Cambodia fully opens for tourists
2Dear Friends and Partners,
We are pleased to share our handy 'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQ) document about Travel to Cambodia during the endemic phase of COVID-19. Please read through the document to discover how easy it is to enter Cambodia at this time. We have also included a list of PCR and Rapid Antigen Fit-to-Fly testing centres in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Battambang.
Cambodia was the first country in Southeast Asia to fully reopen to international tourism on 15 November 2021. Forget sandboxes and test-to-release schemes like in Thailand, Cambodia decided open means open and has been the easiest country to enter in the region for three months and counting.
Cambodia is moving on from the pandemic thanks to a high vaccination rate that has protected the country against hospitalisation and deaths from the milder Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The Nikkei recently placed Cambodia second in the world in its respected COVID recovery index. This is an incredible achievement for this small country with a big heart and is testament to how the government has handled the pandemic. The country successfully kept the virus at bay in the first phase of the pandemic, moved early and fast to secure a sustainable supply of vaccinations, rolled out the vaccinations faster than most countries in Asia, only implemented a lockdown for three weeks during the pandemic and the reward is that the country is now fully open both domestically and internationally.
Don't delay, start selling Cambodia today, the only FULLY OPEN country in Southeast Asia without any quarantine or restrictions.
FAQs on Travel to Cambodia during the Endemic Phase of COVID-19
As of today, 17 March 2022, Cambodia has removed all COVID-19 testing requirements for travel. This means no more PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival and no more Rapid Antigen test on arrival.
If you have not been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, you are required to be in 14-day quarantine at a location set by the Ministry of Health or authority.
Cambodia is among the Top 20 most vaccinated nations in the world. Most people have already had their third booster dose, frontline workers have had their fourth dose, and children aged 5 to 17 have already been fully vaccinated. Safe Hosts + Safe Visitors = Safe Travel
VISA
Visa-on-Arrival is now available for all international travelers, both air, land, and waterway travelers. Therefore, you do not need to apply for the e-visa online or via a Cambodian Embassy. It is a total reset to the pre-pandemic position and Cambodia remains the most visitor friendly country in Southeast Asia.
Traveling around Cambodia
Life is very much back to normal in Cambodia. There is no lockdown, no curfew and no restrictions on where visitors can travel. All establishments are open including bars and nightclubs. The main rules in Cambodia during COVID-19 can be summarised as the 3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts as promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO):
3 Dos
• Wear a mask
• Wash hands regularly
• Maintain physical distancing of 1.5m
3 Don’ts
• Avoid confined and enclosed spaces
• Avoid crowded spaces
• Avoid touching each other
It is still a legal requirement to wear a face mask outdoors in Cambodia, but in practice, it is not really enforced in the provinces. The main location where face masks are still worn outdoors is in the capital Phnom Penh.
Besides, you are encouraged to do the rapid test yourself although the requirements are removed.
Departure from Cambodia
Check whether you need a Fit-to-Fly PCR test or Rapid Antigen/Lateral Flow test for your country of transit or your home country or final destination. You do NOT need a PCR test to leave Cambodia, but it may be required by airline, transit country or country of residence.
PCR Testing Labs for Fit-to-Fly Certificate
There are testing labs in several cities around Cambodia at this time, including three testing labs in Phnom Penh, 1 lab in Siem Reap, 1 lab in Sihanoukville and 1 lab in Battambang. In practice, it is easiest to work with the labs in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, so we recommend making Phnom Penh or Siem Reap your final destination as long as a ‘Fit-to-Fly’ certificate is required.
In Phnom Penh, we use Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC) and Intercare. Plan on 24 hours for results but both can do same day if testing early enough in the morning. In all other locations, it takes 24 hours to receive the results. The cost of the test ranges from US$80 to US$130.
The airline check-in counter staff will ask to see your ‘Fit-to-Fly’ certificate if you are transiting or arriving in a country that requires this.
The Handspan Travel Indochina Team looks forward to welcoming you back to Cambodia, the most open and visitor-friendly country in Southeast Asia right now. No quarantine, no test-to-release, no sandboxes, no travel restrictions, no lockdown, no curfews. Open means open and Cambodia is FULLY OPEN.
Updated March 24th, 2022