Cambodia’s visa system is unusual in Southeast Asia: instead of a nomad visa or repeated visa runs, you enter on an ordinary visa and extend it inside the country for up to a year at a time. Since 2024, though, the longest extensions have needed a work permit. This page covers how it works as of October 2026, plus tax and everyday money.
Rules are applied differently by different offices and agents, and they change often. Check the current requirements before you commit to a long stay.
Tourist or Ordinary Visa: Choose at the Start#
When you arrive, the visa type you choose decides what you can do later.
- Tourist (T) visa: $30, 30 days, extendable once for another 30 days. It can’t be converted to anything else, so you would have to leave.
- Ordinary (E) visa: $35, 30 days, and extendable in Cambodia as an EB, EG or ER extension. If there is any chance you will stay longer than two months, get the E visa.
Both are available as an e-visa before you travel or on arrival at airports and main land borders. Everyone also completes the free Cambodia e-Arrival card online, up to seven days before arrival, which replaced the paper arrival and customs forms.
Extensions of an Ordinary Visa#
Extensions are processed by the immigration department, usually through a licensed visa agent or travel agency, which is how almost everyone does it.
- EB (business): 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, multiple entry for 6 and 12 months. Since 2024, a valid work permit has been required for 6- and 12-month EB extensions. A 12-month EB typically costs about $280 to $300 through an agent.
- EG (general): 1, 3 or 6 months, for people looking for work. It can’t be renewed, so it is a bridge to an EB.
- ER (retirement): for people of retirement age with proof of a pension or savings, renewable yearly.
- ES (student): for full-time students at a registered school.
Work Permits#
Cambodian law requires a work permit for any foreigner working in Cambodia, and immigration now checks for one when issuing long EB extensions. Permits are issued by the Ministry of Labour through its online system, with an employment card, and must be renewed by 31 March each year. Self-employed people and freelancers can apply too, usually through an agent. Government fees are around $100 to $150 a year, plus agent fees and a medical check.
Many remote workers for foreign clients get a self-employed work permit, mainly so they can renew a 12-month EB.
Tax#
Cambodia doesn’t have a general personal income tax. Instead it has a tax on salary for employees and a tax on income for businesses.
- Residents, generally people in Cambodia for 182 days or more in a 12-month period, are in principle taxed on worldwide salary at monthly rates from 0% to 20%, with credit for foreign tax paid.
- Non-residents are taxed only on Cambodian-source income, at a flat 20%.
How this applies to remote workers paid by foreign employers or clients is not well defined, and enforcement against nomads has been rare. If you stay most of a year, or register a business or work permit, get advice from a Cambodian accountant.
US Dollars and Riel#
Cambodia runs on two currencies. US dollars are used for rent, restaurants, hotels and most prices; the Cambodian riel (about 4,000 to the dollar) is used for small change and in local markets. You will often pay in dollars and get change in riel. Bring clean, untorn dollar bills, because damaged notes are refused.
ATMs, Payments and Bank Accounts#
ATMs dispense US dollars, usually charging foreign cards $4 to $6 per withdrawal, with limits of a few hundred dollars per transaction. Always decline the ATM’s currency conversion.
KHQR, Cambodia’s national QR code linked to the central bank’s Bakong system, is accepted at almost every shop and stall. To use it, you need a Cambodian bank account. ABA Bank is the favourite with foreigners and often opens accounts with a passport and a valid EB or other long-stay visa; ACLEDA and Wing are alternatives. A local account makes QR payments, rent and transfers easy, and Wise can send money to it.
Visas, Taxes and Money FAQs#
Which visa should I get for Cambodia as a digital nomad?
The ordinary (E) visa, for $35. Unlike the tourist visa, it can be extended in Cambodia for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months.
Do I need a work permit in Cambodia as a digital nomad?
For 6- and 12-month EB extensions, immigration now requires a valid work permit. Many remote workers get a self-employed work permit through an agent so they can renew a 12-month EB.
How much does a one-year Cambodia visa cost?
A 12-month EB extension costs about $280 to $300 through an agent, plus a work permit at around $100 to $150 a year in government fees, plus agent fees.
Do digital nomads pay tax in Cambodia?
Residents of 182 days or more are in principle taxed on worldwide salary, but how this applies to remote workers paid from abroad is unclear and rarely enforced. Get advice from a local accountant if you stay most of a year.
Can foreigners open a bank account in Cambodia?
Yes. ABA Bank often opens accounts for foreigners with a passport and a long-stay visa such as an EB extension, which gives you KHQR payments.