Phnom Penh Airport and City Info

A visa is required to enter the country. You can have a visa issued in 1 to 2 business days by applying to the embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Japan. You can also have an e-visa issued on the Internet. You can also have one issued at Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville airport or at a land border, but it is better to get one in advance. You can stay for 30 days with a regular tourist visa (single visa).

To enter Cambodia, your passport must be valid for at least six months from the planned date of entry into the country.

• Visa, passport, and other information is subject to change without notice. Be sure to check with the Embassy, Consulate, or travel agency.

When visiting from Japan, it is prohibited to bring the following items into Cambodia.

• a. Plants, plant fragments, forest products, or processed forest products
• b. Plants that may bring in disease
• c. Wooden boxes or packaging, woodchips
• d. Soil, plant roots, or soil with plant roots attached
• e. Organisms or meat that may have or may cause disease

There are no special restrictions for travelers bringing it in for personal use.

The scope of tax exemptions for bringing goods into Cambodia is up to 200 cigarettes and 3 bottles of alcohol and foreign capital of up to the equivalent of USD10,000.

Cambodia is 2 hours behind Japan. When it is noon in Japan it is 10:00 in Cambodia. Daylight saving time is not observed.

Cambodia generally uses PAL, but secondhand equipment is often imported from overseas, so many TVs and video players are compatible with multiple systems including NTSC that is used in Japan and the US and SECAM. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get video players as VCDs and DVDs become more commonplace.

VCDs were most common up until several years ago, but now DVDs are mainstream. Note that there are many illegal copies in distribution. Do not forget to check the region code when making your purchase. The region code is 2 in Japan and 3 in Cambodia, so you can only watch DVDs in Japan that are labeled “All code”. Note that even regular DVDs with an official government seal are often actually copies and some products have region codes for the US or other countries.

Though post office business hours differ slightly for each post office, they are usually open from 7:00 to 18:00 and many are open on Sundays too.

Airmail to Japan costs 3000 R from Siem Reap and 2000 R from Phnom Penh for a postcard, and 2700 R up to 20 g, 4800 R up to 50 g, 8200 R up to 100 g, and 15900 R up to 200 g for sealed letters. Small packages are about 7.5 USD up to 0.5 kg and 15 USD up to 1 kg by air.

1. 001 (International telephone identification number)*1
2. 81 (Country Code, Japan )
3. ×× (Remove the first 0 for area codes)*2
4. 1234-5678 (Other parties telephone number)

1. International Telephone Company No.
   • 001 (KDDI)*1
   • 0033 (NTT Communications)*1
   • 0061 (SoftBank Telecom)*1
   • 005345 (au Mobile)*2
   • 009130 (NTT DoCoMo Mobile)*3
   • 0046 (SoftBank Mobile)*4
2. 010 (International Identification No.)
3. 855 (Country Code, Cambodia)
4. ×× (Area code, remove first 0)
5. 123-456 (Other parties telephone number)

• * For the three cell phone carriers, hold down 0 until + appears, then add the country code and the phone number your wish to dial.

Holidays with dates that vary by year are marked with an *1 .
The dates for the 2020 holidays below are based on the official government calendar, but please note that the dates may differ from those shown.

• January 1: International New Year's
• January 7: Victory over Genocide Day
• March 8: International Women's Day
• April 13 to 16: Khmer New Year*1
• May 1: Labor Day
• May 3: Royal Ploughing Ceremony*1
• May 14: King Sihamoni's Birthday
• May 6: Visak Bochea (Buddha's Day)*1
• May 10: *Royal Ploughing Ceremony
• June 18: Queen Mother's Birthday
• September 24: Constitution Day
• September 16 to 18: Pchum Ben Festival (Ancestor's Day)*1
• October 15: King Father's Commemoration Day
• October 29: King Sihamoni's Coronation Day
• November 9: Independence Day
• November 30 to December 1: Water Festival*1

The official language is Khmer (Also called Cambodian). English and French are often understood in travel-related places. Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese are also understood in many places.

Below are guidelines for general business hours, which differ by shop or restaurant.

Mon. to Fri. 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00. Closed on Sat., Sun., and holidays.

Mon. to Fri. 8:00 to 16:00. Closed on Sat., Sun., and holidays (many banks are open on Saturday mornings).

8:00 to 18:00 (shops for travelers stay open until 21:00).

Usually from 10:00 to 22:00, but some places open at 6:00 and close at 24:00. In addition, some restaurants close for 2 to 3 hours between lunchtime and dinnertime.

Tobacco and alcohol is restricted to persons 18 years old and older in Cambodia. A driver's license is required for driving cars or 49 cc or higher motorcycles (same for foreigners). Helmets and rear-view mirrors are mandatory when driving motorcycles. Cambodia is a member of the Vienna Convention; according to international law, you can drive in Cambodia with an international driver's license without the need to switch to a Cambodian driver's license. However, many general police officers do not know about international driver's licenses, and you may be fined if subject to an inspection. Motorcycle accidents by foreign tourists are very common, and great caution is a must when driving.

Avoid topics related to politics or war. When visiting a temple, do not wear shorts or short skirts, and remove your footwear when entering the temple hall. Always show respect for the Buddhist monks. Women are not allowed to touch monks or hand them objects directly. As there are thought to be spirits above everyone's heads, you should avoid touching someone else's head or patting the children on the head."