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Vietnam/Cambodia Visa question--need help!


zumbalover
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We are Canadians going on Viking's Magnificent Mekong cruise tour next March and need to get visa's for both Vietnam (double entry) and Cambodia (single entry). Both visas need to be obtained before we leave Canada and must be paper visas, e-visas are not acceptable. Vietnam's seems straight forward on their website and doesn't require us to send our passports to the embassy.

 

However, for the Cambodian visa, we are required to mail our passports in, in order to get our visa. The problem is that my husband travels for work and can't be without his passport for more than a week or two at most. I contacted Genvisa (Viking's suggestion) and their 'rush' turnaround is 30 business days! There is no Cambodian Embassy in Canada so our passports and applications get sent to the embassy in Washington, DC.

 

Does anyone have any experience with getting the Cambodian visa quickly or suggestions as to how we might go about getting it within a week or two? Is there another visa service company that people have used that might be able to rush order? I understand that we can't apply for the visa until 90 days ahead of our travel dates. Any help is appreciated!

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Hello fellow west coaster,

 

We are also going on the Mekong River cruise next year but in April & on Emerald. We're going to be on the Mekong Navigator. As you may or may not be aware, you can get your visa for Vietnam from the consulate in Vancouver. $100 Canadian with a 3 day turn around. As for Cambodia, we get get their visa upon arrival.

 

Enjoy.

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Hello fellow west coaster,

 

We are also going on the Mekong River cruise next year but in April & on Emerald. We're going to be on the Mekong Navigator. As you may or may not be aware, you can get your visa for Vietnam from the consulate in Vancouver. $100 Canadian with a 3 day turn around. As for Cambodia, we get get their visa upon arrival.

 

Enjoy.

 

Thanks, I didn't know that we could get the Vietnam visa in Vancouver. Thanks for that! As for Cambodia, because of how/where we enter and exit Cambodia, we have to have the paper visa ahead of time, according to Viking. So, if you hear of any way of getting the Cambodian visa quickly, let me know!

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The Vietnamese consulate is located at 800 - 605 Robson Street. Their hours are M - F, from 9 - 11 & 2 - 4. $100 Canadian cash is for the single entry visa. You can pay by cc, but they'll charge you 3% to of set their cc charge. You can print out the visa application form from their website.

 

As for Cambodia, we will be sailing there & will be met by their officials upon arrival. Thought that was the norm. This is what we did when we sailed into Vietnam on Azamara a few years ago. Aren't you folks sailing from Vietnam to Cambodia?

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Thanks, I didn't know that we could get the Vietnam visa in Vancouver. Thanks for that! As for Cambodia, because of how/where we enter and exit Cambodia, we have to have the paper visa ahead of time, according to Viking. So, if you hear of any way of getting the Cambodian visa quickly, let me know!

 

Which direction are you traveling?

 

Viking always ask for a paper visa for Cambodia, but it is only actually necessary if you are on the northbound itinerary as you enter Cambodia on the river.

 

It is still worth having on the southbound route as it speeds up the arrival process considerably as the Viking group will bypass the normal immigration queue and go straight to baggage claim, but you can still get a visa on arrival if you are flying in from Hanoi.

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Which direction are you traveling?

 

Viking always ask for a paper visa for Cambodia, but it is only actually necessary if you are on the northbound itinerary as you enter Cambodia on the river.

 

It is still worth having on the southbound route as it speeds up the arrival process considerably as the Viking group will bypass the normal immigration queue and go straight to baggage claim, but you can still get a visa on arrival if you are flying in from Hanoi.

 

We are going southbound and fly from Hanoi to Siem Reap. So, it is possible to get the visa on arrival flying from Hanoi? That might solve our problem if we aren't able to get one quickly otherwise. I would still prefer to have everything settled before we go, but it's nice to know there is an option. Thanks.

 

Another question--does anyone know if any additional vaccinations (other than the usual DPT and hepatitis) are required for Vietnam and Cambodia, or if antimalarials need to be taken?

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Another question--does anyone know if any additional vaccinations (other than the usual DPT and hepatitis) are required for Vietnam and Cambodia, or if antimalarials need to be taken?

