Russians need a visa for Cambodia: $30 on arrival or an e-Visa online for $37. Plus a mandatory electronic arrival card that people only learn about at the airport.

Cambodia is a country where you need a visa, but getting one is easier than buying a ticket. It is issued either right at the border in twenty minutes or online in a couple of days. There is, however, one new requirement that makes tourists get stuck at passport control — and almost nobody warns about it.

Current as of September 2026. A visa is required. Two options: on arrival ($30) or an e-Visa online ($30 + $7 fee). Separately — the mandatory Cambodia e-Arrival electronic arrival card, filled in no earlier than 7 days before entry. An important change: since July 1, 2025, a physical stamp is no longer placed in your passport on entry and exit — an electronic v-Pass is issued instead.

Do you need a visa for Cambodia

Yes, citizens of Russia need a tourist visa. There is no visa-free entry. The good news: the application requires neither an interview nor proof of income.

Option 1: visa on arrival (Visa on Arrival)

It is issued right at the point of entry: the airports of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, as well as land border crossings (for example from Thailand or Vietnam).

  • Cost: $30.
  • Processing time: 5–20 minutes.
  • What you need: a valid passport, one passport-format photo, payment of the fee.

An honest warning. At land crossings, border officers have a habit of asking for $5–10 on top of the official fee “for processing”. It is an unofficial payment. At airports it is rarely encountered, at the land border regularly. Keep exactly $30 in a separate note and a printout of the official tariff.

Option 2: e-Visa online

It is applied for on the official portal before the trip and arrives by email as a PDF — you need to print it.

Parameter Value
Visa cost $30
Service fee $7
Total $37
Processing time 3 business days

The e-Visa costs $7 more, but removes the question of photos, cash and dealing with officers at the border. Note that the e-Visa is not accepted at all land crossings — the list is limited. If you are entering overland, check your crossing in advance.

v-Pass: no more passport stamps

Since July 1, 2025, Cambodia has fully switched to electronic recording of entry and exit — the v-Pass system. Previously an ink stamp was placed in the passport at the border or a QR sticker was applied; now this is not done at all: after checking your documents the border officer records your entry electronically, and the v-Pass itself is sent to the tourist by email and is also available on the official portal arrival.gov.kh and in the app of the same name.

What this means in practice:

  • An entry and exit stamp is no longer placed in the passport — neither on arrival nor on departure. If you are used to collecting stamps as a souvenir, that will no longer work in Cambodia.
  • The system is mandatory at all the country’s international airports and sea ports; overland the scheme is deployed in the same way, but at remote land crossings in particular be prepared for the process on the spot to go a little slower than usual — equipment and staff are not equally fast everywhere.
  • Printing the v-Pass is not required — showing it on your phone is enough, but just in case (a dead phone, no signal) save the file or a screenshot in advance, and better still have both an electronic and a paper copy.
  • On leaving the country there will not be a separate stamp either: the border officer checks the passport, and the fact of departure is recorded electronically in the same system.

For the visa itself this changes nothing — the cost, the application procedure and the validity periods remain the same. Only the form of confirmation of entry changes: it used to be a mark in the passport, now it is a digital record tied to your passport data.

Mandatory: the Cambodia e-Arrival card

This is where even experienced travelers stumble. Besides the visa, all arriving passengers must fill in an electronic immigration card on the official website arrival.gov.kh.

  • It is filled in within 7 days before arrival — earlier than that, the system will not accept the application.
  • It includes passport details, flight and address of stay.
  • The result is a QR code, which you show at passport control.

In theory you can fill it in right at the airport, but the internet there is unstable and the queue will not wait. Do it at home, a day or two before the flight.

Passport requirements

The passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry. This is checked both at flight check-in and at the border. Blank pages for the visa sticker are still needed, but a page for a stamp is no longer required — with the move to v-Pass no stamps are placed in the passport.

How long you can stay

A standard tourist visa gives 30 days of stay. A single extension is possible — apply to the immigration department. For long trips there is a separate E-category visa, but that is no longer a tourist scenario.

Checklist before your flight

  • A passport valid for 6+ months with a blank page for the visa sticker.
  • A completed e-Arrival card (the QR code on your phone and a printout).
  • An e-Visa in PDF or $30 in cash in new notes + a 3.5×4.5 cm photo.
  • A return ticket.
  • A booking of accommodation for at least the first nights.
  • Do not expect a passport stamp at the border — since July 2025 an electronic v-Pass is issued instead, which arrives by email and is available in the app.

About cash: dollars in Cambodia are effectively a second currency and are used for payment everywhere. But only new notes without tears are accepted — worn ones may be refused both at an exchange booth and at the border.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better — on arrival or an e-Visa?

In terms of money, the visa on arrival ($30 versus $37). In terms of nerves, the e-Visa: no photos, cash or conversations at the border needed. If you are flying into Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, the difference is small. If you are entering overland, take the e-Visa if your crossing accepts it.

Is it true that Cambodia no longer stamps passports?

Yes, the electronic v-Pass system has been in operation since July 1, 2025 — instead of a stamp, the tourist receives digital confirmation of entry by email and in the arrival.gov.kh app. The visa itself is issued as before.

How many days do you need for Angkor?

Comfortably 2–3 days. In one day you can realistically see Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm, but in a rush and in the heat. A three-day pass is better value than a single one and is valid for a week — you can alternate temples and rest.

Do I need insurance?

Formally no. Practically yes: the level of medical care outside Phnom Penh is low, and in serious cases patients are evacuated to Bangkok. That is paid for by the insurance, not by you.

Do I need vaccinations?

None are mandatory for entry. Doctors usually recommend considering prevention of hepatitis A and typhoid, and, for trips to rural areas, protection from mosquitoes. Make the decision with a doctor, not on the basis of an article on the internet.

Do Russian cards work?

No. Bring cash dollars. Details on prices and exchange are in the article money in Cambodia.

What’s next

The visa is a formality, but Angkor is worth planning properly. Look at the ready-made routes in Cambodia, figure out the seasons and the heat and take a look at practical safety.

Sources

The visa cost and the arrival card requirements may change. Before your trip, check the official portal arrival.gov.kh and the website of the Cambodian embassy.