Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

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Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

Article from the Khmer Times.
The advantages of having Cambodian citizenship listed here are that you can work, you can own land, and you are eligible for government concessions and licenses that are reserved for Cambodian nationals.
You also reap the benefits of belonging to a country that is a member of ASEAN.
If you had a billion riel to donate to the Cambodian state, would you ?

14 February 2018
- Time and again, the issue of foreigners obtaining Cambodian citizenship has cropped up. While not coveted like citizenship of countries like the United States, Australia and Canada, Cambodian citizenship is, nonetheless, pursued by some foreigners.

For foreigners, the most cited reasons are the ability to acquire land and other property in their own name and the ability to travel to other Asean countries visa-free. Cambodian citizenship has also been bestowed on foreigners with exemplary contributions to the kingdom.

Chinese and South Korean investors are said to be the most common recipients of Cambodian passports. There was a spike in Cambodian passport applications starting in 1993 after the country was admitted to Asean.

Prominent people who have obtained Cambodian citizenship include American actress Angelina Jolie, for her conservation work, Japanese Olympian Kuniaki Takizaki and Australian humanitarian Geraldine Cox, for her work in an orphanage in the country’s southeast.

There are five ways for a foreigner to obtain Cambodian citizenship. We explain in this article each and every route to obtaining a Cambodian passport:

Naturalisation: This is the most common way and takes the longest time to complete. Seven-year residency, fluency in the Khmer language (speaking and writing) and a clean criminal record are the requirements for obtaining Cambodian citizenship by way of naturalisation.

Citizenship by marriage: A foreign man or woman married to a Cambodian national can obtain Cambodian citizenship after living together for at least three years after their marriage was registered with the proper authorities.

Citizenship by investment programme: This cash-for-passport programme bestows Cambodian citizenship on a foreigner who invests 1.25 billion riels (about $312,500) in Cambodia. In this case, the seven-year residency is waived. However, other requirements for naturalisation like language fluency still apply.

The cost of obtaining citizenship by investment is said to be in the region of $75,000.

A local agent revealed that many Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Australian and Vietnamese business people obtained Cambodian citizenship by way of investments.

Citizenship by donation: A foreigner could also be accorded Cambodian citizenship if he donates 1 billion riels (about $250,000) or more to the national budget.

Special achievements in Cambodia’s interest also give foreigners the right to apply for honorary citizenship.

Citizenship by birth and descent: Those born to at least one Cambodian parent anywhere in the world are legally entitled to Cambodian citizenship. The same applies to children born in Cambodia to foreign parents who were born and legally living in the kingdom.

While having a Cambodian passport will not take you far through visa-free travel, Cambodian citizenship does offer some advantages. Obtaining Cambodian citizenship is very advantageous in terms of living, working and investing in the kingdom.

Firstly, you will no longer need a visa to enter and work in the country for as long as you want. Secondly, you can own land and other property in your name. Now foreigners are restricted to owning from the first floor and up and up to 70 percent of one building with a strata title. Thirdly, you can apply for concessions and licenses from the government that are otherwise only available to Cambodian nationals.

The Interior Ministry processes applications for Cambodian citizenship. The process usually takes to two to three months to complete.
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

Info for anyone considering attempting to apply via the marriage route...

You need to go to the General Department of Identification in Chbar Ampouv and get your application forms.

Together with two copies of the application form you will need the following documents (one original, one copy):

1. Residence certificate (Sangkat)
2. Attitude certificate (Sangkat)
3. Spouses agreement letter (Sangkat + signed by two witnesses)
4. Health certificate (cheapest at any local hospital)
5. Birth certificate (English)
6. Criminal background check (both from Ministry of Justice and your country)
7. Marriage certificate (+ authorisation to marry letter from the Ministry of Interior, although this is not mentioned in the application form)
8. Job certificate/ employment letter (if applicable)
9. Copy of passport (+ visa, although it is not mentioned in the application form)
10. 10 x passport photos
11. Other papers (I had another supporting paper from the Sangkat but he didn´t want it)ie. Children's birth certificates, Carnet de residence, family book, etc.

You have to submit your docs at the mentioned General Dept of Identification, use the entrance on the right (Nationality), go up to the second floor, turn right, turn left, it´s the second office at your right then). Don´t forget to wear dress appropriately (trousers, collared shirt, shoes), otherwise the guard at the gate won´t let you in.

If everything is in order, there is a $500 application fee (yet to be confirmed whether this is actually the official fee).
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markd
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by markd »

how are cambodian taxes levied after that
thru shit to more shit
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Bosco
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by Bosco »

There was a prakas on the fee. I thought it was more like 2.5 million, or about $600.

Has anyone ever managed to get this done without intervention?
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by mcam »

Is there a test you have to sit for speaking and writing Khmer?
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Bosco
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by Bosco »

markd wrote: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:10 pm how are cambodian taxes levied after that
The tax rules for Cambodian citizens are currently the same as those for foreigners resident in Cambodia so no change. There is no Cambodian taxation for its citizens who live abroad so no change there also.
mcam wrote: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:42 pm Is there a test you have to sit for speaking and writing Khmer?
Not if you’re married.
Last edited by Bosco on Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

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mcam wrote: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:42 pm Is there a test you have to sit for speaking and writing Khmer?
Not if applying via marriage.
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

Bosco wrote: Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:39 pm There was a prakas on the fee. I thought it was more like 2.5 million, or about $600.

Has anyone ever managed to get this done without intervention?
I have searched high and low for a prakas or sub-decree outlining the fees involved, but have had no luck in finding or obtaining one. You don't happen to have a copy do you?
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by mcam »

But you have to have an income of $2500 a month to get married. Is it possible to get married abroad and have it recognized here?
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Re: Obtaining Cambodian citizenship

Post by PSD-Kiwi »

Foreign marriages can be recognised, you need to apply for recognition at the MoFAIC, if they approve the request you will be issued an authorisation letter which you then submit to your registered Sangkat who will issue you a Cambodian marriage cert.
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