A vibrant country in Southeast Asia, Cambodia spans an area of 181,035 square kilometers. Right from its impressive mountains, like the Krâvanh Mountains and Dâmrei Mountains, to its plains, picturesque lakes like the Tonle Sap, and stunning biosphere reserves, Cambodia is renowned for its charming natural landscapes.
In addition to this, the country has an emerging economy, marked by developing tourism, healthcare and educational infrastructure, employment opportunities, and a booming real estate market. In this article, we will take you through the Cambodia Citizenship by Investment Program, the pros and cons of the Cambodian Citizenship Program, the application process, the associated costs, and more.
Cambodia Citizenship by Investment Program – An Overview
Cambodia’s Citizenship by Investment Program, also known as Khmer Citizenship, is one of the most promising investment programs for foreign investors worldwide. The program is designed to boost the country’s economy by ensuring an inflow of money and creating more jobs. The Cambodian government is willing to grant citizenship to foreign investors in return for a donation of around US$ 244,000 to the Kingdom of Cambodia or an investment of a minimum of US$ 305,000 in a government project approved by the Cambodian Development Council (CDC).
If you are an applicant for the Cambodia Citizenship by Investment Program, then you have to submit all required documents and pass a test that evaluates your knowledge of Cambodian history. The application process is pretty simple. The principal applicant needs to go through a due diligence process, stringent screening, and various rounds of review to obtain citizenship and enjoy the rights and benefits that come with it.
How is the Cambodian citizenship program different?
The Cambodian Citizenship Program is very different from other countries that offer citizenship through investment programs. For instance, the service fee for this program varies from person to person. There have been cases where investors have claimed that the service fee to obtain a Cambodian passport was around $40,000. Some people have also reported that the donation amount was $60,000.
How to obtain Cambodian citizenship?
Thinking about how to get Cambodian Citizenship? To get Khmer nationality, you must have connections with the King of Cambodia. The King has the power to grant citizenship to his preferred candidates, who then can get a letter of authorization from the Cambodian Development Council to invest in Cambodia.
You need first to be a Cambodian national to be able to apply for a Cambodian passport. If you are a foreign national with no family ties to Cambodia, the Cambodia Investment Immigration Program will be best suited for you.
To obtain a Cambodian Passport, you need the following documentation:
- You need to provide your Cambodian National ID Card
- Family Book – A yellow book in Cambodia identifying all family members in Cambodia and their relationship with each other. To have a family book, naturalized citizens in Cambodia need to submit the following documents:
-Residence Book
-Certified copy of children’s birth certificate (if applicable)
-Certified marriage certificate (if applicable)
– Cambodian national ID card
If you want to obtain the Residence Book that is needed to acquire the Family Book, you need to submit the following documents:
-Certified copy of children’s birth certificate (if applicable)
-Certified marriage certificate (if applicable)
-Cambodian national ID card
Application Process
To get your Cambodian passport application processed, you will need to visit Cambodia. At first, your application will be processed by the municipal headquarters. Once completed, candidates must submit their application to the Ministry of Interior Passport Office in Phnom Penh and pay the fee.
Application Cost and Processing Time
The processing time of your Cambodian passport depends on the payment of fees. Here is a break up of the same.
- $135 for 45-55 days
- $185 for up to 25 days
- $290 for up to 14 days
- $380 for up to 3 days
- $480 for one business day
Why obtain Cambodia citizenship?
Property ownership rights – Like many other Asian countries, only Cambodian citizens (Khmer Nationals) can own land in Cambodia. International citizens living in Cambodia can only enjoy 49% ownership in the country. Foreigners can purchase an apartment or a condominium in the country only if it is not on the ground floor.
Job opportunities – Companies in Cambodia have an employee limit of 10 percent foreigners. Cambodian passport holders have no restrictions in terms of job opportunities.
Access to Southeast Asia – With a Cambodian passport, you can travel to all places under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) without a visa.
Politically stable – The country has a low crime rate and internal disputes. Cambodia also has friendly relations with other neighboring nations.
