How to come live not work in cambodia with my partner?Im 65

22POSTS

11 years ago

Hi slava
I need as much help as possible, I am at the moment still in Uk, but want to come and live in Cambodia with my Ukraine partner.can you give me any help with how we can live not work there and can we get visass easy for us to be able to live there .I am 68 and have a pension around $1200 a month
Please I need help with information
Robin

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Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

Hi
Im Robin and looking to come and live not work in Cambodia, At the moment Im living in UK yeh Im English, Im 68 and my Ukraian partner is 30, so I have a pension for us to live on, of around $1200a month.
We hope to.move there around June time if possible, can we get visas to live there permanently, or can someone please give us information how to get visas.where are good but not expensive apartments to rent.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Robin

Tex Member

3POSTS

11 years ago

Hi Robin, get your Visa at the airport when you arrive in Cambodia. Make sure you get the $25 one and not the 20$ one. This is good for one month . If you get the 20$ visa you cannot extend it for a year.Then you go to any travel agent and extend your Visa for one year which will cost you about 280$.

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

25 and 20$ visas are long gone.tourist visa is 30$and a E visa or regular visa is 35$.you need the sevond one to stay long time.o ce you are here you can proloung the regulas visa by 3,6 or 12 months.every year you can renew it without leaving the country,lots of agencys in the big towns do this.1 y cost 288$.
if you wo t work,be sure you can prove you get enough money from abroad 9r they will ask yoy to get a workpermit,wich costs an other 100$.

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

Thank you so much for this information, at last Im getting somewhere thank you again, would love to keep in touch
Rpbin

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

I live here for more then a year now,ask if you have questions.dont forget it is notso cheap as you think.localfoodis cheap,western food isnot.in wich city do you want to stay.basica omodationis cheap,morewestern is more expencive.whatare your basic needs.do youhave health issues .becaue healthcare isshit here.luckaly youdont need aprescription formedication.

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

My partner and myself just want simple life, my partner is from Ukraine, so we dont need lots of western foods she has never had lots of anything, we both love fish and salads maybe a bottle of wine

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#10

Hi again can you recommend a good city to live in ??maybe somewhere for swimming a beach

Gravitas ViP

9040POSTS

11 years ago

#11

The only beaches in Cambodia are at Sihanoukville. But to be honest it sounds like a really hairbrain without knowing anything about the country. Everyone makes the mistake of thinking countries in the far east are cheap to live in, but the reality is something completely different.

1 member reacted to this post

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#12

Hi i understand that, but living in Ukraine is much worse, very little pay , curption, and rent so expensive, life there is hell. Try to get her into EU is a none starter.so no matter how hard it is in Cambodia its better than there oh and weather -25 in winter

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#13

My reason really for Cambodia is visa requirements, if I try getting my partner in the EU its so hard its a no brainer.so what do you do

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#14

Can you recommend a good city for us to live in

Ruben M Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#15

Robin,
Cambodia is a great place to live, if your willing to embrace the local culture , food ,life-stye etc.
Avoid the cities unless there is a medical need to be near them.

but the 1st thing you should do is understand as much of this country as you can from the internet.
then choose a town to live in ,with the unique features that your looking for.

USd 1200 will not get you far in the cities ,but if you live in the province or smaller towns, and cook at home, 50%of your meals this money will give you a very comfortable life here.

check out the online Cambodian travel sites and general information ,you will get a good picture.

regards
Ruben M.

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#16

Ruben
Thank you for your help and information regarding living in Cambodia, as for cooking I love cooking, so thats not a problem for both of us, maybe a meal out once every few days,
I hope to be able to make good local friends, could you suggest a good smaller town to live in,? Yes your right about city prices so away from these is a great idea.
Am I aloud to put my email address on here.
Robin

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#17

1200$ just do great.i have 1400$ gave a young gf with an ecpencive family,and we come around very good,i even sponsor 3 children in school wich costs mne 45$ a mobth.phnom penn can be very expecive ,i live in siem reap.you find every price range here.battambang i cheaper and de second city in cambadia.sihanouk is very criminal.the whole country is very corrupt.a good western doctor asks 35$ a visit.some nice places are kep and kampot.a bottle of wine costs between 9$ and .....
milk 1,7$ and...
chicken is cheap
beef steak goes from 14$ a kilo for khmer to 24$ a kilo for brazilian rib eye
a local meal on a foodstand us around 1$
a fruitshake is 1$
1l of gasoline regular is 88 cents now.
elec us between 20 and 25 cent per unit.outside the city water is free(non drinkable)

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#18

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#19

And internet sucks.

