Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Cambodian Tourist Visa
Applying for a Cambodian tourist visa is simple. However, small mistakes can delay your trip or even get you denied at the border. So, all tourists need to become aware of the potential mistakes that arise during the process and stay away from repeating them.
Are you an international traveler planning to visit Cambodia for tourist purposes? Then, you must know that just applying for a tourist visa does not guarantee that you will get entry into the country. This might sound shocking to someone applying for a visa from the UK or the US, but the possibilities of this are always there.
Your application can easily get rejected if you end up making any Cambodia visa mistakes, the effects of which are huge. This is why individuals need to understand the potential mistakes they can make when applying for a tourist visa. This eliminates issues and ensures you have a successful trip.
Choosing the Wrong Type of Visa
Cambodia offers different types of visas, and this is what sometimes confuses tourists. The biggest misconception that leads one to pick the wrong type of visa is that eVisa, Visa on Arrival, and Embassy Visa are all the same.
The function of the visas might be the same, but they are all applied in different ways. While a Cambodia eVisa online is applied for online, an embassy visa requires you to visit the embassy or consulate for the process. And lastly, a visa on arrival is applied for after reaching Cambodia.
Most people fail to understand this and even end up using an eVisa at a non-designated border crossing. You must understand that you can only use an eVisa at airports like Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville. Other than that, it is also accepted at the land border crossing with Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.
Other than this, you should also make sure you are choosing a visa that matches your travel purpose. Many individuals end up making the Cambodia visa mistake of applying for a business or NGO visa instead of a tourist visa. So, you must understand the visa categories before applying.
Uploading Incorrect or Poor-Quality Passport Photos
Your photograph plays an important role when applying for a visa. However, many applicants fail to meet the simple requirements set by the authority regarding the photograph. They use photographs that are cropped selfies, blurry or dark photos, and even ones with the wrong dimensions.
Well, Cambodia eVisa online and embassy applications often reject low-quality uploads, delaying or rejecting the entire process. So, it will be best if you use a professional digital photo or government ID photo service.
Using an Invalid or Expiring Passport
A valid passport plays the most important role during the visa application process. And without this, an individual won’t be able to apply for the visa in the first place. The rule that decides if a passport is valid or not is that the passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the entry date. Moreover, it should also have two 2 blank pages.
However, many tourists fail to understand this rule, and they end up using an invalid passport. This is why you must always renew your passport if it’s due to expire within 6 months. Other than that, you must also check if there are blank pages and get a new passport if your visa lacks it.
Failing to Understand the Application Method
One of the biggest mistakes that applicants of the Cambodian tourist visa make is messing up the application process. Before you proceed with anything, you need to understand the correct steps of this process.
Nowadays, most people opt for the online visa. So we will focus on the application steps for the Cambodia eVisa online.
- Visit our online portal for a Cambodian tourist visa application.
- Fill out the application form with information related to you and your visit purpose, which in this case is tourism.
- Add scanned copies of necessary documents like a valid passport, recent passport-sized photograph, bank statements, inward and outward flight tickets, travel itinerary, proof of accommodation, and other documents demanded by the authority.
- Pay the fee using a debit or credit card for the Cambodia evisa online application.
- Wait for 24 to 72 days to get the visa application approved.
- Get an approval letter for the visa on the email ID that you provided during the application.
- Print copies of the letter and bring them with you for immigration.
- Contact the Helpdesk if you face any delay.
Applying at the Wrong Time
eVisa typically takes 1–3 business days to process. However, delays can easily occur. On the other hand, the timeline for an embassy visa can even take 10 days to get approved. So, applying for the visa too late might end up in a tricky situation.
Well, due to this issue, some people apply for the visa months in advance, completely forgetting that eVisas are valid for 3 months from issue. This is why applying too early also poses some issues.
So, it is best to apply for the visa 7–15 days before your departure date. This timeline is neither too far nor too early, creating a perfect gap before the trip.
Payment Errors during Online Application
Using a payment method with a low balance in your bank account will lead to your application being declined. Moreover, many people even end up using unsupported currencies to pay the application fee.
This is why it is best if you check the balance on your debit or credit card before applying. Moreover, you must also use a credit/debit card with international payments enabled to ease the process.
Filling out the Application Form Incorrectly
The application form holds an important place in the visa application process. However, many applicants end up making Cambodia visa mistakes like typos in their name, passport number, or travel dates. Other than that, some also end up using a nickname instead of a legal name.
The best way to avoid this issue is to properly read the form and carefully fill it out. You must also double-check all data before submitting; match the passport exactly.
Assuming Visa on Arrival is Always Safe
The option of a visa on arrival might seem convenient for tourists planning their trip last minute. However, you will be wrong if you think that this process is fool proof. This application process involves facing potential long lines at smaller border checkpoints. On top of that a lack of documents like an application form, proof of accommodation, and other things.
Some travelers also assume that a Visa on Arrival is available everywhere, but in reality, it is not. So, it will be best if you just get the Cambodia eVisa online to skip queues and ensure compatibility with your arrival point.
Forgetting to Apply for Children or Family Members
All travelers, including infants and minors, need individual visas. However, parents often forget to upload their child's passport details, thinking an infant might not require a separate visa. This creates issues last minute and can even result in stopping you from visiting Cambodia.
This is why all parents and guardians must apply for all family members separately. They must use the correct passport and photos to avoid issues.
Overlooking Restricted Activities under Tourist Visa
A tourist visa is only designed to offer you the right to explore Cambodia and the different landmarks that it has. However, many tourists fail to understand this and engage in different types of activities, which leads to a violation of the rule.
A tourist visa doesn’t allow volunteering, paid work, filming without a permit, attending meetings, or conferences. So, you must apply for the correct visa type, like business, media, or NGO, for special activities.
Confident in correctly applying for a Cambodian tourist visa?
Making Cambodia visa mistakes can be common among first-timers. However, avoiding these small mistakes means the difference between a smooth entry into Cambodia and a stressful delay. So, understand the requirements, double-check your application, and plan your timeline right.
However, if you still end up facing difficulty, then you must contact the Helpdesk.
Check Eligibility for Cambodia e-Visa and apply for Cambodia e-Visa 5 days prior to your scheduled flight to Cambodia. Czech citizens, Spanish citizens, Argentine citizens and Croatian citizens are eligible to apply online for Cambodia e-Visa.