Cambodia VoA vs eVisa: Which Route Is Actually Faster for Australians in 2026?
VoA wins on lead time (apply at the airport, no advance prep). eVisa wins on airport throughput (5-15 minutes at the KTI eVisa lane vs 30-90 minutes at the VoA hall during peak hours) and on total Aussie-dollar cost once the cash-USD exercise is honest. Here is the head-to-head, with worked examples for four Aussie scenarios.
Cambodia VoA or eVisa — which is actually faster for Australians in 2026?
It depends on what you mean by faster. VoA is faster on lead time: you can apply at the airport with zero advance prep, so it suits a last-minute Aussie trip inside the 3-business-day eVisa window. The eVisa is faster on airport throughput — the eVisa lane at KTI runs 5-15 minutes against a 30-90 minute VoA hall during the 3pm-6pm peak — and on total Aussie-dollar cost once the cash-USD exchange margin and lost time are honest. For most Aussies booking more than three business days ahead, the eVisa is the faster route on every metric except lead time. The Cambodia eVisa is Approved in 3 business days, Delivered as a printable PDF by email, with Aussie-timezone support if anything needs fixing.
Key Takeaways
- VoA wins on lead time only: you can apply at the airport with no advance prep, which suits last-minute Aussie trips inside the 3-business-day eVisa window.
- eVisa wins on airport throughput: the eVisa lane at KTI runs 5-15 minutes against a 30-90 minute VoA hall during the 3pm-6pm peak.
- eVisa wins on total Aussie-dollar cost once you add the cash-USD exchange margin, ATM fees and the lost time. $80 USD (~$122 AUD) all-in vs roughly $46 AUD govt fee plus airport overhead.
- VoA is sticker-and-cash-USD dependent at the booth; the eVisa is Delivered as a printable PDF by email before you fly.
- If your flight is more than 3 business days away and lands during a peak window, the eVisa is the faster route on every metric except lead time.
Why this question matters in 2026
The honest answer to 'which is faster' has two halves, and most comparison guides flatten them into one. Lead time and airport throughput are different metrics, and the route that wins one usually loses the other. VoA is the fastest path to a visa if you are deciding twelve hours before your flight. The eVisa is the fastest path through Immigration once you land. For a typical Australian booking a Cambodia trip with a few weeks of notice, the second metric matters more — but the first matters in genuine last-minute scenarios, and this guide treats both seriously.
Two things changed the picture in 2025-2026. KTI (Techo International, Phnom Penh) replaced the old PNH on 9 September 2025, consolidating the entire Phnom Penh inbound load into a single new terminal. And all seven Thailand-Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025, pushing more Aussies into the air route through KTI rather than overland from Bangkok. Both shifts lengthen the VoA queue at peak hours and make the eVisa lane materially more attractive.
If you are still picking between the two on a single dimension, the head-to-head comparison covers eligibility and the broader trade-offs, the airport-by-airport reliability guide covers VoA queue patterns, and the eVisa types guide explains which class of eVisa you actually need for your trip. See our full Cambodia eVisa for Australian travellers for the end-to-end walkthrough.
Lead time: VoA wins, by definition
VoA has one structural advantage that the eVisa cannot match: you can apply at the airport. There is no advance form to fill, no photo upload to retry, no email to wait on. You land, walk to the booth, hand over a passport plus $30 USD (~$46 AUD) in clean cash and a passport-style photo, and you walk out with a sticker. The whole exercise inside the booth takes about ten minutes once you reach the officer.
The eVisa runs on a 3-business-day processing window. If your flight is in four business days, the eVisa is straightforward. If your flight is tomorrow morning, you are not getting an eVisa in time. The Friday-night booking pattern catches Aussies most often: a Friday-evening booking for a Monday flight lands inside the 3-business-day window, but the application clock does not start until Monday morning Cambodia time, by which point you have already landed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the eVisa faster than VoA at Cambodian airports?
Through Immigration, yes — by a clear margin. The eVisa lane runs 5-15 minutes total at KTI, SAI and KOS, even during the KTI 3pm-6pm peak. The VoA hall runs 30-90 minutes at peak. The Cambodia eVisa is Approved in 3 business days, Delivered as a printable PDF by email, with Aussie-timezone support if anything needs fixing.
Is the VoA faster than the eVisa overall?
Only on lead time. You can apply for VoA at the airport with zero advance prep, which the eVisa cannot match for last-minute trips inside the 3-business-day processing window. On airport throughput, total cost and certainty before you fly, the eVisa wins.
What is the lead time for a Cambodia eVisa from Australia?
Three business days. The Cambodia eVisa is Approved in 3 business days and Delivered as a printable PDF by email. Friday submissions effectively become Wednesday approvals because the weekend does not count. If your trip is inside that window, the VoA is your only realistic route.
How much does the eVisa cost vs VoA in AUD for Australians?
The eVisa Tourist is $80 USD (~$122 AUD) all-in. The VoA government fee is $30 USD (~$46 AUD) but the Aussie all-in once you add cash-USD exchange margin, ATM fees and photo top-up sits around $60-72 AUD plus the queue time. The eVisa cost gap is roughly $50-60 AUD per traveller on a clean run.
Can I apply for VoA at all three Cambodian international airports?
Yes. VoA is available at KTI (Techo International, Phnom Penh), SAI (Siem Reap-Angkor) and KOS (Sihanoukville). KTI replaced the old PNH airport on 9 September 2025. KOS has the smallest VoA window and a sticker-stockout risk on low-throughput days, so the eVisa is the safer route for direct KOS arrivals.
What is the worst time to land at KTI for the VoA queue?
Between 3pm and 6pm. Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Bangkok Airways and a handful of low-cost regional flights cluster in this window, and the VoA queue climbs to 60-90 minutes. The eVisa lane stays at 10-20 minutes during the same window because it runs against a smaller passenger pool.
Can I use VoA if my Cambodian eVisa is rejected?
In most rejection scenarios, yes — VoA is a backstop. The Cambodia eVisa comes with Free resubmission if Immigration flags a correction, so most issues are resolved before you fly. If a hard refusal still stands and your departure is imminent, VoA at KTI, SAI or KOS remains available to Australian passport holders.
Sources
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