Living Guide for Expats Who Wish to Move to Cambodia

Cambodia's capital city, Phnom Penh, is home to between 2 and 3 million Cambodians as well as the vast majority of the country's foreign residents. Some see Phnom Penh as a soulless jumble of crumbling colonial structures and towering architectural monstrosities, while expatriates who call it home see it as a dynamic, historical, and exciting city.

1. Why live in Phnom Penh?

Life in Phnom Penh may be either relaxed or luxurious. You may rent a modest studio apartment, ride your bike around the city, and eat steamed white rice for supper. If your money allows, you may also buy a condo loft, import a European automobile, and dine in a variety of restaurants across Phnom Penh. Whatever lifestyle you choose, there are some everyday requirements and recommendations you should be aware of in order to effortlessly integrate into your host nation.

2. What is it like to live in Phnom Penh?

Phnom Penh provides an easy life for expats unwilling to give up the comforts of home since it is a large, busy metropolis. In recent years, dozens of coffee shops have opened. There are better grocery stores than in many other Southeast Asian cities. Phnom Penh's infrastructure is also pretty nice. The water is almost drinkable, and high-speed internet is available. Besides, the numerous work options in Phnom Penh, owing to the presence of several hundred NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and even more English schools, are perhaps the most appealing. Salaries in Phnom Penh are also greater than elsewhere in Cambodia.

3. How to move to Phnom Penh City?

It is recommended that you obtain a valid visa for your stay in Cambodia before traveling there. You can acquire your visa when you arrive, but doing so ahead of time will help the process go more smoothly and offer you one less thing to worry about when you arrive. You may apply for a visa by mail or in person at a Cambodian consulate or embassy near you.

The Tourist (T) visa and the Business (E) visa are the two primary types of visas available. After arriving in Cambodia, both types of visas are valid for 30 days. The tourist visa can be extended for an additional month, while the business visa can be extended for up to twelve months and then renewed as needed. This makes it ideal for expats on a short business trip as well as those who are relocating to Cambodia for a lengthy period.

The required paperwork for the Cambodian visa

• One completed visa application;

• One passport-sized photo;

• Your passport, which must be valid for at least another six months;

• A self-addressed and pre-paid return envelope.

For Business Visa applications

There is a letter from your company or your sponsor, or an invitation from Cambodia, supporting the need for you to apply for a business visa.

Note: When you apply for your visa for the first time, and when you extend your visa at the Ministry of Interior after relocating to Cambodia, you will be charged a modest cost.

Border Crossing

The process of applying for a visa when you arrive in Cambodia is fairly simple. You may apply for your visa at one Laos border crossing, five Vietnam border crossings, and six Thailand border crossings. However, taking care of it at the airport rather than at the land border crossings is easier and less of a bother. Land border checkpoint immigration officials have a reputation for demanding extra immigration fees.

4. How do the work permits work here?

Your employer in Cambodia submits the application for a work visa on your behalf.

• Three sets of application forms issued by the Ministry of the Interior;

• A passport and a valid Cambodian visa;

• Three passport photos;

• A certificate of health;

• Written work contract from your employer.

Aside from that, the employer will have to supply some other paperwork. The Ministry of Labor must be contacted about the application.

5. The advantage of living in Phnom Penh

Cambodia's cost of living is relatively low, with everything from rent to groceries, pubs, and restaurants offering good value. This means that even low-income individuals can benefit from a major lifestyle improvement. In Cambodia's major cities and towns, a couple might spend as little as $1,355 each month. It is feasible to rent a centrally situated flat in Phnom Penh and go out to restaurants every day, purchase food at Western-style supermarkets, and still have money left over for a nightly drink at the city's expat pubs and clubs.

When it comes to housing, a well-appointed apartment for under $355 a month is simple to come across, and utilities are similarly inexpensive, costing approximately $70 for power, water, and Pay TV. The cost of having a cleaner come in once a week to clean your house is only $28 or $35 per month. For unlimited calls, texts, and internet, expect to pay as little as $7 to your local cell provider.

As an expat in Cambodia, there is enough to keep you occupied, including a plethora of bars, pubs, clubs, and hotels offering special deals, happy hours, quizzes, movie nights, and even pool parties. Expat living is particularly appealing since there are so many options for a cheap sundowner, with many restaurants serving fresh tap beer for $0.70 a schooner. Happy hours are a must-do for people who want to go out and about, with spirits and cocktails available at equally cheap pricing.

Dining out regularly is considerably more inexpensive for many expats in Cambodia than spending time and effort making meals at home. There are enticingly priced alternatives to consider instead, whether it's for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Breakfast at a local eatery costs less than $3 and includes grilled pork, steamed rice, and pickled veggies, or $.70 for a sweet and treacly Cambodian-style coffee.

At one of the numerous expat restaurants managed by a United Nations of skilled chefs, the world is your oyster for lunch and dinner. You name it, Cambodia has Italian pizzerias, Australian burger joints, French patisseries, American steakhouses, Chinese noodle restaurants... While the quality of the cuisine is good, the costs are shockingly modest, with a substantial and pleasant lunch at many outstanding establishments costing about $4 to $7.

Expats in Cambodia have long valued the high-quality care provided by the country's finest dental clinics and hospitals. The major institutions in Phnom Penh are constantly updating their facilities and services to satisfy the rising demand from international patients, making it the heart of Cambodia's dental tourism sector.

Cambodia has just introduced a special Retirement Visa (also known as the ER visa), which is currently accessible at the airport. The basic requirements are that you are 55 years old or older and that you have a valid passport (preferably from a developed nation). Immigration officials would generally grant a one-month ER visa, which may then be extended for up to 12 months with numerous entries for only $275 through a travel agent or visa broker.

Source: Move to Cambodia, ACS-ami, InterNations, International Living