Cambodia Extension of Stay for Retirement (ER)
There is no threshold. The ER extension is granted a year at a time to foreigners aged 55 and over who are not working, and it renews without income or capital proof. What it never does is turn into permanent residence.
Two corrections carry this page. First, there is no statutory minimum. The immigration sub-decree sets no figure and no prakas publishes one. The ministry asks for proof of retirement and proof of sufficient means, shown by a pension statement, social security letter or bank statement. The USD 30,000 balance or USD 1,500 a month that agents demand in 2026 is agent practice, not law. Shop three agents and you get three numbers.
Second, the ten year retirement visa does not exist. No Cambodian instrument for a retiree runs longer than 12 months. What agencies sell is a 12 month ER renewed ten times, at ten times the fee, with ten chances for the rule to change.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Foreigners aged 55 or over who are not employed |
| Route family | Retirement |
| Validity | 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. The 6 and 12 month versions are multiple entry |
| Stay per entry | Matched to the extension purchased |
| Threshold | None in law. Proof of retirement and of sufficient means. Agents ask USD 30,000 or USD 1,500 a month in 2026, which is practice |
| Renewal | Indefinite, annually, with fresh proof each time |
| Settlement | None |
| PR clock | None. Cambodia has no permanent residence status |
| Citizenship clock | Seven years of continuous legal residence, discretionary |
| Family | Partial. A spouse under 55 usually cannot ride on the ER and must qualify separately |
| Local employment | No. Working voids the basis of the extension |
| Tax headline | Pension remitted into Cambodia taxable in principle. Enforcement on foreign pensions is patchy |
| Processing | 5 to 10 working days. Same day in Phnom Penh in person |
Application flow
- Enter on an E class ordinary visa and confirm you are 55 or over.
- Assemble proof of retirement, such as a pension statement, and proof of means.
- File for 12 months with multiple entry at the Phnom Penh department, in person or through an agent.
- Check the entry count on the stamp, then repeat annually.
Good fit
Retirees over 55 with a pension or savings and no intention of working. On fees alone this is the cheapest legal long stay in Southeast Asia, at roughly USD 300 a year in government charges in 2026, with no company and no locked deposit.
Poor fit
Anyone 54 or younger, since the age floor is 55 in published guidance. Anyone who needs to work, since employment is prohibited. Couples where one partner is under 55 and must find a separate route.
Watchpoints
- There is no statutory financial threshold. Ask for the legal reference behind USD 30,000 and you will not get one.
- The ten year retirement visa does not exist. You pay for ten years of renewals and hold a permission that can be refused next year.
- The 1 and 3 month ER stamps are single entry. A weekend in Bangkok ends the permission. Only the 6 and 12 month versions allow re-entry.
- Proof is assessed per applicant, not per couple. Joint savings that satisfy one file may fail two.
- The age floor is 55, with vague exceptional cases. Do not buy a ticket on the strength of an exception.
- Working on an ER is prohibited. Taking a job means switching to EB and holding a permit before the first paycheque.
- No ER converts into residence. A decade of renewals builds a record for a citizenship application, nothing more.
Sources
- MFAIC, Cambodia retirement visa (ER), eligibility and documentary requirements, checked 2026-10-22
- General Department of Immigration, extension of stay categories and fees, checked 2026-10-22
- Law on Nationality 1996 and the 2025 implementing sub-decree, residence and investment routes, checked 2026-10-22