In Cambodia, landlords have long been required to report the presence of foreign tenants — this is why you’ve always had a copy of your passport made when you check in at a hotel, or lease a new accommodation. Until now, the process has been done on paper, and many small-time landlords ignored the regulations to avoid the taxes that came with it. But no longer — now all foreigners in Cambodia are required to register their presence via app.
The Cambodian government has announced a new mobile app, the FPCS-GDI, or “Foreigner Presence in Cambodia System” for Android, iOS, and desktop. From July 1, 2020, foreigners who are not registered in the database will not be allowed to extend their visas.
“The onus [is] on accommodation owners to register their foreign guests and tenants, but said foreigners would not get visa renewals if they were not registered.,” Keo Vanthan, the deputy director-general of the General Department of Immigration, was quoted as saying in this VOA article about the new system.
“We asked [owners] to report this and if they don’t report the foreigners staying at their places, we will not extend their stay,” he said. “The foreigners may not be aware of that, but the owners must be responsible.”
Despite the minor uproar about this in expat circles, the requirement for all foreigners to be registered with the Interior Ministry’s Department of Immigration is not new — it just used to be an offline process that many foreigners were unaware of. What is new is the tying of visa renewals to the process.
There is no charge to register in the system, but unfortunately your landlord will need to do it for you. If you co-own a home with a Cambodian partner, they can register you as the tenant, or you can register yourself.
It is the responsibility of your landlord or property owner to register you. Moreover, the US Embassy has recommended not to download the app yourself (but they didn’t give any reason why…hmmm).
In a recent update to citizens in the Kingdom, they wrote, “The General Department of Immigration confirmed to the Embassy on May 21 that landlords are responsible for registering information about foreigners living in Cambodia under the new “Foreigners Present in Cambodia System” (FPCS) phone application. We advise Americans to not download the FPCS application and instead to request that landlords supply this information.”
The Department of Immigration has released a tutorial in Khmer on YouTube that you can share with your landlord if they are having any difficulties with the process. And of course you should not assume that your landlord has done this automatically — now that visa renewals are tied to the process it’s your responsibility to check to make sure you’ve been properly registered. Although you are not responsible for your registration, without it you will not be able to extend your Cambodia visa.
The tutorial video is very easy to understand, even if you don’t speak Khmer. First, your landlord needs to make an account, either with a smartphone on on the website, then upload a copy of your passport and verify the information (it would probably be helpful if you did this part together), verify phone number, and submitting accommodation information. Your check-in date should be the start of the lease, and the check-out date is the last day of your lease.
If your phone number is not accepted, you’ll need to check that your SIM card is registered in your name, and that your name has been entered into the app in the same format as on your SIM card registration.
If you’ve successfully registered, please leave a note in the comments, and if you have questions the Cambodia Work Permit and Visa group on Facebook is the place to go.
My travel agent has charged me $40 for the app the last 2 times I extended my visa. Yesterday I paid $55 dollars for the visa extension, and $40 for the app = $95
Hotels are not registering guests on this app, so what does that mean for people that want to extend their visa? Do we or can we register ourselves? do we need to fill in every place we’ve stayed at?
Sir I have problem with log in FPCS apps because I changed phone number and could not create new account while already exist the old one. please guide me what I have to deal?
I am looking for doing an extension Visa.
Dear Line, thank you for this helpful information. I am married to Cambodian for the last 9 years, we have 3 children and properties, all own by wife. I renew my business visa every year. Who should registered in the app my wife or myself?
Hello.. and thank you for your website.
It’s my understanding that Cambodia is not allowing tourists in right now. Business people and Cambodian citizens only. Is that the case? And $3,000.00 people must have on hand when landing?
I came there before from Canada with a “Ordinary” E Class Visa that I filled out on the plane, and was able to extend it for six months or a year at a time.
I suppose this is not the case anymore.
Looking forward to returning soon… My tuk tuk driver who I became good friends with keeps in touch with me…Very difficult right now for him and his family.
Really hope to come back soon.
Maybe have to wait for an effective vaccine?
Thank you for your answers… take care.
good luck Robert no one would answer me when I asked because it is not the subject mater but I was told that by my real estate agent about the 3,000 per person for the virus in case you were found to have it and had to be quarantined. I would wait for a good vaccine but I think Cambodia will be too hot for me I had throat cancer and lost my vocal cords and breath thru a hole in my throat and hot weather here in Texas makes it hard for me to breath so Cambodia may just have been a dream I worked across Canada on the railroads you have a very beautiful country I loved rich boys land British Columbia and loved Alberta and Nova Scotia and PEI. Well good luck in Cambodia they have some very kind people there Be careful about this dam virus God Bless David and Family LOL My fiancé is Russian and we have a daughter well her daughter LOL.
$3K USD has been reduced to 2K USD.I am told by people who experienced the transaction the monies are returned in about one week minus the cost of the test IF no quarantine or problems detected.