55 Yaş Üzeri Amerikalılar İçin Kamboçya Emeklilik Vizesi (ER): Vize Türü Yolu

Why there is no "retirement visa" to apply for in 2026

This guide walks the full route end to end — why the Business eVisa is the correct front door, how the ER conversion works, the 6 and 12-month extension lengths, the rough costs, and where retirees actually settle. If you are weighing the visa classes themselves first, our explainer on which Cambodia visa you need points you to the right class in under a minute, and the Cambodia Business eVisa (Type-E) deep dive covers the entry visa this whole path depends on. For the umbrella reference on cost, documents, and processing, see the Cambodia visa for United States citizens hub.

What the ER extension actually is

The ER extension is one of several extension types that sit on top of the Business eVisa once you are inside Cambodia. The Business eVisa (Type-E) is the only Cambodia visa that can be extended in-country, and the extension comes in several flavors depending on your situation — EB for employment and business, EG for job-seeking, ES for students, and ER for retirement. Our full breakdown of the Cambodia ordinary (E-class) visa family walks through each of those extension tracks side by side. The ER is the one Americans over 55 use to settle.

That layering is why the application order matters so much. You cannot apply for the ER from the United States, because the ER is not an entry visa — it is an extension of a visa you already hold inside the country. You apply for the Business eVisa online before you fly, enter Cambodia, and then a Cambodian immigration agent converts it to ER. If you want to see how the same machinery handles the employment side, the EB visa extension explainer covers the parallel path for Americans who are working rather than retired.

The two-step path: Business eVisa, then ER conversion

Step one — enter on the Business eVisa (Type-E)

Step two — convert to ER in-country through an agent

ER lengths, renewals, and rough costs

Renewal is the quiet strength of the ER route. There is no cap on how many times you can renew a 12-month ER, and renewals are lodged the same way — through your agent, before the current extension expires. An American who lands at 60 and settles in Kampot can run rolling 12-month ER extensions straight through their seventies without ever applying for a separate residency status. Our general guide to Cambodia visa extension costs for Americans lays out how the extension fee structure works across all the extension classes, including ER.

Who qualifies, and what to prepare

• US passport — at least 6 months validity from your planned date of arrival, with at least one full blank page for the entry stamp. For a long-stay retirement, renew early if you are anywhere near the 6-month line.
• Digital passport-style photo — plain white background, taken in the last 6 months, no glasses, no hats, no smile. JPEG, under 2 MB. Used for the Business eVisa application.
• Clear scan of your passport bio page — both edges visible, no glare, all text legible.
• Working email address — the Business eVisa approval PDF lands here, so use an inbox that accepts PDF attachments.
• Payment method — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay for the $90 USD Business eVisa.
• A Cambodian immigration agent lined up for the ER conversion — your agent will tell you if any supporting documents are needed locally for the ER stamp itself.

Where Americans retire, and the practical picture

• Kampot — the riverside favorite. A slow, walkable colonial town with a strong Western retiree community, cafes along the Praek Tuek Chhu river, and an easy run to the coast. The classic American-retiree-in-Cambodia postcard.
• Kep — Kampot's quieter coastal neighbor, known for crab markets, sea-facing villas, and a tiny but loyal expat-retiree set. Popular with Americans who want the coast without the crowds.
• Siem Reap — for retirees who want culture, Angkor on the doorstep, a big international dining scene, and an established expat infrastructure of clinics, agents, and clubs.
• Phnom Penh — the capital, for retirees who want the best hospitals, US Embassy access, direct international flights through Techo International, and a full-service city. The practical choice if healthcare access is a priority.
• Sihanoukville (Kampong Som) — coastal, in flux, and cheaper, though most retirees now prefer Kep or Kampot for a calmer pace.

Arrival is identical to any Business eVisa entry. Open airports for US arrivals are KTI (Phnom Penh — the new Techo International Airport, which replaced the old PNH on 9 September 2025), SAI (Siem Reap-Angkor), and KOS (Sihanoukville). All seven Thailand-Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025, so an overland arrival from Bangkok is not an option in 2026 — fly in. State Department guidance publishes current entry and local-conditions information for Cambodia that is worth a five-minute read before a long-stay move, and the US Embassy in Phnom Penh is the place American retirees register and renew passports once settled.

Next steps and related reading for US citizens: apply for your Cambodia Business eVisa when you are ready to start the retirement path, read the full Business eVisa (Type-E) deep dive that this route depends on, see the EB extension explainer if your stay involves work rather than retirement, and check the student visa guide if a younger family member is joining you to study. When in doubt, the which Cambodia visa decision guide points you to the right class.