Updated August 9. The vaccination process is in full swing in Cambodia, and the country is committed to vaccinating their foreign residents and visitors as well as Cambodian citizens. It is now possible for residents of both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to get vaccinated at no cost. Read on for more information.

Wondering how to get the covid-19 vaccine in Cambodia? You’re not alone!

Update! Further information for Phnom Penh residents. The text below is an email from the US Embassy Phnom Penh dated August 9th:

The Ministry of Health has announced the continuation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for residents in Phnom Penh.

Beginning August 9, 2021 through September 8, 2021, the Ministry of Health will provide COVID-19 vaccines to area residents aged 18 years old and over. Vaccines are available to both Cambodian citizens and foreigners who have not yet received a vaccine. The ministry asks that those who wish to be vaccinated bring an ID or valid passport to either of the hospitals listed below during the hours indicated:

Hospitals:

Preah Ang Duong Hospital
Jok Dimitrov Blvd, Phnom Penh

National Pediatric Hospital
Street 122, Phnom Penh

Times:

0800-1100
1400-1600

The Ministry of Health has provided the following contact for more information or questions related to the vaccine program:

Public Communications: 012 904 385; 089 980 666; 012 777 760
Registration: 012 897 043; 085 777 056; 012 868 640
Vaccination Team: 012 887 387; 012 836 868; 012 891 527

As of July, 2021, vaccinations are being offered to Siem Reap residents with valid visas. You can get more information here.

Information below this may be out of date as of August, 2021.

The COVID-19 vaccination process in Cambodia is being managed by a patchwork of different ministries, but rest assured it is proceeding and Cambodia has committed to vaccinating foreign residents. If you are in Phnom Penh and living in a designated zone,  you can get vaccinated immediately. Otherwise, the best advice is to register online or with your sangkat, notify your employer that you are interested, and then just be patient.

Vaccinations are now officially open to foreign residents of Cambodia, and the reality is that as a foreigner in Cambodia, you’re likely to get vaccinated faster than if you were living in Europe! Read on for more info.

Vaccinations for Phnom Penh and Kandal residents

As of late May, 2021, Phnom Penh and Kandal province have been designated “hot zones” and vaccine supplies have been directed there. If you’re in another province, be patient because they are vaccinating people quickly and will expand to other areas with cases of soon. The current process requires all residents to register with their local village chief — your landlord can do this for you, or provide you with a letter confirming that you live at that address, which you can take to your local Sangkat office.  They will give you an authorization letter to take to a vaccination center (and they can tell you where the closest one is).

Some of the vaccination centers are Boeung Keng Kang High School in BKK1, Chey Chomneah Primary School in BKK3, Tuol Tumpoung High School in TTP, and Yamabiko Primary School in Sen Sok. Some people have reported going to above the vaccination spots without an authorization letter and getting vaccinated. Your mileage may vary.

Getting your vaccination card

If you have been vaccinated but did not receive a vaccination card, the Khmer Times has posted a helpful list of locations where you can go and pick up your vaccination card.

Getting vaccinated at the Ministry of Labor in Phnom Penh

Thank you very much to Lucas, who tipped us off in the comments about this process, and we are very happy to confirm that it works! If anyone has tried this recently, please leave a note in the comments.

Same-day vaccinations are available at the Ministry of Labor.

Any person living in Cambodia with a valid work permit can turn up to the Ministry of Labor in Phnom Penh and get vaccinated the same day without an appointment. There is no need for pre-registration or sign-up with your employer. You’ll need to bring the following documents:

• Original passport
• Copy of the passport photo page (on this page, write your phone number and residential address in Cambodia)
• Copy of your current Cambodia visa in your passport
• Original work permit
• Copy of your work permit

Bring these documents to the Ministry of Labor office on Russian Boulevard ( here’s a map of the location). There are three lines, one each for Cambodians, Chinese, and another for “other foreigners”. There will be more forms to fill out about your health and consent forms to sign, so bring a pen (and wear a mask)!

The process involves a lot of queueing, but if you arrive at 8 a.m. the current wait time is less than two hours. The vaccine being given as of April 15th is Sinovac.

Registering online to get the COVID-19 vaccination

Unofficial translation of Cambodia’s vaccination registration form. Right click the image to see a larger version.

This is the official Cambodia vaccination sign-up form:  https://cambodia-vaccine.gov.kh/patient/create

It’s in Khmer, but you can install the Google Translate toolbar for Chrome and it allows you to highlight each word, or the entire page, and get an instant translation. This is easier to do on a laptop, but you can also get the Google Translate app on your phone. While Google Translate often renders gibberish for blocks of Khmer text, it works very well for forms like this. If this seems too complicated, I’ve posted a picture of the translated form above. (The box labeled capital is for your city. For Latin name, just enter your name again.)

There is also a government app to register for a vaccine.

Although there is checkbox for those who have an illness, they do not seem to be prioritizing those with a reported illness. In fact, a friend who was at the Provincial Hospital to get vaccinated told the staff she has asthma and was subsequently refused the vaccination.

Register to get vaccinated online. And then wait.

Getting your second vaccination shot

If you have already gotten your first vaccination shot in Phnom Penh, you can report to the Ministry of Environment to get your second vaccination. As with most ministry tasks, it’s probably best to arrive in the morning, and bring evidence of your previous shot.

For those on retirement visas

Thanks to Perry who left this very helpful comment about how those on retirement visas can get vaccinated:

“I’m a retired Brit on long term visa. The online registration has no work category for retired people. The best option is to register with your local sangkat office. Your house/apartment owner should be able to help with this. The sangkat will notify you when the vaccination team is in your area and where to get your jabs. They delivered the form direct to my flat. I have had both jabs (Sinovac) already. At the first jab they give you an appointment slip for the second dose, normally 2 weeks later and at the same location. They give you a card on the first visit then complete it when you get your second jab.

That’s the process for Ministry of Health. In some areas vaccination is done by army staff. The process is basically the same, but after your second jab they only give you a paper slip. They will ring you about a week later to collect your card (a better one than that from MoH as it has your photo).”

General information, and for those without work permits

The US Embassy in Cambodia released a notice on April 9th with the following information.

• The Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT) is responsible for registering foreign nationals holding an E-class Ordinary Visa and work permits issued by MLVT.  A valid passport, valid visa, and work permit are required to register.

• Local authorities are responsible for registering all other foreign residents.  A valid passport and valid visa are required to register.

They suggest interested parties read this unofficial translation from the Ministry of Health for more information.

They also say:

• American citizens seeking vaccination are encouraged to contact their employer (for E-class Ordinary Visa holders) or their local sangkat/commune authorities in accordance with this announcement.

• American citizens are not required to register with the Embassy and do not require a letter from the Embassy to be eligible for vaccination. American citizens may want to consider having a printed copy of this announcement in their possession when registering with Cambodian authorities and/or seeking vaccination.

• Foreign nationals who are not residents or do not have valid visas are ineligible to receive vaccinations under this guidance.

4/21/21 update: The Khmer Times is reporting that those in Cambodia on expired Tourist visas (ie. those who entered after Jan 1, 2020 but have not been able to leave due to the pandemic) are also eligible to be vaccinated in Cambodia. The article is light on details, but sounds promising. Please leave a comment if you are able to get vaccine on a tourist visa, and what documents you needed to provide.

I apologize that there’s not more concrete information for those outside of Phnom Penh or without work permits in this post, but I will update it as more information becomes available. In the meantime, sign up and be patient! And if you know anything that’s not in this post, or of other ministry lists expats can sign up on, please post them in the comments below.