Cambodia's student visa: a $35 entry visa, then an extension you get in-country
The ES itself is affordable. The harder questions are how you'll pay for school, since no Cambodian school takes FAFSA, and the fact that you can't work while you hold it.
This page is for Americans enrolling at a registered Cambodian school, from a full degree at a Phnom Penh university to a year of Khmer classes, and for parents bringing school-age kids. You'll pay for it from savings, family help, or a U.S. school's study-abroad aid, not Cambodian financial aid.
Student Visa (ES)
For students enrolled in registered Cambodian schools. Initial stay 1 month, extendable based on study duration.
- Government cost
- $35
- Processing time
- ~3 days
- Timeline
- 1 month from entry, extendable according to study period
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Key requirements
- Passport valid for at least 6 months at entry
- Admission letter or supporting documents from a Cambodian educational institution
How it works
Two steps: enter on the E visa, then extend as a student
There's no separate student visa to apply for from home. You arrive on the ordinary Visa E, which costs $35 on Cambodia's official eVisa site, is single entry, and gives you a one-month stay. Get the E, not the $30 tourist visa: guides flag easy tourist-to-E conversions as a common trap.
Once you're in Cambodia, apply for the ES extension with a letter from your registered school and proof you can support yourself. ES is one of four E extensions, alongside EB (work), EG (job seeking) and ER (retirement).
Timing
The eVisa takes three business days. Guides report ES extensions take 3 to 10 business days, up to 15 for a 12-month one, and longer around Khmer holidays.
What the ES costs
$35
Visa E to enter
Official eVisa fee, 2026
$85
3-month ES extension
School-reported, 2026
$175
6-month ES extension
School-reported, 2026
$295
12-month ES extension
School-reported, 2026
Paying for school
No Cambodian school is on the FAFSA list
We checked the U.S. Department of Education's list of foreign schools in the federal loan program: no school in Cambodia appears. Enroll directly and you're paying without federal loans.
The workaround is a study-abroad program run through a U.S. college that takes federal aid. Your home school's aid office decides what applies, and aid may land after you fly, so budget for the ticket. Grad students: Grad PLUS is now limited to narrow exceptions.
What direct enrollment runs
The American University of Phnom Penh lists bachelor's tuition at $3,000 a semester, or $4,500 for its dual degree with Fort Hays State or the University of Arizona.
Four ways Americans study in Cambodia
A full degree in Phnom Penh
AUPP teaches in English, charges a $35 application fee, and offers dual degrees with two U.S. universities. You'll hold an ES for the whole program.
A year of Khmer
The Royal University of Phnom Penh's Khmer for Foreigners center runs 1.5 hours each weekday, at $800 a year or $200 per level. Confirm with the school that it issues the letter immigration wants.
A U.S.-run semester in Siem Reap
The School for Field Studies lists a 15-week spring semester for $24,550 including room and board, with 18 credits and a Pell Grant match.
A funded summer of Khmer
The Center for Khmer Studies has run an eight-week program in Phnom Penh that covers tuition for accepted U.S. applicants. You pay travel, housing, food and your visa.
Here's the catch: no paycheck on an ES
Students can't work on an ES. Working in Cambodia takes an EB extension plus a separate work permit, and guides report enforcement has tightened. Cambodia also has no dedicated nomad visa, so if your plan is to study a little and work remotely a lot, talk to someone before you commit to this route.
Living on an ES
The small rules that cause the big problems
Register your address
Your landlord or hotel registers you in Cambodia's FPCS system. Skip it and your extension can stall.
Leaving mid-course
Guides report 6- and 12-month extensions are multiple entry. For short ones, check before booking a trip out.
Overstays
The U.S. State Department says it's $10 a day, plus a $30 exit visa past 30 days, and it can mean arrest or a ban.
Healthcare
Most hospitals there reject U.S. insurance, and Medicare doesn't apply. Buy international coverage with medical evacuation.
Get your health coverage sorted before you fly
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
Hunter Schultz is a healthcare coach who helps Americans work out how they'll get care and what coverage they need once they move abroad.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
ExpatInsure is a global health insurance partner that helps people living overseas compare international plans.
Cambodia student visa questions
Can I use FAFSA or federal student loans at a Cambodian university?
No Cambodian school appears on the U.S. Department of Education's list of foreign schools in the federal loan program. You can still use federal aid through a study-abroad program run by a participating U.S. college; ask that college's aid office what applies.
Can I work in Cambodia on a student visa?
No. Students can't work on an ES extension. Working in Cambodia requires an EB extension plus a separate work permit from the Ministry of Labour.
What happens if I overstay a Cambodian visa?
The U.S. State Department says overstays cost $10 a day. Past 30 days you also need a $30 exit visa from the visa office in Phnom Penh, and overstays can lead to arrest, deportation or a future entry ban.
Can my child get a Cambodian student visa without being enrolled in school?
Yes, according to expat guides: children up to 17 can hold an ES extension without proof of school enrollment. Confirm current practice with immigration or an agent before relying on it.
Can I enter Cambodia on a tourist visa and switch to a student visa?
Don't plan on it. Guides say to arrive on the $35 Visa E and extend it as a student, and they flag promises of easy tourist-to-E conversions as a common pitfall.
How much does a Cambodia student visa cost?
The Visa E you enter on costs $35 on the official eVisa site as of 2026. The ES extension is extra: one Cambodian university lists $85 for three months, $175 for six months and $295 for a year. Agents may charge more.
Do Americans need a student visa before flying to Cambodia?
No. Americans enter on Cambodia's ordinary Visa E, available online through the official eVisa site or on arrival, and then apply for the ES student extension inside Cambodia with a letter from a registered school.
How long can I stay in Cambodia on an ES?
ES extensions are issued for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months and can be renewed while your course continues, as long as your school keeps providing an enrollment letter.
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