Dealings with the embassy Round #2: VISAS

As the amount of time between arriving in England from Dubai and setting off again for Asia is relatively short I didn't have much of an option when it came to applying for my visa.

I did try ringing the embassy again to ask which they thought was the best option for me but they were engaged -perhaps another poor soul put 'on hold'?

Nonetheless for Cambodian visas (if you're a tourist), you have four options.

1. Get it upon arrival:

By doing this you are avoiding hassle this side, at least you know your visa will be legit and you can go straight through. The queues? Well you'll be queuing anyway, visa or no visa. The only issue I have is from what I remember of Abu Dhabi was the visa upon arrival queue was a lot longer due to immigrant workers and the long wait was painful after a six hour plane journey. Also there are rumours of people being ripped off and asked to pay a greater fee than necessary. According the the Embassy the cost of a VoA is US$20, with an additional charge if you don't have your own passport-sized photos.

    2.  In person from the Embassy:

Takes 5 working days and the cost is £15 (about the same cost as a VoA). My only gripe is that it requires two trips into London, something I can't afford to do, but if you can then this option seems to be the sensible one.

    3.  By post:

I seriously considered this option. You post your passport to the Embassy with cash or a cheque enclosed as well as a self-addressed envelope. The processing time is 12 working days, which had I done it, was probably do-able but had anything gone wrong with the postal system then I'd be stuck without a passport. Which is why I stuck to option four:

    4. e-Visa:

It was a risk. There have been mixed reviews and some horror stories online about the use of e-visas, but when my brother and his class recently got into Cambodia with them I figured they couldn't be too bad. The cost is slightly higher at US$25 and the application page was by no means secure, but the procedure was straight forward - fill in your details, attach a passport photo, pay online and submit. It says on the website that it takes three working days but I had it in my inbox the next morning. Despite the questionable security of the application page I had several confirmation emails and receipts, so I was happy. Everything looks to be legit, so hopefully I'll get into the country. I'll do an update on how it goes.

All the visas have a stay duration of 30 days and are only valid for a single entry.

Information on visas: http://www.cambodianembassy.org.uk/index.php?menu=5
E-visa: http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/evisa/