So I got a 1 month extension on my tourist visa but I really don't want the hassle of doing a border run. Also, they behaved like assholes with me at the airport, probably because of my Indian passport. No way I am wasting more pages in my passport getting tourist visa after tourist visa. The advice that I got from another Indian who lives here is to apply for a business visa at the Cambodian embassy in Saigon/HCMC with documentation (my company registations and bank statements from other countries in which I actually do business in) highlighting my intent to start a company in Cambodia. Unlike for westerners, it seems that they are not generous with handing out ordinary/business visas on arrival for Indians.
Is there any way to avoid all of that hassle? Any recommendations for an immigration or business-registration/company formation lawyer here in Cambodia who can make things easier? Or even a Khmer speaking cop who will go with me on the border run and make sure they give me a business visa when I re enter. Ideally I don't want to do a border run.
Immigration/ Company lawyer?
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Assuming I go the Cambodian embassy in Saigon route, on the way back in, how wise or foolish would it be to put a $100 folded in the passport when presenting it to the immigration officers at the airport? I ask because my Indian friend said that even with a valid business visa, if they do not stamp you in for more than a month, it can't be extended further.
Why this hassle? Just get a one month ordinary visa next time you arrive @ Pochentong and you can extend it for one year.... No need for visits to embassies and money in passports. Use the search function of the forum and you'll find it out.
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I tried (for 15 minutes) at Phnom Penh airport but they wouldn't budge. Only gave me a tourist visa. I did not offer a bribe but they didn't demand one. I was hesitant to do that for fear of being denied entry.Kachang wrote:Why this hassle? Just get a one month ordinary visa next time you arrive @ Pochentong and you can extend it for one year.... No need for visits to embassies and money in passports. Use the search function of the forum and you'll find it out.
Is it easier at land borders? I don't mind corruption, I like it if it makes things easier.
Write yourself a nice letter of employment, print it out on a nice official looking letterhead, present it to the passport folk next time you enter with the 'ordinary visa' box ticked.
If you get the business visa, there should be no problem extending. Just get a 12 month extension from any travel agent. There is nothing they can do at immigration on arrival to prevent you from renewing a visa, besides only issuing you a tourist visa.
Tourist visas can only be extended once for 30 days, and then you have to do the border run, so it's not exactly a long term solution.
If you get the business visa, there should be no problem extending. Just get a 12 month extension from any travel agent. There is nothing they can do at immigration on arrival to prevent you from renewing a visa, besides only issuing you a tourist visa.
Tourist visas can only be extended once for 30 days, and then you have to do the border run, so it's not exactly a long term solution.
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Couple of questions:epidemiks wrote:Write yourself a nice letter of employment, print it out on a nice official looking letterhead, present it to the passport folk next time you enter with the 'ordinary visa' box ticked.
If you get the business visa, there should be no problem extending. Just get a 12 month extension from any travel agent. There is nothing they can do at immigration on arrival to prevent you from renewing a visa, besides only issuing you a tourist visa.
Tourist visas can only be extended once for 30 days, and then you have to do the border run, so it's not exactly a long term solution.
1: What's the maximum period that they issue the Orindary visa for at the airport or land border? Can it be got for a year right away?
2: I don't mind doing a border run every 2 months in the worst case scenario, but are there any chances of being refused entry after a few times? (as they are known to do in Thailand for people who live on back to back tourist visas)
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Good luck trying to get a Cambodian official to help you less than one week before Khmer New Year! If you can find someone working now, they're going to rape you (hopefully only figuratively)!
Why don't you take a 2 day, 1 night trip to HCMC? ~$65 VN visa from travel agent (I'm sure more for rush service, which you will probably need). <$30 roundtrip bus ticket (Mekong Express). ~$15 guesthouse room in Pham Ngu Lao area, right where the bus "station" is. When you enter Cambodia again, get the "Type-E, ordinary" 30 day visa (don't try for a longer visa at the border. Extend it later). The one that costs $5 more than the other one offered at the border. Keep an "employment letter" (mentioned above) with you, just in case they ask. Then 2 or 3 weeks later (DON'T LET THIS VISA EXPIRE!), go to a reputable travel agent and get a 1 year extension.
IMHO, the customs officials at the Bavet land border crossing are much easier to deal with than at the airport. I've made that HCMC-PP roundtrip at least 50 times over the last 12 years. Never had a problem. I've seen lots of stupid backpackers try to argue with officials and get refused entry, but that was always going into VN. Never on the Cambodian side.
Just make sure the Cambodian visa number, under the silver seal on the left, starts with an "E", or if there is a space where they can fill in "Visa Type Class", they wrote "E". Maybe ask the Mekong Express on-board "host" to help you before you get to the border. They seem to be helpful, and they do know about the 2 different visas available at the border. Just don't leave the immigration counter until you are sure that you have a type-E ordinary visa, NOT a tourist visa.