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#20

Thank you so much my friend.would love to meet up when we come over
Robin

AnnPinay Member

18POSTS

11 years ago

#21

hi Robin, I am a filipina, living with my english boyfriend here in BS Holiday Villa and condominium Sihanoukville... We are renting a furnished apartment 2 miles away from the town and 2 miles away from Otres beach, our neighbors were mostly Russians and few English... if you love cooking, you can save more since veges and fruits in this area is cheap... I love the view from the top of the hill. Price of the apartment? 300$ per month which is for me a good deal...

I hope my reply somehow give you more idea...

Goodluck!

1 member reacted to this post

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#22

Ann thanks for your very welcomed advice please keep on touch
Robin

Robin 667 Member

22POSTS

11 years ago

#23

Hi Ann
Is it possible to email you? Your help was so helpful
Robin

stumpy Laos Expert

18029POSTS

11 years ago

#24

Robin 667 wrote:
Hi Ann
Is it possible to email you? Your help was so helpful
Robin

You should be able to use the PM system on the forum. Go to the top of the page and click on the envelope icon. If it is not available go to the bottom of this page and click on contact us, fill in the form and admin will get back to you.

For security reasons do not post any personal contact details like phone numbers, email addresses etc on an open forum.

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#25

You should know where you cab live,big city,small city,village or in the ricefields.each has pros and cons.let me know

Gravitas ViP

9040POSTS

11 years ago

#26

Sihanoukville could well become the new Phuket over time with the Russian presence. But its still developing. Its a beautiful area away from the port. Definitely worth considering, especially as your g/f speaks Russian. At the moment foreigners are starting to set up businesses there and a few are changing hands, which suggests the income levels are still not that high. One issue is access. There are no direct flights and you need to go through Phnom Penh.

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#27

Sihanouk is just to criminal russians shooting up each other .
killings robbery drugs (moderated: bad language)

Gravitas ViP

9040POSTS

11 years ago

#28

All the Russians are being driven out of Phuket as they had far too much control and the problem of syndicates had developed. They need somewhere else to hang out and set up their business. That was the meaning of the reference.

Phuket is very much changed since the Military took over. Gone are all the tourist features, such as beach bars, loungers on beach, and the laidback beach atmosphere. The authorities have returned the beaches to their natural (littered and dirty) state and the island has been completely ruined. The authorities are also getting very tough as well and policing foreign business owners (alongside the new immigration rules). If there is one set of authorities not to get involved with - its in Thailand.

Gravitas ViP

9040POSTS

11 years ago

#29

Perhaps we should rely on information from AnnPinay as she actually lives there and can give a first hand account of the crime that takes place and if there is any threat to living there (actual or perceived).

My experience is that wildcat stories usually get circulated to try and deter people from finding really good locations.

Captnw4 Active member

58POSTS

11 years ago

#30

Pattaya, Thailand has many Russ... SR ?

madmax888 Serial expat

243POSTS

11 years ago

#31

I've been living on around $1900 a month, but I give my wife a bunch of it. If I had brought a partner here, it would be less. Try Kampot or Kep for living. Kep is a beach town, and Kompot is up the river from Kep. I was in Kampot in January, and I found it peaceful, and quiet.
Please consider checking out several places for a few weeks at each - Spyke and the others are correct This is not a country or everyone. As I try to tell people in the USA, it is an alternate reality, or a parallel universe. Like living in the 50's in Mexico, with cell phones and the internet. You are the same age as I am, and I enjoy many of the ways the locals live.

Mr_Dome Contributor

110POSTS

11 years ago

#32

Robin, check out Kampot, about 114 km from Sihanoukville (148 km from Phnom Penh, only 25 from Kep), on the coast as well. A peaceful place. Blue Star in town has many type of rentals available and they are trustworthy and do a good job.

You and your Ukranian partner should have no problem getting a long term visa (currently $157 for a 6 month extension at Lucky Lucky Motorcycle Rentals in Phnom Penh (yes, such shops do visa extensions, it's just one of the quirks that makes Cambodia rather easy to navigate), very near the Capitol GH).

