Cambodia's EG extension gives you one to three months to land a job, not a year
You fly in on a $35 E visa, job hunt on an EG, and move to an EB with a work permit once you're hired. Here's how the pieces fit and where the rules got stricter.
The EG isn't a visa you apply for from home. It's an extension you add inside Cambodia to the ordinary E visa, and it's built for exactly one thing: staying legal while you look for work. You can't work on it, and you shouldn't plan on renewing it.
The EG path in four numbers
$35
E visa, official fee
1-month stay, single entry
1 or 3 months
EG term, as reported since 2022
one time, not renewable in-country
$30-$90
EG price through agents
2026 quotes, varies by term
$10 a day
Overstay fine
plus $30 exit visa past 30 days
How it works
An E visa first, then the EG from inside Cambodia
Get the E visa, not the tourist (T) visa. The E is $35 online at evisa.gov.kh or on arrival, needs only a passport with six months left and a photo, and gives you one month. Don't count on turning a tourist visa into an E after you land.
Before that month ends, a visa agent or the immigration office in Pochentong, Phnom Penh, files your EG. Expect 7 to 10 business days, faster for an agent's express fee. Leave the country and the EG is gone.
Guides don't agree on how long the EG lasts
Agents and expats report that since October 2022 the EG comes in 1 or 3 months only, as a one-time extension that can't be renewed or converted to another type inside Cambodia. Some 2026 guides still list a 6-month EG or a renewal. Cambodia's immigration department doesn't publish EG terms online, so get the agent's plan for what comes after your EG in writing before you pay.
Your first 90 days
Before you fly
Buy the $35 E visa online (3 business days) and, if you're flying in, fill out the e-Arrival card within seven days of landing.
Week one
Make sure your landlord or hotel registers you in FPCS, the immigration address system. Without it, you may not be able to extend.
Before day 30
File the EG with passport, two blank pages, a photo, the form and your FPCS screenshot. Pick 1 or 3 months.
Once hired
Your employer handles the work permit, and you move to an EB. Ask how before you sign, since an EG may not convert in-country.
After the offer
Hired? The EB and a work permit are two separate papers
The visa lets you stay; the work permit lets you work. Once hired, you need an EB extension (1, 3, 6 or 12 months, with 6 and 12 multiple entry) plus a work permit and employment card from the Ministry of Labour, filed by your employer in its FWCMS system.
A permit runs through December 31 and is renewed each January to March. Guides put it at $100 to $300 a year, plus a $30 to $50 medical check. Missing years cost $70 each, and employers risk about $3,150 (KHR 12,600,000) per unpermitted worker.
If your EG can't be converted, ask about the EB route instead: some guides say an EB can be issued for 6 or 12 months before you have a permit, to give you time to find work. A permit is required from the second 6- or 12-month EB.
People who can help with the job hunt and the move
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Is it for you?
Who the EG route suits, and who should skip it
Good fit
You want to teach English or work in a school, NGO, hotel or tourism business and you're willing to job hunt in person. Schools hire year-round, a degree isn't legally required, and a 120-hour TEFL is the recommended minimum. Private schools pay about $800 to $1,500 a month and international schools $1,500 to $4,500. Our data puts a comfortable month for one person at about $1,000.
Skip it
If you'll keep working for U.S. clients, the EG doesn't cover you: it doesn't allow any work, and Cambodia has no visa built for remote workers. Retirees 55 and up have the ER extension instead.
Money to bring
Plan on $1,000 to $1,500 in start-up costs beyond flights and a TEFL, since schools usually don't pay your airfare.
Taxes
Once employed, Cambodian residents pay a monthly salary tax of 0 to 20 percent; non-residents pay a flat 20 percent on Cambodian-source pay. You still file a U.S. return on worldwide income, and the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion can shelter much of a local salary if you're abroad 330 full days in 12 months.
Cambodia EG extension: common questions
Can I work in Cambodia on an EG extension?
No. The EG is a job-seeker extension, and it doesn't allow any work, paid or remote. To work legally you need an EB extension plus a work permit and employment card from the Ministry of Labour, which your employer applies for.
What happens if I overstay in Cambodia?
The U.S. State Department says overstays cost $10 a day. Under 30 days, you pay at departure. Over 30 days, you also pay $30 for an exit visa processed at the Phnom Penh visa office, which takes 2 to 3 working days, and you risk arrest and deportation.
How long does Cambodia's EG extension last?
Since October 2022, agents and expats report that the EG comes in 1 or 3 months, as a one-time extension that can't be renewed inside Cambodia. Some guides still list a 6-month option. The immigration department doesn't publish EG terms online, so confirm the current terms with your agent before you pay.
Do I need a college degree to teach English in Cambodia?
Not legally. Cambodia is one of the few places in Asia where you can teach English without a degree, though many private schools prefer one. A 120-hour TEFL certificate is the recommended minimum.
How much does the EG extension cost?
Agent prices quoted in 2026 guides run roughly $30 to $55 for one month and $60 to $90 for three. The government doesn't publish its extension fees online, so prices vary by agent and by how fast you need it.
Can I switch from an EG to an EB without leaving Cambodia?
Don't count on it. Since late 2022, expats and agents report that an EG can't be converted to another extension type in-country. Ask your employer or agent how they'll get you onto an EB before you file an EG, and get the plan in writing.
Do I still file U.S. taxes if I work in Cambodia?
Yes. U.S. citizens are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live. If you're abroad at least 330 full days in any 12 months, or a bona fide resident abroad for a full tax year, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion can shelter much of a Cambodian salary.
Do I need a job offer to get Cambodia's E visa?
No. The official e-visa site lists only a passport with more than six months of validity and a recent photo. The E visa costs $35, takes 3 business days online, and allows a 1-month stay.
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