Visa / VOA Info for Cambodia
Jan 15, 2015, 8:09 pm
#106
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Snooky
Posts: 2,508
At KK if you have your Visa already and there are a lot of backpackers off the bus waiting to be extorted & processed - just open the glass door between the windows & hand your PPs to the guy inside w/$1 in each. He'll do you immediately.
Jan 19, 2015, 9:22 am
#107
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 115
Just a data point for you all.
Could be an anomaly, but I applied for the e-visa online, payment successful, but never received my e-visa via email. E-mailed the contact given on the website, but never received a response. Finally went to Siem Reap and explained the situation at the airport. They told me to pay for the VOA and to take it up with my bank regarding the fee that was already processed. I called Chase bank and they allowed me to waive the payment, but it was still a hassle. Spoke to my tuk tuk driver about the situation and he said that he has seen this happen often.
Obviously, this could just be an isolated case. My e-visa from years prior worked out fine and two other e-visas in my party worked fine. So just FYI.
Could be an anomaly, but I applied for the e-visa online, payment successful, but never received my e-visa via email. E-mailed the contact given on the website, but never received a response. Finally went to Siem Reap and explained the situation at the airport. They told me to pay for the VOA and to take it up with my bank regarding the fee that was already processed. I called Chase bank and they allowed me to waive the payment, but it was still a hassle. Spoke to my tuk tuk driver about the situation and he said that he has seen this happen often.
Obviously, this could just be an isolated case. My e-visa from years prior worked out fine and two other e-visas in my party worked fine. So just FYI.
Jan 20, 2015, 10:15 pm
#108
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
No photo - $2
Not sure if this has been reported as I am recent reader of this thread.
Took my recent photo, or so I thought, but could not find it when I landed
They just asked for $2, took my passport and told me to wait in the next line
Not sure what happened, as no photo was taken except at passport check IIRC.
Maybe they just scanned it from my passport, as it took longer to get my passport back than people behind me.
Also, a lady on my flight said they never scanned her fingerprints
Oh, and she is FT member as that ^
Took my recent photo, or so I thought, but could not find it when I landed
They just asked for $2, took my passport and told me to wait in the next line
Not sure what happened, as no photo was taken except at passport check IIRC.
Maybe they just scanned it from my passport, as it took longer to get my passport back than people behind me.
Also, a lady on my flight said they never scanned her fingerprints
Oh, and she is FT member as that ^
Jan 20, 2015, 11:12 pm
#109
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Scanning the passport pic is common (especially for visa extensions). And fingerprints are usually taken but not always. Just the way things work.
Jan 22, 2015, 6:30 pm
#110
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: KWI
Programs: I travel for fun these days.
Posts: 383
Last weekend 3 of us did VOA when we landed in REP - took 20 minutes. No issues.
I was charged $2 for not having a picture and Mrs. Dirty did not have her fingerprints scanned.
It was funny to note that as they pass the passports down the bench (to be handled by 6-8 different people?) the stack gets returned to the awaiting in the opposite order... first in pile is on bottom and last to be handed back. The third person in our group had her passport on top and maybe spent 5 minutes total in immigration (at least gave her extra time to browse the duty-free shelf* while she was waiting for us).
(*not sure I'd classify it a full-on duty free shop)
I was charged $2 for not having a picture and Mrs. Dirty did not have her fingerprints scanned.
It was funny to note that as they pass the passports down the bench (to be handled by 6-8 different people?) the stack gets returned to the awaiting in the opposite order... first in pile is on bottom and last to be handed back. The third person in our group had her passport on top and maybe spent 5 minutes total in immigration (at least gave her extra time to browse the duty-free shelf* while she was waiting for us).
(*not sure I'd classify it a full-on duty free shop)
Jan 27, 2015, 7:36 pm
#111
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Former PM now a kettle :(
Posts: 289
Last weekend 3 of us did VOA when we landed in REP - took 20 minutes. No issues.
I was charged $2 for not having a picture and Mrs. Dirty did not have her fingerprints scanned.
It was funny to note that as they pass the passports down the bench (to be handled by 6-8 different people?) the stack gets returned to the awaiting in the opposite order... first in pile is on bottom and last to be handed back. The third person in our group had her passport on top and maybe spent 5 minutes total in immigration (at least gave her extra time to browse the duty-free shelf* while she was waiting for us).
(*not sure I'd classify it a full-on duty free shop)
I was charged $2 for not having a picture and Mrs. Dirty did not have her fingerprints scanned.
It was funny to note that as they pass the passports down the bench (to be handled by 6-8 different people?) the stack gets returned to the awaiting in the opposite order... first in pile is on bottom and last to be handed back. The third person in our group had her passport on top and maybe spent 5 minutes total in immigration (at least gave her extra time to browse the duty-free shelf* while she was waiting for us).
(*not sure I'd classify it a full-on duty free shop)
Bring good condition USD for cash.
Feb 8, 2015, 6:32 am
#112
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
My experience is only landing at Siem Reap's airport.
After you land, walk over to the immigration building (you disembark onto the tarmac and there's a walkway near the terminal). As you enter, to the left you'll see a long desk. Before you get in line (on the far left of the desk), you have to grab an application form (8.5x11'ish sized form) which are located near a pillar on the far left and fill it out. After filling the application out, head to the application area on the far left of the desk and hand over the application, passport, $30USD in bills (I think they recently increased the cost of the cost of the tourist visa this year), and a passport picture. If you don't have a passport picture, the surcharge is $1. Then head over to the far right side of the desk to wait to have your name called out to get your passport back with the visa.
