Cambodia Citizenship by Investment Program

Cambodia offers various economic naturalization and special merit pathways under its nationality legislation for qualifying investors and contributors. This program was originally launched in the 1990s, but it has been developed and clarified over the years. Specific laws covering fast-track naturalization include the 1996 Nationality Law, 2018 Nationality Amendment Law, and the Law on Investment of the Kingdom of Cambodia (2021). These laws are supplemented by various operative sub-decrees, especially including Sub-Decree No. 111 and Sub-Decree No. 225.

No. Cambodian legislation has developed over time in a different direction. Cambodia operates a discretionary sovereign naturalization framework rather than a fully standardized citizenship-by-investment program. The difference being that the program in Cambodia is less standardized, more flexible, and involves greater discretion on the part of the government.

Yes. Direct family inclusion is possible at the time of application. Cambodian citizenship law allows newborn children of Cambodian citizens, no matter where in the world they are born, to qualify as citizens with no additional applications, fees or investments.

Cambodian nationality is granted permanently by Royal Decree following approval and issuance. There are certain, very limited cases where Cambodian citizenship can be withdrawn, and these cases apply equally to natural-born Cambodian citizens. They include treason, offences against national security or the King, or proven fraud in the citizenship application.

A business visa and residence permit are required. These are arranged as an integral part of our service. The applicant is welcome but not obliged to stay in Cambodia while the application is being processed. Once citizenship has been granted, there are no ongoing residency requirements.

The nationality framework includes language and integration provisions, but these are waived for foreign investors by governmental discretion.

Processing times vary significantly depending on the application category, governmental review, and complexity of the case. The law requires the government to review applications within 45 days, but you should allow additional time for preparation of local documents that are part of the process. Six months is a minimum realistic term, but it could be quicker or take significantly longer, depending on many factors.

Yes. Cambodian nationality approvals remain discretionary and subject to sovereign governmental approval. In other words, there is no legal guarantee that your application will be accepted simply because you check all the boxes on paper. On the other hand, it is the policy of the government to welcome and encourage foreign investment, and the citizenship process is an important pillar of this policy, so you are very likely to be approved.

Cambodia seeks to attract legitimate investors with good moral character. Applicants should therefore expect comprehensive background checks, source of funds review, and governmental compliance procedures. Nonetheless, many clients are surprised how simple and straightforward the process seems, compared to CBI programs in other countries. The process relies more on governmental discretion and background checks, and less on paperwork provided by the applicant. No external due diligence companies or contractors are involved.

In Cambodia it is relatively easy for foreigners to open bank accounts. First, you should transfer all necessary funds to your own Cambodian bank account before formally submitting the application. The funds remain under your control, but are available for immediate transfer upon approval within Bakong. Bakong is operated by the National Bank of Cambodia and is a modern, real-time payment infrastructure, facilitating free and instant transfers of both local currency and US dollars between Cambodian banks. The funds for your CBI investment therefore go through two stages: first, the initial international transfer of funds into Cambodia. This is simply a transfer between your own personal accounts, with no CBI element. This avoids banking backlogs caused by enhanced scrutiny of CBI transactions and correspondent derisking concerns.

Cambodian passports are usually valid for a period of ten years for adults, and five years for children under 18. The current ordinary biometric passport has a maroon/burgundy cover, with a gold embossed Cambodian coat of arms, and text in Khmer, English, and French. They are fully compliant with the ICAO’s 9303 “Machine Readable Travel Documents” standard. Cambodia has been issuing biometric passports since 2014.