Things to Know Before Traveling to Cambodia: A First-Timer's Checklist for Americans

1. The visa and entry rules changed — here is the 2026 version

Every American needs a visa to enter Cambodia, and for a normal vacation that means the Tourist eVisa: $80 USD all-in, approved in 3 business days, valid for 3 months from the date it is issued, and good for a 30-day single-entry stay that starts when you land. If you are traveling for work or meetings, the Business eVisa is $90 USD on the same 3-business-day timeline. There is no rush tier, so the safe move is to apply a couple of weeks out and let the clock run with a buffer day.

Two recent changes matter for first-timers. The tourist auto-extension ended in November 2025, so the 30-day stay is now a hard ceiling — plan your dates inside it rather than counting on stretching them in-country. And the seven Thailand-Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025, which means the old backpacker move of bussing in from Bangkok is off the table; you fly into Cambodia. If your itinerary touches Thailand, treat the two countries as separate flights, not a land hop.

Do not confuse the eVisa with the e-Arrival Card

These are two different things, and missing the second one is the most common first-timer stumble in 2026. The eVisa is your permission to enter the country. The e-Arrival Card is a short digital declaration — 14 fields covering your flight, where you are staying, and a customs-style section — that every air arrival must submit within 7 days before landing. It is $5 USD verified through us. You cannot file it months ahead; it opens a week out, so set a reminder for the days before you fly and do it then.

If you want the visa walked through field by field before you start, our step-by-step on the Cambodia eVisa application for Americans shows exactly what each screen asks for and where people slow down. Get the eVisa lodged first, then put the e-Arrival on your calendar for the week of departure.

2. Cambodia runs on US dollars — your money, literally

This is the single most pleasant surprise for American first-timers: Cambodia is effectively a dual-currency economy where the US dollar does most of the heavy lifting. Hotels, restaurants, tours, taxis, and most shops quote prices in USD and happily take your American cash. The local currency, the riel, mostly functions as small change — when something costs a few dollars and change, you often get the change back in riel rather than coins, because there are no US coins in circulation here.

A few practical rules save you grief. Bring clean, undamaged bills: Cambodian businesses routinely refuse torn, heavily worn, or marked dollars, so pull crisp notes from your bank before you leave. Carry a mix of small denominations — ones, fives, tens — because breaking a fifty for a tuk-tuk ride is a hassle. ATMs are widespread in cities and dispense US dollars, but they charge a per-withdrawal fee on top of whatever your home bank adds, so withdraw in larger chunks and use a card with no foreign-transaction fee where you can.

You do not need to source riel before you fly — you will accumulate it as change and can use it up on small purchases. The full mechanics of dollars, riel, ATMs, and avoiding bad bills are worth a read in our guide to using US dollars and riel in Cambodia, which covers exactly what to carry and how to dodge the common fee traps.

3. Safety: friendlier than the headlines, with real-world caveats

Cambodia is a safe and genuinely welcoming destination for US tourists. Violent crime against travelers is rare, and the overwhelming majority of first trips pass without any incident worse than a sunburn. The caution to carry is the same big-city street sense you would use anywhere: petty theft and bag-snatching happen, especially in busy parts of Phnom Penh, so keep your phone and bag on the inside of the sidewalk, do not leave valuables visible in a tuk-tuk, and use the hotel safe for your passport and the bulk of your cash.

The risks that actually send travelers home early are not crime — they are traffic and heat. Cambodian roads are chaotic by US standards, traffic moves in every direction at once, and crossing the street takes a leap of faith; walk deliberately and predictably and let drivers flow around you. Heat and dehydration are the other quiet hazard: it is hot year-round, the temples offer little shade, and overdoing a midday climb at Angkor is a classic first-timer mistake. Start early, drink constantly, and respect the sun.

A common scam to know is the friendly tuk-tuk driver who quotes one price and changes it at the end — agree the fare clearly before you get in, or use a ride-hailing app where the price is fixed. For the fuller rundown of what is and is not worth worrying about, our honest take on whether Cambodia is safe for American tourists goes area by area and risk by risk.