Before you leave, you pass thru customs/immigration. You can get the customs form (small form) on the plane to fill out ahead of time or just grab it the airport and fill it out waiting for the VOA guys to return your passport.
If you get an eVisa online via the government website, I think you get to go to another part of the desk bypassing what could potentially be a very long VOA line if you are arriving with a lot of other pax on your plane or another plane landing at the same time.
In April, we got stuck in the back of the pack and it took like 20+ minutes waiting in line to submit and waiting for our passports back with the visa.
This October, we were at the back of the pack again but there were no applications forms at the pillar so people didn't know what to do and everyone bottlenecked. After a VOA person walked over to replenish the forms, we grabbed one and filled it out as fast as we could and ended up 5th in line. This time, the wait for submission to getting our passports back was ~5 minutes.
Again, only for REP but try to get ahead of the pack by getting off the plane asap and walking quickly over. Note, on some turboprop plane that fly to REP, the boarding/exit door on the plane is via the back (for strategic seating).
After you land, walk over to the immigration building (you disembark onto the tarmac and there's a walkway near the terminal). As you enter, to the left you'll see a long desk. Before you get in line (on the far left of the desk), you have to grab an application form (8.5x11'ish sized form) which are located near a pillar on the far left and fill it out. After filling the application out, head to the application area on the far left of the desk and hand over the application, passport, $30USD in bills (I think they recently increased the cost of the cost of the tourist visa this year), and a passport picture. If you don't have a passport picture, the surcharge is $1. Then head over to the far right side of the desk to wait to have your name called out to get your passport back with the visa.
Before you leave, you pass thru customs/immigration. You can get the customs form (small form) on the plane to fill out ahead of time or just grab it the airport and fill it out waiting for the VOA guys to return your passport.
If you get an eVisa online via the government website, I think you get to go to another part of the desk bypassing what could potentially be a very long VOA line if you are arriving with a lot of other pax on your plane or another plane landing at the same time.
In April, we got stuck in the back of the pack and it took like 20+ minutes waiting in line to submit and waiting for our passports back with the visa.
This October, we were at the back of the pack again but there were no applications forms at the pillar so people didn't know what to do and everyone bottlenecked. After a VOA person walked over to replenish the forms, we grabbed one and filled it out as fast as we could and ended up 5th in line. This time, the wait for submission to getting our passports back was ~5 minutes.
Again, only for REP but try to get ahead of the pack by getting off the plane asap and walking quickly over. Note, on some turboprop plane that fly to REP, the boarding/exit door on the plane is via the back (for strategic seating).
Flew in on KA from HKG, flight went MX and we left 4 hrs late. when we arrived we parked way to the rightside. we were bused over to the Immigration building. I had printed the above but at last it was of no use, I was the 1st one into the building grabbed the form and started filling it out as did the other 3 people who were in biz with me. I finished 1st and when I went to get on line, I saw only the 4 of us had to get the form, seems the FAs handed them out to everyone that was in Y :-( so it was to the back of a very long line for me. it moved pretty fast and PP control wasnt too bad. They had everyone have their fingerprints done. Good thing Y wasnt full, once they took my PP it took all of maybe 3 mins before they called my name
Last edited by craz; Feb 28, 2015 at 8:55 pm
Mar 1, 2015, 8:07 pm
#114
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AA, HH, UA, Marriott, SW, Club Carlson, IHG
Posts: 202
One additional comment on the VOA process at Siem Reap: Kudos to their immigration staff for actually smiling and being pleasant, and the guy who hands your passport back was even joking around with several passengers.
Add me to the set of people who say that getting the VOA is no big deal (not much of a wait) at Siem Reap (arrived from Hong Kong). Especially after we were scared off the offical Cambodian e-visa website by malware warnings.
Add me to the set of people who say that getting the VOA is no big deal (not much of a wait) at Siem Reap (arrived from Hong Kong). Especially after we were scared off the offical Cambodian e-visa website by malware warnings.
Mar 13, 2015, 8:29 pm
#115
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYC
Programs: Aeroplan, Westjet, Marriott, Nexus
Posts: 447
I have a question about the quality of the VOA printout. When I received my email a couple of months ago we just printed the downloadable page off our black and white printer and it did not come out that well (our faces are very dark....sort of indistinguishable). I know there's a bar code that showed up fine and all our information is there too so I'm sort of on the fence.
Will this be a problem? Should I try to print them out for better quality?
Thank you for any help!
Will this be a problem? Should I try to print them out for better quality?
Thank you for any help!
Jul 26, 2015, 10:12 am
#117
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Paris, France
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Jul 28, 2015, 9:11 pm
#119
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Trenton NJ
Programs: UA Gold MM, Honors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz President’s Circle
Posts: 3,668
I came into PNH from CAN almost four weeks ago. Filled out the form on the spot. Was the first one in line and I swear it took no more than 10 minutes, if that. Have spare photos with me since I've had to get lots for life here in Shanghai.
Jul 29, 2015, 4:19 am
#120
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
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