General Retirement Visa Questions ---

deebee123 wrote:

Hello Everyone-
I live in Vietnam, but am seriously considering relocating to Cambodia. I am of retirement age, so I would like to take advantage of the Cambodia Retirement Visa. (ER Visa) A couple of quick questions:
1. Do I first get a thirty-day ER Visa on arrival at an airport and then visit an agent to extend the visa for one year?
You come in on an Ordinary visa for 30 days, costs $35. Within a week you ask an agent to get a retirement extension of stay for one year. This takes about 10 days.
2. Am I correct in saying that the one-year ER Visa does not require me to leave the country periodically like I must do in Vietnam. Can I stay in Cambodia for one year straight? I am tentatively thinking of living in Siam Reap or Battambang. The ER extension of stay is multiple entry, so you can leave and come back as many times as you like, you can also stay in the country, no need to go out. Are there visa agents in these two cities that can provide one year ER Visas, or do I have to travel to Phnom Penh to accomplish this? There are agents everywhere that can take your application, price is around $290 for a year, you don't need any supporting documents.
3. Will I be able to find visa agents who accept credit cards? Guess so but unsure.
4. How long does it take for an agent to process a one-year visa application? Do I need to find an agent and begin this project immediately upon arrival in Cambodia so that my initial thirty-day visa does not expire?
Any advice is much appreciated!
Dennis~

Good luck!
Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Perfect!!!! Thank you very much!
Dennis~

Because you seem to be the de-facto expert on all things Cambodian, I'm going to hijack my own post and ask your advice:
I have heard many, many conflicting reports about Siam Reap. I know there is a sizeable ex-pat population there who claim that it is a peaceful, lovely place to live permanently. Others report that it is crowded, expensive, overrun with backpackers, and generally unpleasant. What is your take on Siam Reap as a retirement destination? My other choice is Battambang, but the fact that it has no airport makes it less appealing. I should mention that I am old and disinterested in partying. Peace, quiet, and simplicity are what I crave.
I currently live in Vietnam, and I enjoy the low cost of living here. I rent a basic studio apartment for only $175 monthly. Are prices comparable in Cambodia?
Thanks Again!
Dennis~

Hello Dennis.

Siem reap  (not Siam reap) would not be my favourite because of some personal nono's, like too many tourists (1 million a year), too many backpackers, no good hospital around.

Battambang is wonderful for some, boring for others. No beach.

If I were you I would stay a month in PP, you arrive there anyway and can easily take care of your ER extension of stay while you are there, and look around. A wonderful place at a river is Kampot, very quiet, but with all things you need, many restaurants, PassApp tuktuks to bring you everywhere, boat tours to even more quiet Kep, at the sea. They are about 29 km apart from each other.
Not many tourists, a handful of backpackers, clean, nice not too large town. Have a look yourself.

Accommodation is generally lower in price than Vietnam so you will easily find a suitable place to live.

Good luck!

Joe

First, sorry about misspelling of Siem Reap. Thanks for you advice. I have heard good things about Kampot, so I will check it out.
Thanks again Joe! I will try not to bother you again for at least twenty minutes!
Dennis~