- Cambodia ended overseas sticker issuance on October 3, 2026, replacing passport visa stickers with electronic certificates.
- Application routes still vary: some missions accept in-person applications, while others require the official e-Visa portal.
- Tourist e-Visas cost thirty U.S. dollars; eligible travelers must also submit e-Arrival information within seven days before entry.
Cambodia stopped issuing physical visa stickers at its embassies and consulates abroad on October 3, 2026, shifting overseas visa issuance to electronic certificates. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ordered missions to end the passport-sticker process. The new format is in place worldwide.
Applicants receive an electronic visa document, generally carrying a QR code that officials can use to verify it at entry points. The change concerns how an approved visa is issued, not a single worldwide application procedure. Local missions still set the submission route.
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The Honorary Consulate of Cambodia in Osaka described the directive this way:
“In accordance with the official directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia (MFAIC), the issuance of Cambodian visas in the form of stickers has been suspended as of Saturday, October 3, 2026 in all embassies and consulates abroad.”
Some applicants can still apply in person. Others must use Cambodia’s online system.
Applicants still have to follow each mission’s local process
The Cambodian embassy in Bangkok continues to receive some applications through its consular section, then sends approved visas electronically. The format has changed; the in-person route has not disappeared there.
Missions in Osaka and Fukuoka instead direct applicants and travel agencies to the official e-Visa portal. They no longer accept physical visa applications at their counters. Applicants should check the mission responsible for their location before submitting paperwork.
The embassy in Berlin has also confirmed the overseas shift to electronic issuance. Missions in the United Kingdom and Japan circulated notices about the change on October 7, 2026. Their instructions reflect a rollout with a common visa format but different application channels.
The electronic system now covers more visa classes
Cambodia expanded its online visa platform on August 1, 2026, adding three categories: the A visa for diplomatic-passport holders, the B visa for official travel and the C visa for courtesy visits. The platform already handled the T tourist visa and E ordinary or professional-stay visa.
The K visa for Cambodian-origin people holding foreign passports is also issued electronically through overseas missions. Taken together, the categories cover tourist, ordinary or business, diplomatic, official, courtesy and other visa types available through the system.
Cambodia also changed the verification feature on its visa certificates on August 1. The system replaced the former barcode with the new code format to support electronic checks and document security. The certificate, rather than a stamp or sticker in a passport, is the issued visa.
Tourist and ordinary e-Visas carry different fees
The tourist visa costs US$30, while the ordinary category costs US$35. Each is valid for 3 months from issuance and permits a stay of 1 month.
Cambodia lowered the tourist e-Visa fee from US$36 to US$30 on January 1, 2025. The ordinary visa’s stated fee remains US$35. These fee and validity terms apply to the two categories listed; the other visa classes have distinct purposes.
A visa does not replace the separate arrival filing
Eligible visitors can still obtain Visa on Arrival at designated airports and selected land and river border crossings. Ending visa issuance at overseas missions did not make Cambodia visa-free for all nationalities.
The e-Arrival process is separate from the visa application and does not grant a visa. Travelers required to submit it must enter their digital arrival information within seven days before entering Cambodia.
Entry rules can vary by point of arrival. Some crossings may not accept e-Visas, so travelers should confirm that their planned airport or border point accepts the visa they hold. They should also check passport validity before applying.
Airlines and border officials may ask to see the visa certificate. Travelers should keep a digital copy available and carry a printed copy as a backup. The change moves issuance online, but travelers still need to arrive with the correct documents.
Older visas remain valid, while a probe continues separately
A sticker visa issued before October 3, 2026, remains valid through the expiry date printed on it. Holders do not need to replace a still-valid visa solely because missions have switched to electronic issuance.
The transition came amid scrutiny of alleged visa-sticker corruption, though mission notices did not present the new procedure as a response to those allegations. Tho Samnang, the former director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s Legal, Consular and Border Affairs Department, faces charges tied to allegations that he issued more than 12,000 C visas and visa-extension stickers to an organized criminal enterprise involved in online-scam operations.
Cambodia’s Anti-Corruption Unit alleged that Tho received US$3 million in proceeds. He was detained in prison. The allegations concern the former issuance system, but the public notices announcing the change focused on the procedural shift.
Chan Ratana, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, was unavailable for comment on October 9, 2026. Officials have described the digitization effort as a way to modernize consular work, simplify applications, reduce physical processing and shorten processing times for tourists, business travelers and Cambodians living abroad.