 

You should really consult your own Physician for the best advice with relation to your specific needs, but in terms of official requirements, last time I looked there was nothing required, nor was there any significant risk from malaria in the areas you will travel through on this trip.

 

If you are lucky enough to have 'Bob' as one of your guides you'll find he is a veritable medicinal cornucopia, but I'd still suggest taking all the usual travel meds with you as familiar brands will not be readily available on this trip.

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We are going southbound and fly from Hanoi to Siem Reap. So, it is possible to get the visa on arrival flying from Hanoi? That might solve our problem if we aren't able to get one quickly otherwise. I would still prefer to have everything settled before we go, but it's nice to know there is an option. Thanks.

 

You'll find when you arrive in Vietnam, the Viking Guides will check to see what Visas everyone has so they can be prepared to help where needed.

 

The biggest concern they had was making sure everyone had multiple entry visas for Vietnam as that one is not so easy to fix, similarly when you leave Hanoi you need to be careful to make sure the exit process at the airport does not simply cancel your visa as you will need it again to re-enter, the Guides will talk about this just before the flight.

 

When you get to Cambodia the Viking group will all head to the left in the arrival hall and bypass immigration completely, there will be a line on the right for visa on arrival purchase.

 

It is a little inconvenient if you need to get the visa there as the rest of the group will probably be on their way to the hotel by the time you get through. The guides will not abandon you obviously, but you may find yourself spending a couple of dollars for transport.

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Another question--does anyone know if any additional vaccinations (other than the usual DPT and hepatitis) are required for Vietnam and Cambodia, or if antimalarials need to be taken?

I have my travel medical consultation next week, just to make sure what is suggested. They look at your own health information, your itinerary, and make recommendations specifically for you. I think that it is a worthwhile expense.

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We are going southbound and fly from Hanoi to Siem Reap. So, it is possible to get the visa on arrival flying from Hanoi?...
I got a visa on arrival at Siem Reap airport in November 2016. I was not traveling with Viking. I was actually through before all the luggage had arrived, but I wouldn't count on that. Although Cambodia has it's own currency, the most commonly used currency is the US $. When I was there the VoA was US$30, and I think it was US cash only.

 

Thom

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  • 2 months later...

My husband (US citizen) and I (German citizen) are going on the Viking Mekong Cruise in February 2018 and I have already obtained our Vietnam multiple entry visas. I am contemplating getting the Cambodia eVisa but am curious after reading another traveler's statement that eVisa is not permitted. According to the eVisa website entry is permissible at Siem Reap with eVisa. Can anyone clarify this? Thanks.

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My husband (US citizen) and I (German citizen) are going on the Viking Mekong Cruise in February 2018 and I have already obtained our Vietnam multiple entry visas. I am contemplating getting the Cambodia eVisa but am curious after reading another traveler's statement that eVisa is not permitted. According to the eVisa website entry is permissible at Siem Reap with eVisa. Can anyone clarify this? Thanks.
I flew from Hanoi to Siem Reap. We were 24 on the Ama pre-cruise and we gave US$30 and a picture to our tour manager and he picked up the visas for us. It was simple.

 

Sent from my SM-N910C using Forums mobile app

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My husband (US citizen) and I (German citizen) are going on the Viking Mekong Cruise in February 2018 and I have already obtained our Vietnam multiple entry visas. I am contemplating getting the Cambodia eVisa but am curious after reading another traveler's statement that eVisa is not permitted. According to the eVisa website entry is permissible at Siem Reap with eVisa. Can anyone clarify this? Thanks.
I am a US citizen who flew into Siem Reap Nov 2016. I obtained a Cambodian visa WITHOUT any eVisa with minimal difficulty at the Siem Reap airport - required the form given you on the arriving airplane, US$30 (as of Nov 2016, not sure if other currencies are accepted - in tourist transactions US currency is more common than Cambodian currency) and a photo. I can NOT make any claim for German citizens, but I expect no worse for Germans as usually US citizens get the short end of the shaft because we (the US Govt - not me personally) give many people an extremely hard time getting a US visa. As I understand it, it is entirely different entering Cambodia by boat on the Mekong, but I have not gone in that direction, so I leave it for others with experience to comment further.
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