The number of new daily coronavirus infections in Cambodia has not been this low since February. As a result, travellers with a tourist visa can once again travel to Cambodia.
Single digit number of coronavirus infections in Cambodia
Cambodia has reached a new milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. For the first time since February, the number of new daily infections has dropped to single digits. On 15 December, the government reported only 8 new coronavirus infections. In June, Cambodia was still reporting more than a thousand new infections a day. According to the government, the success of recent months is due to its vaccination campaign. The vaccination rate in Cambodia is one of the highest in the world: almost 85% of the population is fully vaccinated. This has enabled the government to implement large-scale relaxations, even regarding tourism. The Cambodia visa for tourists is now being issued again as of 15 November.
Low Covid-19 rates throughout Asia
It is not only Cambodia that reports very low coronavirus rates. The numbers of new infections of coronavirus and related deaths has been decreasing throughout Asia over the past two months. Whereas in September, the region was still reporting 200,000 new infections per day, by early December this was down to 43,000. Experts attribute this to the sharp rise in vaccination coverage in Southeast Asia. At the beginning of this year, many countries in this region suffered from a severe shortage of vaccines. Critics pointed out that the richer countries were buying up all the vaccines, which meant that there were far fewer vaccines available for the poorer countries. But now that these countries are also rapidly vaccinating their citizens, the effect is reflected in the Covid-19 figures. At the same time, new outbreaks are occurring in Europe.
Experts also believe that the fact that many Asian countries kept their borders closed for a long time is an important reason for the falling Covid-19 figures. India and Cambodia, for example, have only started issuing tourist visas again since November, and it is still not even possible to obtain a visa for Vietnam. By waiting until vaccination coverage was high enough, these countries have built up sufficient protection, preventing new large-scale outbreaks after the borders reopened.
First case of the Omicron variant in Cambodia
The good news about declining coronavirus rates coincides with the confirmation of the first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Cambodia. On 14 December, the Cambodian government reported that the new variant had been identified in a woman who had travelled back to Cambodia via Ghana and Dubai. Recently, the government decided to lift the travel ban on 10 African countries after enacting the ban due to the Omicron variant. The government said it was following WHO guidelines. According to the WHO, travel bans have little impact on the spread of coronavirus compared to other measures such as vaccinations.
Visas and Covid-19 Insurance
Cambodia imposes strict requirements on travellers wishing to enter the country. In addition to the mandatory Cambodia visa, one must also take a PCR test 72 hours before departure. This also applies to people who have been fully vaccinated. Travellers are also required to take out a special Covid-19 insurance. This insurance is separate from your own travel or health insurance, and can only be taken out through the Cambodian insurer Forte Insurance. Proof of insurance must be uploaded online when applying for the Cambodia visa.
The Cambodia visa is applied for online and is valid for 90 days from the moment it is granted. During this validity period, you may stay in Cambodia for a maximum of 30 consecutive days.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Cambodia is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Cambodia.