Visa-Free Travel with the Cambodian Passport
Although the Cambodian passport doesn’t provide visa-free access to many popular travel destinations in the world, it does provide visa-free travel to several ASEAN countries.
Here is a list of countries where you can travel visa-free/ or obtain a visa on arrival with a Cambodian passport.
- Angola -pre-visa on arrival
- Armenia – eVisa/120 days
- Bangladesh -visa on arrival/30 days
- Bolivia -visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days
- Burundi-visa on arrival/30 days
- Cape Verde -visa on arrival (EASE)
- Comoros – visa on arrival/45 days
- Congo (Dem. Rep.) – eVisa/90 days
- Cote d’Ivoire – (Ivory Coast) – pre-enrollment/90 days
- Cuba -tourist card/30 days
- Djibouti -eVisa
- Egypt -visa on arrival/30 days
- Ethiopia -eVisa/90 days
- Gabon -eVisa/90 days
- Guinea – eVisa/90 days
- India -eVisa/30 days
- Iran – eVisa/30 days
- Kenya – eVisa/90 days
- Kuwait – visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days
- Lesotho – eVisa/14 days
- Macao – visa on arrival/30 days
- Madagascar – visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days
- Malawi – visa on arrival / eVisa/30 days
- Maldives – visa on arrival/30 days
- Marshall Islands – visa on arrival/90 days
- Mauritania – visa on arrival
- Mauritius – visa on arrival/60 days
- Mozambique – visa on arrival / eVisa/30 days
- Namibia – visa on arrival/90 days
- Nepal – visa on arrival/150 days
- Nicaragua – visa on arrival/30 days
- Nigeria – pre-visa on arrival
- Palau – visa on arrival/30 days
- Rwanda – visa on arrival / eVisa/30 days
- Saint Lucia – visa on arrival/42 days
- Samoa -visa on arrival/90 days
- Seychelles – tourist registration/90 days
- Sierra Leone – visa on arrival/30 days
- Somalia – visa on arrival/30 days
- South Sudan – eVisa
- Sri Lanka – eTA/30 days
- Taiwan – eTA/14 days
- Tanzania – visa on arrival / eVisa
- Timor-Leste – visa on arrival/30 days
- Togo -visa on arrival/15 days
- Tuvalu – visa on arrival/30 days
- Türkiye – eVisa/90 days
- Uganda – eVisa
- Uzbekistan – eVisa/30 days
- Zambia -visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days
Purchase Land in Cambodia with Cambodian Citizenship
One of the biggest benefits of Cambodian Citizenship is that you can buy land in Cambodia. With a Cambodian passport, you can purchase agricultural land and ground floor properties across the country directly or by making a business investment into a Cambodian company.
Cost of Cambodian Citizenship
To qualify for Cambodian citizenship, you need to meet either of the following investment requirements.
- A minimum investment of KHR 1.25 billion (around $305,000) in a government project approved by the Cambodian Development Council (CDC)
- A minimum investment of KHR 1.25 billion in a government project approved by the Royal Government of Cambodia
- A donation of KHR 1 billion to the Kingdom of Cambodia
Additional Fee Structure –
- A deposit of US$5,000
- US$25,000 before you submit your application
- US$40,000 after your application is approved by the government of Cambodia
- US$15,000 after your passport is approved and ready to collect
- You will also need to pay US$ 5,000 as fees for dependents, your spouse, and children under the age of 18.
Better Citizenship Programs
If you are looking to obtain a second citizenship, Cambodia can be a good option if you think it meets all your requirements. To learn more about the Citizenship by Investment Programs offered by other countries, you can read this article: Citizenship by Investment Countries List & Guide 2023.
To find the best Citizenship by Investment program as per your needs and requirements, you can contact us. Our expert team at Global Citizen Solutions can work closely with you to help you navigate your second passport journey.
As per our Global Passport Index, which provides an overview of how powerful your passport is in terms of investment, travel mobility, and quality of living, Cambodia ranks 151st in terms of mobility, quality of life, and investment.