Better hurry though! Traffic is going to be a bitch! I once made the mistake of doing this trip on April 12th. Took 11.5 hours!
Good luck!
Why don't you take a 2 day, 1 night trip to HCMC? ~$65 VN visa from travel agent (I'm sure more for rush service, which you will probably need). <$30 roundtrip bus ticket (Mekong Express). ~$15 guesthouse room in Pham Ngu Lao area, right where the bus "station" is. When you enter Cambodia again, get the "Type-E, ordinary" 30 day visa (don't try for a longer visa at the border. Extend it later). The one that costs $5 more than the other one offered at the border. Keep an "employment letter" (mentioned above) with you, just in case they ask. Then 2 or 3 weeks later (DON'T LET THIS VISA EXPIRE!), go to a reputable travel agent and get a 1 year extension.
IMHO, the customs officials at the Bavet land border crossing are much easier to deal with than at the airport. I've made that HCMC-PP roundtrip at least 50 times over the last 12 years. Never had a problem. I've seen lots of stupid backpackers try to argue with officials and get refused entry, but that was always going into VN. Never on the Cambodian side.
Just make sure the Cambodian visa number, under the silver seal on the left, starts with an "E", or if there is a space where they can fill in "Visa Type Class", they wrote "E". Maybe ask the Mekong Express on-board "host" to help you before you get to the border. They seem to be helpful, and they do know about the 2 different visas available at the border. Just don't leave the immigration counter until you are sure that you have a type-E ordinary visa, NOT a tourist visa.
Better hurry though! Traffic is going to be a bitch! I once made the mistake of doing this trip on April 12th. Took 11.5 hours!
Good luck!
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Thank you. I have another whole month and then some left though (got an extension on the tourist visa). Bavet it will be then.chkwoot wrote:Good luck trying to get a Cambodian official to help you less than one week before Khmer New Year! If you can find someone working now, they're going to rape you (hopefully only figuratively)!
Why don't you take a 2 day, 1 night trip to HCMC? ~$65 VN visa from travel agent (I'm sure more for rush service, which you will probably need). <$30 roundtrip bus ticket (Mekong Express). ~$15 guesthouse room in Pham Ngu Lao area, right where the bus "station" is. When you enter Cambodia again, get the "Type-E, ordinary" 30 day visa (don't try for a longer visa at the border. Extend it later). The one that costs $5 more than the other one offered at the border. Keep an "employment letter" (mentioned above) with you, just in case they ask. Then 2 or 3 weeks later (DON'T LET THIS VISA EXPIRE!), go to a reputable travel agent and get a 1 year extension.
IMHO, the customs officials at the Bavet land border crossing are much easier to deal with than at the airport. I've made that HCMC-PP roundtrip at least 50 times over the last 12 years. Never had a problem. I've seen lots of stupid backpackers try to argue with officials and get refused entry, but that was always going into VN. Never on the Cambodian side.
Just make sure the Cambodian visa number, under the silver seal on the left, starts with an "E", or if there is a space where they can fill in "Visa Type Class", they wrote "E". Maybe ask the Mekong Express on-board "host" to help you before you get to the border. They seem to be helpful, and they do know about the 2 different visas available at the border. Just don't leave the immigration counter until you are sure that you have a type-E ordinary visa, NOT a tourist visa.
Better hurry though! Traffic is going to be a bitch! I once made the mistake of doing this trip on April 12th. Took 11.5 hours!
Good luck!
1. Maximum (only) length of an entry visa on arrival is 30 days - both tourist and ordinary. If you can wrangle yourself an INGO visa, you get 3 or 6 months entry, iirc, but those entry visas are only issued outside of Cambodia.brownexile wrote:Couple of questions:epidemiks wrote:Write yourself a nice letter of employment, print it out on a nice official looking letterhead, present it to the passport folk next time you enter with the 'ordinary visa' box ticked.
If you get the business visa, there should be no problem extending. Just get a 12 month extension from any travel agent. There is nothing they can do at immigration on arrival to prevent you from renewing a visa, besides only issuing you a tourist visa.
Tourist visas can only be extended once for 30 days, and then you have to do the border run, so it's not exactly a long term solution.
1: What's the maximum period that they issue the Orindary visa for at the airport or land border? Can it be got for a year right away?
2: I don't mind doing a border run every 2 months in the worst case scenario, but are there any chances of being refused entry after a few times? (as they are known to do in Thailand for people who live on back to back tourist visas)
2. I knew a Filipino who did runs to Ha Tien every 21 days, as they get gratis/visa-less entry as compensation for being Filipino, and he never had a problem. However, besides the fact you'll fill 12 pages of your passport each year - not including the VN visas you'll also require - and the fact you're facing difficulties already, I don't think it's a good option. I've not heard of anyone having trouble, probably because no one would want to waste their time, money, and passport pages to pursue this method.
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