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How to Get Your India Visa in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

What’s the process? How easy is it?

When we started looking up how to apply for our Indian Visa in Phnom Penh, many travel forums spoke of large difficulties in processing. Having to resubmit paperwork due to small errors or pay for the embassy staff to make the changes. Uncertainty on whether you can can apply for the full 6 month visa rather than being penalised with only 3 months, or less. There was also confusion on how long issuing the visa will take.

We did not experience any of these issues at all. I’m not saying that these people’s accounts weren’t accurate, but all we can tell you is what we did, to get our visas approved. And we got a full 6 months even though our departure flights from India were less than 3 months after our application date.

NOTE: The visa is valid from the date of issue, NOT the date of entry.

Note: A Tourist Visa-on-Arrival is available for people from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar and Laos (lucky bastards). The visa-on-arrival is currently only for 30 days though.

India Visa – Preparation

  1. Head to the Indian Embassy website to apply for your online portion of the visa. Information submitted here must be accurate, if not this can make your application process more difficult. It is required that you have an address and phone number of the hotel/hostel you are staying in when you first arrive in India. So this may have to be booked in advance, or at least reserved and the cancelled after you get your visa.
    NOTE: Regardless of your intended stay in India, you must select “6 Months” as the duration.

  2. Once the online application is complete a passport photo of 2 inches by 2 inches (white background) must be uploaded digitally. You will also need a printed version to attach to your printed application.

  3. Book your appointment online. The embassy is open from 9am – 11am Monday to Friday. Take note of any local (Cambodian) or Indian public holidays as they will be closed, possibly even for a few days. You can only book an appointment 4 days in advance and they normally accept about 8 appointments per day. It’s not busy though.

  4. You can phone the embassy to confirm the current fee so you bring the right change.  Tel No.: 855-23-212652. They have lunch break from 12 til 2.30pm.
    As of March 2013 UK passport US$146 (6 month), Australian passport US$57 (6 month)

  5. Print out your application and supporting documents.

India Visa Supporting Documents

There seems to be mixed ideas on which documents are needed and the embassy is only clear on the “essential” documents and not which additional supporting docs you may need. Some are essential, some are recommended. All of the following we chose to include.

Essential

  • Your Passport (still with at least 6 month validity)
  • Photocopy of Passport details page
  • Photocopy of valid Cambodian visa
  • 1 Passport photo (2×2 inch, white background)
  • Visa fee, correct change (details to follow)
  • Printed and signed online application form

Recommended

We included all of the following, though other reports have said that the info you write on the form is adequate without additional supporting documents. If you are applying for something other than a tourist visa, you may need other docs, like an invitation letter.

  • Hotel booking for first night or more in India
  • Flight confirmation for arrival
  • Flight Confirmation for departure

Most reports indicate that you don’t need the flight confirmations. If you do have them it doesn’t hurt. Our process was very smooth.

India Visa Phnom Penh – Appointment Day

Indian Embassy Phnom Penh’s address:

House N0 5, Street 466.

India embassy

Most tuk-tuk drivers will know where it is. As there are a few embassies in close proximity. Ask your driver to point out which gate you need to go into. If you arrive prior to 9am you will have to wait outside until the guard lets you in.

As they only accept about 8 appointments per day there is no need to get up crazy early and stand in line for hours, hoping you make it to the front before the embassy closes for the day – Although we were first in line and Tom got given a number before a guy with an earlier appointment time.

The Embassy is a classic colonial building and surprisingly peaceful compared to most embassies we’ve been to. You sit on a comfy sofa with air con blasting until your number is called.

As the embassy runs on “Cambodian time” even though you are designated an appointment time when you apply online, don’t expect to be seen at that time. It all depends on which number you get when you sign in

Make sure you have the correct change! When I was finally called I walked around to the side of the house where there is a small window and an office (so strange). As I was the first person of the day the guy had no change for my $100 note. He was very polite about it all and waited while I ran around the streets of Phnom Penh frantically looking for a bank, luckily there is one about 500m down the street.

So if you don’t particularly want to be running around like a lunatic in 30 degree heat, then bring correct change.

It’s also important to realise that the country you come from can change the visa fees. I, as an Australian citizen paid $57 USD where as Tom a UK citizen had to pay $146 USD – quite a difference. It’s best to call the embassy and confirm your fees prior to your appointment Tel No.: 855-23-212652. As always make sure you have 6 months or more validity on your passport and remember that all monies paid are non refundable.

You will be given a receipt for your payment and told to come back at 4pm on your specific day of pickup.

India Visa – Pickup

The processing time for our visa was is 3 business days, NOT including the day you apply. We applied on the friday and got our passports back on Wednesday afternoon (then took the night bus to Bangkok… Thats another story!)

India Visa

Once again remember to look at the embassy website, or call them to make sure there are no holidays that can hold up your processing time. We have also (not at this embassy) encountered delays due to computer malfunctions etc. so give yourself some leeway in your travel plans if you can.

The gates will open just prior to 4pm where you enter the grounds and can sit on the wooden seats provided by the processing window. As there usually are no more than 8 people collecting their passports, most people will form an orderly line and wait to have their passports returned.

Sign for your passport…..and you’re on your way.

Easy As That!

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Remember that Indian visas begin from the day you pick them up from the embassy, so you may need to factor this into your travel schedule.

Be precise, read and fill in your application correctly and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Good Luck, and enjoy your trip to India!

Phnom Penh Indian Embassy Information

House N0 5, Street 466
Embassy of India, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel No.: 855-23-212652
Fax No.: 855-23-210914

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Did you find this information useful?
Have you applied for an Indian Visa in Phnom Penh?
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