you want to change from a tourist visa to an ordinary visa, you will need to leave Cambodia and return on a fresh ordinary visa.

Ordinary visa (E type visa, business visa)

• If you want to stay long-term in Cambodia, the easiest way is to enter on an E type visa.

• The E type visa can be organised on arrival (US $35) or online (US $42). 

• Once you are in Cambodia you can visit a travel agent and have them extend your visa.  Allow around US $300 - US$350 for a 12 month extension. Shorter extensions are also possible for a lower fee. 

• Extensions of six months or more are multiple entry.

• If you get a business extension, you have an EB (E type visa with a business extension).

• If you get a retirement extension, you have an ER (E type visa with a retirement extension).

• The only requirement for a retirement extension is to be over 55. 

• Nationals of some countries experience difficulties securing an E type visa online.  Read up on this if you hold an African passport.

• Some airlines will not let passengers board without a valid visa. Airlines sometimes disable online check-ins for the entire flight in order to perform visa checks - we witnessed this in May 2026.

• If you can get your visa online prior to arrival, this is the best option. Your check-in process will be smoother and you'll save a bit of time when you arrive in Cambodia.

Work permit

It is mandatory that holders of an E visa with a business extension also hold a valid work permit. Work permits follow the calendar year (not the dates of your visa) and should be organised in the first quarter of each year. Your employer can help with this, and visa agents can also assist. Allow up to US $250 for this if you use an agent. 

Other visa types

Workers in some international charities, non-government organisations (NGOs) and not-for-profits can access a C type visa. C stands for courtesy - these visas are free of charge. In ofrder to be eligible, the organisation or charitiy must have a current memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC). Here is the list of organisations that meet this requirement.

The question around whether proof of onward travel is required comes up regularly. Here's the answer. 

Cambodian Immigration does not require proof of onward travel. 

However, some airlines ask to see this and if it comes to a stand-off where they won't let you board, there's no point arguing that it isn't a requirement. Be ready to purchase a flight out so that you can show it, or use a ticket holding service like Onward Ticket or Best Onward Ticket. 

If you see this quesiton asked in an expat forum, you'll likely see loads of people saying, "Well, I've entered Cambodia 500 times and I've never been asked to show an onward ticket." Great, but it does happen and being prepared is your best defense. 

The only place where you could ever legally purchase Cambodian Riel outside Cambodia was Singapore's Changi airport. This was announced as a new service in 2023 however the Travelex website doesn't list Cambodian Riel as one of its currencies so this service may no longer exist. 

Assume that you cannot purchase Riel prior to arriving. Currencies like USD, AUD, GBP, EUR are very easily changed once you arrive. The shops near Pub Street in Siem Reap have rates that are only slighty below xe.com.