Cambodia: The Arrival
Having recently travelled outside the Kingdom and then returned, for the first time in over two years, I wanted to share the straightforward process that awaits you
Over the holidays, I was fortunate enough to spend a very white (and very cold, anyone fancy -30C degree weather?) Christmas in Canada, thanks to quarantine-free entry to both the Great White North, and back in the Kingdom of Wonder. In fact, Cambodia can be considered a pioneer in the Southeast Asian region with its open-door policy (at least by today’s restrictive standards), requiring only a valid visa, negative PCR test, and a rapid test on arrival. With Thailand having put its Test & Go scheme back on the shelf for now (and maybe much longer), there’s no more reason to overlook visiting my country of abode. Even more so after you’ve read this easy guide to airport arrival.
Landing
This is the most straightforward part of your arrival journey. Having made sure you’ve filled out the three Cambodian government forms: Arrival Card, Health Declaration, and Customs Declaration (they are handed out on the plane, if not ask for them), you disembark with your hand luggage - check the seat pocket! - and then just follow the herds, ahem I mean fellow passengers, along the hallway and then down the stairs (or escalator) to the visa on arrival area, where they no longer give out visas on arrival.
Health Document Check
If you’ve hurried off the plane, like I did, you’ll be close to the front of this short and winding queue (Cambodians left, foreigners to the right), which leads to friendly staff wearing hazmat suits, who standby (well, sit by) ready to check your paperwork is all in order. Namely, this means your passport, which hopefully you’ve not left in the seat pocket, a printed copy of your PCR test (general tip, as this is Cambodia, print copies of everything), and a copy of your vaccination card - even if it’s Cambodian, as mine is. They then stamp the Health Declaration you filled out on the plane (remember that?), and send the documents via a scanner to the testing room at the end of the terminal.
Immigration
You’re now off to immigration, which is actually the quickest part of the whole arrival experience. After a quick document check at another counter (I was unsure why), pick a line - I usually walk to the furthest as I find the queue is shortest - hand over your passport and Arrival Card, smile nicely for the web camera on top of the desk, then wait for your passport to be stamped and returned. Congratulations, you are now officially in Cambodia! But wait, you’re not there yet… two more steps await ahead.
Luggage
Possibly feeling pleased with yourself, like I was, that you’d navigated the first steps easily, and ahead of most of the rest of the plane (mine was the late night KE689 from Seoul), you just need to get your luggage before proceeding to the final step of your journey. With flights slowly increasing, it’s quite likely you’ll be on the only one to arrive at that time, which means your bags should take no time to come through, right? Umm, no. For some reason, I was stood there for more than half an hour as people behind me in the previous queues cleared immigration, wandered over to the carousel, casually swooped up their suitcases, and waltzed on by. Eventually though my bag and boxes decided to make an appearance, and I headed towards the exit.
Rapid Test
I’ll be honest, this is possibly the most stressful part of your arrival. Joining the queue, you wait your turn in line, pushing your luggage around ever narrowing lanes, before handing over your stamped Health Declaration form and passport. You’re asked to verify your information is correct (remember the scanning before? This is where it’s sent), before being given a little labelled vial that’s going to hold your test. Yet more hazmat-adorned staff (like with much of Covid-related material - think hand sanitizer and masks - someone’s making a fortune supplying these things) then sit you down on a plastic chair, put a swab up your nose (I’ve had worse), and you move onto the last leg of your airport arrival journey, waiting for the - be negative, please! - test result.
Test Result
Joining a mass of your fellow travelers, it’s now a waiting game, as an official standing between you and freedom calls out names written on the test results being handed to them. Listen carefully as your name might not sound the way you think it does, but to be fair I’m not sure how good I’d do with calling out names from around the world I’d never seen before, especially if this is your job night after night, gazing out at a tired and anxious crowd of faces. While I was waiting, two foreign man were called up, then asked to sit separate from the group, which was concerning (they did rejoin us later, perhaps after a retest). Eventually though, after inching my way to the front, I heard those joyous words, “Ostenhimmer, Semon Nel”. I presented my passport, they gave me a yellow sticker (it’s unclear if there is any meaning to the color, I think not as a friend on a different night had a green sticker and was let through), the doors slide open and you’re in hot, topical, humid Phnom Penh. Well done, you have made it!
Transport
If you haven’t already arranged transport (there’s something nice about exiting an airport and seeing a sign with your name on), you have a few options. Take one of the official airport taxis (pricey but comfortable - just negotiate before you get in), or if you have phone reception and the app installed, order a Grab car. They usually loiter outside the airport, but after picking up your order will drive in and collect you.
And there you have it! I hope this guide helps a few weary travelers feel a little less anxious about what awaits them upon arrival in Phnom Penh, as well as draw attention to the fact that Cambodia is open for business. Safe travels, and perhaps see you here sometime!