Welcome to the website of the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) in Cambodia. General information on Australian visas and citizenship can be located on the Home Affairs website.
This website contains supplementary and country information specific to applicants residing in Cambodia.
The Australian Embassy in Cambodia has become aware of recent scam emails and phone calls from someone claiming to be an official of Home Affairs and requesting money to progress a visa application or guarantee a visa outcome. No one can influence the outcome of a visa application or the visa decision-making process. You are required to meet all the visa requirements and only authorised officers from Home Affairs can issue you with a visa. For information on how to protect yourself including how to report a suspected visa fraud, go to Visa Scams.
To avoid being scammed, you can check the Register of Migration Agents on the OMARA website, to receive the protections of an OMARA registered Migration Agent. There are Australian registered migration agents working all around the world. These agents are subject to the same Code of Conduct, professional development and regulations as registered migration agents based in Australia. More information about Australia’s efforts to ensure the integrity of the migration advice profession is available at: https://www.mara.gov.au/
Visas and Immigration
Visa applications
Visa applications lodged by people residing in Cambodia are processed by the Department of Home Affairs.
You should lodge your application online through ImmiAccount. You can also use ImmiAccount to make a payment, update your details or circumstances, upload supporting documents and track progress of your application.
Visa applications in Cambodia are required to provide their biometric identifiers (digital facial image and fingerprint scan). You will be notified of this requirement when you lodge your visa application in ImmiAccount.
To find your nearest Australian Biometrics Collection Centre, please visit Offices outside Australia.
You may be required to undertake a health check as part of your visa application, depending on your personal circumstances, your location, the type of visa you are applying for and how long you plan to stay in Australia, and what you plan to do in Australia. If you are required to undertake a health examination you will be notified when you lodge your application. For more information on the health requirement please visit Health.
IMPORTANT:
You should apply for your visa well in advance of your intended travel date.
Ensure all supporting documents required with your application are attached at lodgement of your application.
Include English translations of supporting documents.
Identity documents
All visa applications must be supported by identity documents for each applicant. For Cambodian citizens, please ensure that you provide a copy of your:
- Current passport (photo/biodata page)
- Birth certificate in Khmer and English translation
- Family book in Khmer and English translation
- Residence book in Khmer and English translation
- National ID card in Khmer and English translation
- Marriage certificate and/or divorce certificate and English translation
Please check the current Global visa processing times and ensure you leave sufficient time for processing of your application. We recommend that you do not finalise your travel arrangements until you have a valid visa to travel to Australia. We will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by travellers whose visa application was finalised later than expected, or where an application is not successful.
English translations should be endorsed by the translator with their full name, address, telephone number and details of their translation qualifications. Please also ensure you include a copy of the original document. Failure to provide an English translation of supporting documents may delay processing and result in the document not being considered as part of the visa application.
There are things you can do to make sure that when you submit your visa application it is ‘decision ready’. This will help us process your application faster. If you’re applying for a visa to come to Australia, the following tips will help you get it right the first time for a quicker, smoother visa journey: Check twice, submit once.
Adoptions, Foster Care and Surrogacy in Cambodia
Adoptions and Foster Care arrangements
The Australian Government strongly warns Australians against trying to arrange domestic or private adoptions through an overseas country, even if they hold citizenship or rights to permanent residency in that particular country. You should seek independent legal advice both in Australia and in the child’s country of usual residence before going ahead with any application to an overseas authority.
Expatriate adoptions occur when an Australian citizen or permanent resident living abroad for 12 months or more adopts a child through an overseas agency or government authority. Australian adoption authorities are not responsible for expatriate adoptions, and do not assess or approve applicants for such adoptions. There are specific requirements that must be met in order to be eligible to be granted an Australian adoption visa, including living overseas for at least 12 months prior to lodging an application, that this time overseas was not contrived to circumvent the requirements for entry to Australia of a child for adoption and that you have lawfully acquired full parental rights for the child you have adopted. More information on expatriate adoption and immigration requirements is available here: Expatriate Adoption National Practice Agreement - 2024
The Australian Embassy does not issue 'Letters of No Objection', 'Letters of Support', or 'To Whom it May Concern Letters' in connection with any foster care arrangement or adoption in Cambodia.
Surrogacy
The Royal Cambodian Government has formally advised that the act of surrogacy is prohibited and punishable under Cambodian criminal law.
Australian Citizenship
Information on Australian citizenship is available on the Home Affairs website.
The following pages provide supplementary information for citizenship applicants in Cambodia.
Enquiries
Visa and citizenship applications are managed by the Department of Home Affairs. Australian Embassy staff are unable to assist with general visa or citizenship enquiries.
The Department of Home Affairs website has the most up to date and comprehensive information on applying for visas and citizenship. For information on Australian visas and citizenship, please visit the Home Affairs website.
If you are having trouble locating information on the department’s website, the Digital Assistant may be able to help you find information on Australian visas, citizenship and border entry. Visit the Home Affairs website and click the Ask a question button to get started.
Global Service Centre
If you require additional information, you may telephone the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm your local time.
International calls may be subject to charges imposed by your local carrier. You may wish to consider using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to avoid potentially high charges.
Using an interpreter
When you call the GSC, select option 6 to engage a Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) interpreter in your language. Option 6 can be selected straight after dialling the GSC number.
Alternatively, a TIS interpreter can also be engaged directly via:
- TIS website: Search | Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) or
- Home Affairs website See: Family and friends helping with your application
Compliments, complaints and suggestions
Your feedback is valuable to the Department of Home Affairs. The department use your feedback to improve services and investigate and respond to any issues of concern. You can find more information on the department’s website at Compliments, complaints and suggestions.
Allegations related to suspicious border activities
If it doesn’t feel right, flag it anonymously with Border Watch. Border Watch is the single collection point for the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF) for allegations related to suspicious border activities and is not limited to immigration and citizenship. One small observation could help stop a much larger border crime. You can report suspicious immigration, customs and border related activity via the Border Watch Online Report.
Contacting the processing office
If you need to make an enquiry about a visa application and cannot find the information on the Home Affairs website you can contact the visa office in Cambodia here: Australian Immigration Enquiry Form.