How to Apply Visas for Cambodia and Myanmar Tour

Two of the most outstanding destinations in Southeast Asia, tours of visiting Cambodia and Myanmar are dazzling destinations for avid tourists looking for something a little different from the normal beach and city vacations. In Burma, a nation of multiple ethnic groups, it can sometimes feel like you have stumbled into an issue of National Geographic, and for all its recent changes, much of this former British colony has retained its traditional values and culture. Cambodia, once racked by war, has risen to become one of the top destinations in Indochina, the successor state to the mighty Khmer Empire of the 9th to 11th centuries.

Tour Visa

The remnants of this once-great empire can still be seen in the legendary temples of Angkor, and the once-beautiful city of Phnom Penh is regaining its title as the “Pearl of the Orient”, as an eclectic mix of old and new, with Khmer architecture sitting side by side with French colonial buildings. However, traveling to Cambodia and Myanmar means you will need to know how to get in, and how to make sure your visa application is approved.

Types of Cambodia visa and how to apply for it?

Unless you are a citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries for Cambodia, a visa is required for entry to this Indochinese haven of ancient architecture. Only the nationals of Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Seychelles, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam have visa-free access to Cambodia, for a period of up to 30 days. For everyone else, a visa is a requirement. However, with three methods of obtaining the visa, it is not hard to get into Cambodia, since they are making it easier to promote tourism.

Cambodia Visa

Embassy Pre-approved Visa

The most obvious and primary method of visa application is at the Cambodian Embassy, but with only 27 embassies worldwide, this is often not a viable option for travelers. For those that can make their application at the embassy, the process is simple enough. Applicants must appear in person, and have a completed application form, a passport with at least 6 months validity remaining, one passport-seized photo, and the application fee of US$30, or its equivalent in your home country’s currency. Processing generally takes around three working days, and you will need to collect the Cambodia visa and your passport from the embassy once approved.

Embassy Pre

Visa on Arrival

The second method is to make your application once you arrive at the airport or border crossing. Visa on Arrival services are available to the citizens of most countries around the world, with a few exceptions. The Visa on Arrival service is available at both airports, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and 16 different border crossings from Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The application forms are available on the flights or at the border checkpoints, and once completed, with your passport and photo, the visa fee is just 30 US dollars. It is preferred that the payment is made in cash using US dollars, though Thai baht are also accepted. Normally, it takes less than an hour to process the visa, depending on the number of visa applicants at the time of your application.

Visa on arrival

Online E-visa

The third method is to use the more modern E-visa service for obtaining your visa for Cambodia. The E-visa is the latest way to get your visa for Cambodia, and the Cambodian government have a dedicated site for the application process at https://www.evisa.gov.kh/. Applicants simply create an account on the site, then complete the online application form, upload their passport-type photo in digital format, and make the payment online for the 36-dollar visa fee. Once the payment has been processed, they will get an approval email within three working days, after which they can log in to the site and download the E-visa as a .PDF document for printing. There is no stamp in your passport, and you can make the payment using VISA and MasterCard or with Unionpay or Alipay securely on the website.

Cambodia Evisa

All three types of tourist visa allow a stay of up to 30 days in Cambodia, and the Embassy and E-visas are valid for three months from the date of issue for entry. All tourist visa can be extended only once for a period of an additional 30 days at the offices of the Immigration Department or the National Police.

Types of Myanmar visa and how to apply for it?

Apart from certain Asian countries that have a visa exemption, all foreign travelers to Myanmar are required to have a visa prior to entry. Only nationals of Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, South Korea, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam have a visa exemption for either 14 or 30 days.

Embassy Pre-approved Visa

Applications for pre-approved visas can be made at any Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar around the world, and the process generally takes just three working days, though a same-day visa of Myanmar is available for an additional fee. With embassies in more countries than Cambodia has, it is easier to get a pre-approved visa for Myanmar throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and across Asia and Oceania. Applications must be made in person, and have the completed application form, your passport with at least six months validity remaining, an updated passport-sized photo, proof of booking of a hotel or guesthouse in Myanmar, and the cash payment in your local currency. The pre-approved visa costs just US$30 or its equivalent in local currency, and can be picked up on the date and time given on your receipt.

Myanmar Embassy

Online E-visa

Applying for the Myanmar E-visa is easy and straightforward, and can be done in a few minutes on the official Myanmar Ministry of Labour Immigration & Population E-visa website at https://www.evisa.moip.gov.mm/Tourist. The E-visa is the easiest way to get a visa for Myanmar, and more than 100 nationalities are eligible for using the E-visa system. However, the E-visa for Myanmar is more of a pre-approved online application, and you will still need to have the actual visa stamped into your passport on arrival.

Myanmar Evisa

To make the application, you visit the website and complete the online application form, then upload the digital copy of the required photo. Once you have made the payment, which is US$50 or the local equivalent in your own currency, the visa will be issued after three working days. You will receive an email with the approval letter, which you show to the immigration officials to have the visa stamped into your passport.

Visa on Arrival

Myanmar does not have a typical Visa on Arrival service for tourists, and if you turn up expecting to process your visa at the airport, you will be refused entry. The closest thing to a Visa on Arrival in Myanmar is the E-visa, which is actually a pre-approval for entry that is done online.

Useful Tips for visa application

Make sure that you get your visa for Myanmar either at the embassy or online before you travel as there is no Visa on Arrival service for Myanmar. The easiest option for most travelers to Cambodia is the Visa on Arrival, which has long been the most popular method of obtaining the visa. It also has the highest number of entry ports where it can be applied for, and is available to almost all global citizens.

If you are planning a trip to both Myanmar and Cambodia, it can pay to make both application with the embassies in advance, and have both visas already in your passport before you travel, as the embassy visa has the longest validity of all visas. It is also accepted at all airports and land border crossings, so you do not have to find an entry point that is specific, and can customize your trip on the go.

Customize your trip

If you are processing E-visas for both Cambodia and Myanmar, then you need to be aware of the stricter policies on the application. Photos must be in digital .jpeg format, or the whole application will be rejected, and the payment is not refundable on failure to be approved. The photo must be 45mm x 35mm against a white background with your face central in the frame.

For Myanmar, you need to have booking proof for your hotel or guesthouse, and you are not permitted to use Airbnb CouchSurfing, or other such sites that allow people to stay in personal homes. Nor are you permitted to stay in the home of friends, unless you are a Cambodian national with dual nationality. Make sure that you book your hotels of guesthouses in advance, before you apply for the visa.

Summary

A trip to Cambodia and Myanmar is one of the most exciting combined tours that you can have in Indochina, and is a tour that will leave you aching to come back for more. Traveling through two of the most prestigious countries in this part of Asia, one dominated by the French and the Khmer Rouge and the other one of the largest British colonies in Southeast Asia, this is the trip of a lifetime and one of the best combined tours you can find in this part of the world.