Quick summary
Cambodia’s Visa on Arrival costs $30 USD in cash for a single-entry 30-day stay; the official e-Visa costs $36 USD total — a $30 fee plus $6 processing — applied for at evisa.gov.kh. Visa on Arrival booths take US dollars only, and 2026 visa guides report that notes with tears, ink marks, folds through the serial number or pre-2006 dates are refused.
That $6 gap is the price of not gambling on a banknote inspection with no card terminal and no exchange window behind it. Here is how the two routes compare, where each one works, and what to prepare before you fly.
A rejected banknote means no visa at Cambodia’s Visa on Arrival counter. There is no card terminal, no exchange window and no alternative way to pay the fee on the spot.
For an Australian traveler, the prices are close. The risks are not. One route leaves the decision to a cash inspection after landing; the other provides an approved document before departure. The small price gap buys a different way to arrive.
Cambodia now lists Visa on Arrival at airports and major land-border entry points, not airports only, as many older guides still say. That change matters to anyone who planned around the air-only rule: the counter is now an option beyond the three international airports.
e-Visa vs Visa on Arrival: 2026 costs
Both routes provide a single-entry tourist stay of up to 30 days. Visa on Arrival costs $30 USD, paid in cash at the booth. The official e-Visa costs $36 USD total.
That total consists of a $30 government fee plus $6 processing, bought online at evisa.gov.kh. According to the official portal, it is valid for a single entry within a 90-day window from the issue date. The Cambodia e-Visa cost for 2026 is fixed at that all-in figure.
The practical differences go beyond the price. Visa on Arrival needs a physical passport photo. The e-Visa needs a digital photo upload and is paid by card. Approval takes up to 3 working days.
For Australians, the gap is under A$10.
At the 2026 rate of roughly 1.52–1.55 Australian dollars to the US dollar, the counter fee is about A$46–47. The e-Visa is about A$55–56. The premium replaces a cash inspection with a card payment, and a decision after a long-haul flight with one made at home.
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Why pristine USD notes decide your VOA
The cash must be US dollars. Australian dollars are not accepted, and Khmer riel is refused for the visa fee. As of 2026, visa guides report that Cambodian Visa on Arrival booths at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville enforce note-quality rules: notes with visible damage, ink marks, folds through the serial number, or pre-2006 series dates are turned away.
Obtaining clean cash has its own cost. Bank cash collection runs about 2.5–3.5% over the spot rate; airport counters and currency desks run about 4–7%. On a $40 order, the difference is under A$3. That is small next to the cost of a refused note.
Cambodia is not alone in this. Laos applies a similar rule to its visa on arrival, where damaged US dollar notes are refused and travelers who arrive without clean cash pay more in another currency. Across mainland Southeast Asia, the condition of the note matters as much as the amount.
e-Arrival Card and where VOA/eVisa work
Cambodia’s e-Arrival Card has been mandatory for every air arrival since 1 September 2024, whatever visa the traveler holds. It replaces the paper arrival card for flights.
Visa on Arrival is available at KTI (Phnom Penh), SAI (Siem Reap) and KOS (Sihanoukville) airports, and at the land borders at Bavet (from Vietnam) and Tropaeng Kreal (from Laos). The e-Visa is accepted at the three airports and at selected land crossings, as Cambodia’s official tourism site sets out. Immigration may ask for proof of an onward or return ticket.
An approved visa does not settle the passport question.
The passport rule can catch travelers after approval. Cambodia counts six months from your arrival date, and airlines are usually the first to check at the desk, before immigration sees the document.
Thailand–Cambodia land crossings: what’s open
The overland route from Thailand is the exception to the land-border rule. The Aranyaprathet–Poipet crossing has been closed to civilian traffic since October 2025. Although a ceasefire was reached on 27 December 2025, the crossing remained closed in mid-2026.
Flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh or Siem Reap remain the reliable option for that leg.
That closure changes the visa plan for anyone expecting to collect a Visa on Arrival at Poipet. The alternatives are one of the three airports or an open land border. The Vietnam and Laos crossings have stayed open through 2026; the Cambodia–Thailand border has been the volatile one.
Trip-prep checklist for Australians
The week before departure is the preparation window for both the visa and the arrival card.
- Apply early for the official e-Visa at evisa.gov.kh, at least 3 working days before departure, and print two copies of the approval.
- Complete the e-Arrival Card 1–7 days before your flight and save the QR code to your phone.
- Source clean USD — $40–$50 in small, post-2006 notes — if you plan to use the Visa on Arrival, or as a buffer if you do not.
- Check your passport against the 6-month validity rule from your arrival date, not your booking date.
- Confirm your entry port against your approval letter and your flight itinerary before booking onward travel.
The practical advice in 2026 guides aimed at Australians also allows for ordering cash from an Australian bank. Clean notes provide a buffer above the fee, not just the amount needed to pay it.
How the $6 gap changes your trip
The useful distinction is not just cash versus card. It is the time available after landing, the route into Cambodia and the passport attached to the visa.
Traveller with a short connection. Visa on Arrival is processed at the counter in roughly 15 to 30 minutes depending on the queue, while the e-Visa sends you straight through with a document already approved. If your onward flight leaves soon after landing, that queue is the risk. Less suited: travellers with a long layover in Phnom Penh, for whom the counter queue costs nothing.
Overland crosser. Land borders used paper arrival cards as of mid-2026, so the e-Arrival Card requirement applies to air arrivals. Less suited: anyone whose plan depends on crossing from Thailand at Aranyaprathet.
Passport near expiry. The visa is tied to the passport number. Less suited: travellers who assume an approved e-Visa overrides the passport rule.
Before booking any overland leg, check the status of the specific crossing rather than the country-level rule. For a passport near expiry, renew before applying.
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Questions? Answers.
How much does Cambodia’s e-Visa cost in 2026?
The official e-Visa costs $36 USD in total: a $30 government fee plus $6 processing, paid online at evisa.gov.kh. It covers a single-entry stay of up to 30 days and must be used within a 90-day window from the issue date.
What condition must US dollar notes be in for Cambodia’s Visa on Arrival?
As of 2026, visa guides report that booths refuse notes with visible damage, ink marks, folds through the serial number, or pre-2006 series dates. Carry $40–$50 in clean, small, post-2006 notes so a single rejected bill does not leave you short of the $30 fee.
Do I need the e-Arrival Card if I already have an e-Visa?
Yes. The e-Arrival Card has been mandatory for air arrivals since 1 September 2024 and applies whatever visa you hold. Submit it 1–7 days before departure; land border arrivals still used paper arrival cards as of mid-2026.
Are home-country currencies accepted for the Visa on Arrival fee?
No. The $30 fee is payable in US dollars only. Australian dollars and Khmer riel are refused at the booth, and there is no card terminal or exchange window at the counter.
Can I enter Cambodia overland from Thailand in 2026?
Not at Aranyaprathet–Poipet, which has been closed to civilian traffic since October 2025 and remained closed in mid-2026 despite a ceasefire on 27 December 2025. Flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh or Siem Reap remain the reliable route.
What happens if my Visa on Arrival cash is rejected?
The visa is not issued at that counter. There is no card terminal, no exchange window and no alternative currency accepted, so the fee cannot be paid on the spot. That is the case for applying for the e-Visa before departure.
