Your Passport
Your Passport
Make sure, whatever nationality you are, that your passport is in good condition. Many countries require that it has at least six months of validity remaining, plus enough blank pages for visas. Most visas, nowadays, take a whole page. Moreover, you will not get a visa that expires after your passport expires. If you have any doubts, therefore, get a replacement passport before travel. Also, to avoid difficulties, consider obtaining replacement bank cards before travel, if yours are close to expiry.
An important insight: Obtaining a replacement passport and/or bank cards outside ones home country, can be challenging, time-consuming, and expensive. Additionally, do not lose the arrival card handed to you at immigration. You will absolutely have to present this to immigration when you depart. Tip: Staple it near the entry stamp in your passport.
It is your responsibility:
Your passport must be in good condition with at least six months of validity remaining and have enough spare pages for visas and rubber stamps.
What is “Good Condition”? Make sure that your passport is not damaged at all and/or has torn, discolored or missing pages. There should be no water damage, writing or drawings on any part of it. Should your passport have been damaged, it may have caused problems with the concealed chip. Passport control in most countries will inspect your passport very thoroughly, and it is their prerogative to refuse entry to anyone whose passport fails to satisfy their requirements. In some cases, the passport holder may be detained for further questioning. Moreover, make really sure that your children’s passports meet all the requirements, including issue and expiry dates and visas where applicable.
Should you have any doubts about a passport’s acceptability, get a replacement.
Post Brexit
UK citizens travelling on EU red passports, need to make sure that they meet various requirements. In addition, you must now make sure that you get an entry stamp on arrival at your EU destination, and an exit stamp when you leave.
Your Passport, report loss to police
Loss of your passport must be reported to local police without delay. Moreover, obtain a written report, which you may require when ordering a replacement. Sensible to have a photocopy, or image of your passport and applicable visa on your smartphone, just in case of loss.
Additionally, as already mentioned, we recommend that UK citizens with less than 12 to 18 months validity left on their passport, should consider getting a replacement before leaving the UK. It is usually impossible to obtain any kind of visa that would expire beyond the validity of your passport.
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Your Passport, replacements
Should you need a replacement UK passport while in Cambodia, contact the following officially appointed UK passport and visa company:
VFS. UK Visa Application Centre
12th Floor Phnom Penh Tower
Preah Monivong (St.93), corner of street 232
Phnom Penh Cambodia 12258
Email: Cambodiahmpo@vfshelpline.com
My experience with VFS Global
February 23: My UK passport needed replacing before October, since that is when I will need to apply for my next annual extension of stay. Because my passport expires on June 24, I will not be able to get the annual extension, in my current passport.
Where to go
I recently visited the application center as above and was able to get copies of the application and authorization forms to pay by bank card. They do not accept cash. I was also able to obtain details for the required photos. I was informed that I must make an appointment and take with me all the completed forms, color photocopies of every page of my passport, including those unused, 2 photos, and my passport.
You may like to know that on street 164 #34 I found a really good shop for photocopies and further along, Sokhalay Photo Studio, an excellent place for passport photos.
Making an appointment
Armed with everything required, I emailed VFS for an appointment. An email came back promptly, with an appointment which I had to agree to by email. At the appointment, my paperwork was checked and accepted. Total cost $154.63 (about 120 UK Pounds) which I paid by bank card. I understand that it will be in June, that my new passport will be ready for collection. Within a couple of hours, I received an email from VFS saying that my application had been forwarded to the UK.
Incidentally, while waiting for the new passport, I would be unable to travel overseas using my current passport, although, of course, it remains good for ID purposes.
So far, So good
All in all, a really professional service at VFS, aided by English-speaking staff.
I’ll report further when my passport arrives. The long processing time is due to delays in the UK, not here in Cambodia. 17 March 23, I understand that there is a possibility of further industrial action in UK passport processing, which may further delay the issue of my new passport.
However, pleased to say that my new passport was ready for collection 3 April 23 and all appears in order. Upon enquiring about having my current Cambodian visa transferred to my new passport, I understood that this was not necessary, just travel with both passports until my current visa expires.
Many thanks to VFS for their professionalism.
Use this map to help you get around the city: https://fuzzykensblog.com/map-phnom-penh/
Phnom Penh Guide