Hello,
I'm a Brit who arrived in Phnom Penh by bus via Ho Chi Minh. When I gave the bus drivers assistant my passport and $35, I was expecting a 30-day E Ordinary Business visa. But when returned I had a 30-day tourist visa. I've been told I can't convert my T visa to an E visa, so I'll have to exit Cambodia and attempt to obtain a 30-day E visa on re-entry.
I‘d like to do this, this coming week. However, given my T visa doesn't expire until the 6th September I'm wondering what will happen if I exit and re-enter Cambodia on say, 14th August - given I'll still have 22 days left on my T visa. Will this prevent me from getting the E visa or will my T visa have expired early because I'd have already exited Cambodia (I don't know if the T visa is single or multi entry).
My second question is how to do this. I can't do it via Vietnam as I can't return for at least 30 days, so I'll have to do it via Thailand. I've heard conflicting reports on the best way to do this, either by bus to Poi Pet or flight to Bangkok. Either way, I'll attempt to get my 30-day E visa on arrival. I don't have any work-related documents (letter of employment, interviews etc.) to bolster my case for a 30-day E visa. Some say this doesn't matter whilst others say it does. I've also been told I should hand immigration $45 ($35 for the visa and $10 to make it go smoothly).
My third question (apologies for the long post) is regards a Cambodian bank account. All being well I'll return to Cambodia with a 30-day E visa. I'll then convert this to a 6-month EB visa. I visited a branch of ABA bank last week and enquired what was needed to open an account. The girl I spoke to said all I needed we a 6-month visa, a Cambodian phone number and address (I could use my hotel for the address). This conflicts with the info on their website which states that I'd also need something work related, i.e. a letter of employment / employment contract.
Thanks in advance for any advice,
Mark
E visa on arrival via Thailand plus Cambodian bank account
Hello.
1. Your tourists visa expires the moment you leave the country.
2. Fly to Kuala Lumpur, no problems, no hassle. You arrive back at PP airport and apply for a Ordinary visa for $35, don't give any more money, not necessary.
Thailand is the most difficult way, certainly Poipet, you're obliged to show $600 in cash.
3. If any question tell them (Cambodian Immigration officer) that you need a EG extension to search for a job, hence the Ordinary visa. Usually they don't ask anything at PP airport.
4. You cannot get a EB extension of stay without having a job. You need a letter from employer with official stamp and letterhead to apply for a EB extension.
You just apply for a 6 months EG (general) extension of stay, this is multiple entry.
If you got a job you can change to a EB extension after that.
If you didn't find a job you have to leave the country after expiry date and come back, do the same system. That gives you 14 months.
5. Believe the girl who told you about opening an account. She works there so she knows.
The website is general and indeed there are some branches that have different conditions.
If you cannot get it at ABA bank go to Canadia bank, they for sure don't bother about employment contracts. But always go to a branch first and ask.
Cheers
Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team
Thank you for your considered reply, Joe.
#2 OK, I'll get a return to Kuala Lumpur with perhaps 12 hours before my return flight, in case my outbound flight is delayed. Guess I can hang out at the airport.
#4 sure, my first six-month visa needs to EG, not EB.
Regards booking the flight to KL: I don't have a visa card, so I'll have to pay cash. My dates are flexible, within the next 7 days or so. Could you recommend the best place to buy a ticket here in PP, or just try a few travel agents to find the cheapest flight?
Thanks again,
Mark
Hello.
There's an Air Asia office in Aeon mall 1 and there's an Air Asia ticketing office on the riverside, between street 110 and 118.
Cheers.
Joe
Great, thanks Joe!
Hello Joe,
There may be another option, but I don't know if it will work. My main objective is to get back to Vietnam, but if I can't do this, I need a base in Cambodia, and that means I'll need the 6-month EG visa so I can open a bank account here in Cambodia.
So I'm thinking - I get a one-way ticket, either bus or flight, from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh.
Firstly, the flight option: I don't suppose they'll be any issues until I arrive in HCMC and by this time I will have already exited Cambodia. Two ways this can go – 1) Vietnam allows me to enter or 2) Vietnam refuses entry. With #1 I'm home and dry, but what happens with #2? Will they allow me to buy a ticket at HCMC airport back to PP or might they say you have to return to your home country, the UK, or might they say something else… anything but back to PP would be a nightmare. If they allow me to fly back to PP, I'll attempt to get a 30-day E visa at PP airport.
But how does it look to Cambodian immigration at PP airport when I ask for the 30-day E visa, given I've just be refused entry to Vietnam… I'm concerned I'd look a bit undesirable.
The second option by bus: an important part is that I get my exit visa from Cambodia on the Cambodian side. I then cross no mans land to Vietnam immigration. Again, they either allow me to enter or refuse. If they refuse, can I just walk back across no mans land to Cambodian immigration and try for the 30-day E visa… If I can, I'd need to get a bus from the Cambodian border side back to PP. I don't know if there are any running, although I guess there are.
This would kind of kill two birds with one stone – I find out if I can get back to Vietnam, and if not, I re-enter Cambodia with a 30-day E visa – if it all works, of course.
Thanks,
Mark
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