4. Health and vaccines: nothing required, a few recommended

No vaccine is required to enter Cambodia from the US for a standard tourist trip — there is no proof-of-vaccination checkpoint at the airport for American travelers. What the CDC does recommend is a different question. The standard advice is to be up to date on your routine shots and to consider a handful of travel vaccines such as hepatitis A and typhoid, which are tied to food and water, and to talk to a travel clinic about whether others fit your itinerary, especially if you are heading into rural areas.

The everyday health stuff matters more than exotic diseases for most first-timers. Drink bottled or filtered water rather than tap, be sensible about street food early in the trip while your stomach adjusts, and pack a small kit: rehydration salts, an anti-diarrheal, sunscreen, insect repellent with DEET for dusk, and any prescriptions in their original packaging with enough supply for the whole trip. Mosquito-borne illness exists, so repellent and long sleeves at dawn and dusk are simple, effective precautions.

See a travel clinic four to six weeks before you fly if you can — some vaccines need time to take effect, and a clinic can tailor advice to your exact route. Our guide to Cambodia vaccinations and travel health for Americans lays out what the CDC suggests, what is genuinely worth getting, and how far ahead to plan.

5. What to pack and the temple dress code that is actually enforced

Pack light, pack for heat, and pack one modest outfit. The climate does most of the work for you: breathable, light-colored clothing, a hat, sunglasses, and good walking shoes or sandals you can climb temple steps in will carry you through most days. A small daypack, a refillable water bottle, and a portable charger round out the kit. Leave the heavy stuff at home — laundry is cheap and fast, and you will buy a scarf or two locally anyway.

The one rule first-timers underestimate is the temple dress code, and at Angkor it is genuinely enforced. To enter the main temples you must have your shoulders and knees covered — no tank tops, no short shorts, no see-through fabric. This applies to everyone regardless of the heat, and guards do turn people away at the upper levels of Angkor Wat for bare shoulders or knees. The easy fix is a light long-sleeve shirt or a scarf you can throw on, and longer shorts or pants that hit below the knee. A lightweight scarf doubles as sun cover and an instant cover-up.

You do not need much, and you can buy almost anything you forget once you arrive. For a complete list tuned to the climate and the temple rules, our Cambodia packing list and temple dress code guide spells out exactly what to bring and what to wear where.

6. Arrival, the new airport, and getting around

The Phnom Penh airport changed in late 2025, and a lot of older guides still get this wrong. The new gateway is KTI — Techo International Airport — which replaced the old Phnom Penh airport (PNH) on September 9, 2025. It is larger, farther from the city center, and the transfer into town takes longer than the old airport did, so budget extra time and pre-arrange a hotel pickup or use a ride-hailing app rather than negotiating at the curb after a long flight. Siem Reap and Sihanouk also have their own airports if Angkor or the coast is your first stop.

At the airport, have two things ready: your eVisa printed (a paper copy saves hassle even though it is digital) and your e-Arrival Card already submitted within the 7-day window. Travelers who skipped the e-Arrival Card are the ones pulled aside to fill it in at the desk while everyone else walks through. Getting around once you are in the country is easy and cheap — tuk-tuks for short hops, ride-hailing apps in the cities for fixed prices, and domestic flights or long-distance vans between Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and the coast.

With the paperwork sorted, the only real planning left is your route. If you want a ready-made shape for a first trip, our 10-day Cambodia itinerary for first-timers sequences Angkor, Phnom Penh, and the coast so the days flow and the travel time makes sense.

That is the whole first-timer checklist: visa, money, safety, health, packing, and arrival. Sort the visa today and the rest falls into place. When your dates are set, apply for your Cambodia eVisa — $80 USD Tourist or $90 USD Business, approved in 3 business days, delivered as a printable PDF by email, with free resubmission if Immigration flags a correction and US-timezone support if you get stuck — then set your e-Arrival reminder for the week before you fly.