If you stay a full year you will also get a work permit, even if not working. So figure just under $400 to be able to stay in Cambodia for 1 year but no further requirements of depositing oodles of cash in a bank or other shenanigans.

Your pension will certainly be sufficient unless you plan on living it up in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Good luck bust most important, come to visit as it doesn't sound that you have ever been there and how can you decide on that then? I just returned from there and will be back in July.

1 member reacted to this post

phann2000 Active member

30POSTS

11 years ago

#33

Thank you so much for your Advice Buddy

Mr_Dome Contributor

110POSTS

11 years ago

#34

"If you stay a full year you will also get a work permit" should have read "If you stay a full year you will also need to get a work permit..." - sorry.

Gravitas ViP

9040POSTS

11 years ago

#35

Mr Dome - your comment about needing a work permit (what happens if you dont want to work?) Or does that mean that its not possible to live in Cambodia permanently, and a person would need to spend some time outside the country in another location? Or does that mean there is a retirement visa available as well?

Mr_Dome Contributor

110POSTS

11 years ago

#36

Gravitas wrote:
Mr Dome - your comment about needing a work permit (what happens if you dont want to work?) Or does that mean that its not possible to live in Cambodia permanently, and a person would need to spend some time outside the country in another location? Or does that mean there is a retirement visa available as well?

Let's start with this point: Cambodia currently does not have a retirement visa option. People enter on the ordinary visa once for $35 (formerly called "business visas) and just extend them to a multiple entry 6 month or 12 month visa. There is never a need to do a visa run. The visas can be extended indefinitely and from within Cambodia. Avoid being on overstay.

There has been a lot of confusion surrounding the "work permit" last year when they started knocking on (foreigner) doors, asking people to pay up. Let me quote the 'move to Cambodia website': "All foreigners on long-stay “ordinary” or “business” visas need a work permit, regardless of their actual work status. Those on NGO visas are exempt. In the future, retirees may have a special visa, but for now, they need a work permit. Business owners, the self-employed and freelancers need a work permit, but they can sponsor their own (those with jobs get sponsored by their employer)."

I have personally met with the immigration head honcho in Kampot last September - translated by my good local friend - and was told the same.

You may get around paying this at the beginning for a while, especially since the department issuing the visas and the one for the work permits are not connected in any way but if you wish to stay in Cambodia long term, they will find you and make you pay, eventually, and if you didn't before, they will charge you retroactively.

Perhaps, let's not call it a work permit, as that has confused many of us not actually working, it's more of a "stay permit" or foreigner tax. Still at $100 it works out to less than $10 a month and nobody should get hung up about it. If you get a better deal elsewhere, you'd obviously be best advised to move to that country. As I've always said "Move to <country X> because you love it, not because it's cheap and an easy option". These pro's might wear off one day and you wouldn't want to find yourself hating the place, would you?

I hope that answers all questions.

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#37

All foreigners do not need a workpermit if they can prove their income comes from abroad like pension or rent or whatever.this intel comes from the spokesman of the ministery of labour.if you cannot prove that,then you need a workpermit.

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#38

Ow,and this info is from february 2015 so much more recent.it is true last year september tgey where saying sonething different,certainly the immigration office,but this is a labour problem so my voncul went to their minister and got this info.same as the french ambassador ,he got the same intel.

Mr_Dome Contributor

110POSTS

11 years ago

#39

Spyke, do you know someone who successfully managed to get out of the work permit based on this? Would be nice if this were the case.

This being Cambodia, having a ministry spokesperson say it is unfortunately no proof of it actually working in real life.

*****

Found out yesterday that the fee to avoid the mandatory medical exam/blood test is $30. So, that needs to be added as well, unless you want to go ahead and have them draw your blood..

Need help with immigration or administrative procedures in Cambodia?

Get in touch with an immigration agency

Spyke49 Active member

78POSTS

11 years ago

#40

Here in siem reap nobody is asked for a workpermit anyway becauze tjey dont know themselves how it is.not one expat working or not has been asked for that permit.its like every city here has its own rules.i hear in snooky immigration is going door to door for paperworkchecks.must be cucumberseason