lost passport and visa
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Hi guys,
I have a small visa problem and I was wondering if someone can help me here.
So let me explain with my bad english (I'm french):
I live here in Phnom Penh, and I lost my passport and the business visa on it.
I have now my NEW passport, but of course, I have to pay a NEW visa business.
The immigration told me that I have to buy first and exit visa (50$) and I'm ok with that, before buying a new business visa, but the important thing is that I MUST GO OUT OF THE COUNTRY !
I asked if I can just go the the airport you know, just put the stamp on the exit visa and buy a new business visa, but they told me I have to take a plane and get out of the country, OR, I can also take a bus to the border (that's 6h bus, one night out, and 6h return back the next day, just for a new visa!).
So, I know some of you guys can solve problems, I have the copy of my lost passport, the copy of the visa inside, my new passort (with my adress in Phnom Penh inside!) and I just want to buy the 30days business visa and then the 1 year multi entry as usual with all the costs necessary without losing a day or two getting out of the country.
If you have an idea, please be free to PM me !
Thanks for your time !
Most travel agents should be able to help you with this...as should your embassy.
If you have copies of the current visa and the passport as well as a report that your passport was lost, in my opinion, you should NOT have to leave the country.
Another option would be to go to the Cambodian ministry of foreign affairs and take your documents to them to see what the "real ruling" on this is.
I have added this here instead of a PM as others may also find this information helpful in the future.
My Embassy told me I will have to leave the country a few minutes.
Lucky Lucky told me I will have to leave the country a few minutes, with an exit visa.
The immigration and visa office in front of the airport told me I will have to leave the country a few minutes, with the exit visa I must first buy.
The copy of the lost visa will only be used to calculate if I have to pay penalties or not (if my visa was still valid or finished).
Isn't that crazy?
In the five years I have been in Cambodia I have lost one passport and had another stolen and this is common procedure. You can talk to Foreign Affairs or Interior all you want, but the policy is that way. You have to go to the airport Immigration office (across the street from the airport), pay a 40USD fine and leave the country to get a new visa. I have flown to Bangkok and back on the same flight (as it sits for about 40 minutes in Bangkok) and therefore took me about 2.5 hours to complete the whole thing! You have just enough time to get through and have your passport stamped in Thailand and get back on the plane!
Or better yet, relax a day in Bangkok! Can also rent a car and drive to Vietnam border in about 3 hours and back all in the same day - make a journey out of it, but it is the law here! Wish I could be more helpful!
Interesting.
Does the same law apply when your old passport expires and you get a new one? Typically you keep your old passport (with the visa), so perhaps it's different?
No, if you renew your passport (because expired or all pages full) you just keep the old one with the valid visa inside. You attach the 2 passports together and there is no problem.
Officers are sometimes confused because they don't know which passport number (old one or new one) they should register but that's all.
The law saying you have to leave the country to renew your visa is annoying but unfortunately not particular to Cambodia.
The same apply if you want to change the type of your visa (eg from tourist to business) you have to cross the border and come back.
Good trip to Colin
I can also take a bus to the border (that's 6h bus, one night out, and 6h return back the next day, just for a new visa!).
!
Go to the Vietnamese border near kep. 3 hours.
Spend 10 minutes in Vietnam.10 minutes.
Return to Phnom Penh. 3 hours
6 hours and 10 minutes 1
THE KID
If you have copies of the current visa and the passport as well as a report that your passport was lost, in my opinion, you should NOT have to leave the country.
I stand corrected. I thought that this simple task would not involve leaving the country.
I had a same problem once, and I asked a hotel owner, who's my friend and he told that the easiest and cheapest way to do it, is go outside the country and come back. He made some phone calls and said that one month visa is gonna cost me something around 120 usd, so I took a ride in Bangkok had a couple funny days there and came back. But it was unofficial offer, otherwise u will spend with the paperwork atleast a one month, and that would have happened in one day.