Entering Cambodia with a Malaysian Registered Motorbike

This is a guide some sort but as rules will change with time, I have no idea if it will be relevant to those seeking this information in the future. This attempt innitiated in August 2018 and I have successfully Cross over to Cambodia on the 13 November 2018 

Poi Pet Customs & Excise Office 

Important Note: I am a Malaysian Riding a Malaysian Registered Motorbike.

Preparation From Home Malaysia (Maybe Not Worth The Effort ... read till end to understand)

First off I visited the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to gather information which was at

46, Jalan U Thant,
Taman U Thant,
55000 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

The consular was very nice and helpful but the Officer thought I was organizing a convoy. For which charity he asked, which made me feel a little guilty on my very personal and selfish travel nature.

So I needed to prepare a few documents such as

1. Supporting Letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia)
2. Personal Letter to Request for Entry into Cambodia via Motorcycyle (Self Written & Sign) (SAMPLE)
3. Vehicle Registration Copy( I am the owner fully paid )
4. Insurance & Road Tax Copy
5. Passport Copy
6. Driving Licence Copy
7. International Driving Licence Copy (Purchase at any JPJ Office for RM150)

Once you get all this come back and submit the documents to me the officer said. I will then forward to Cambodia side for processing but no promises that you will get the permit to enter via motorbike.

.... so a possibility but still no assurance

So next I visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia at

Wisma Putra, No 1,
Jalan Wisma Putra, Precinct 2,
62602 PUTRAJAYA

There was no real procedure for this and I had to ask from one counter desk to another until I met Officer Mr. Farhan which listened to my request quietly and ask me a few question such as why I was doing this, how many countries I planned to ride through, and for how long I was planning to go on this journey. He gave me the to do list in order to get the supporting letter from the ministry.

1. Letter address to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia requesting the supporting letter ... (Sample)(Must include purpose, timeline, duration, countries, route, anything you think that could be of importance )

2. Vehicle Registration Copy
3. Insurance & Road Tax Copy
4. Identity Card Copy
5. Passport Copy
6. Driving Licence Copy
7. International Driving Licence Copy

With this items submitted it would take three working days for the ministry to prepare the letter and I could collect it from the same place.

Throughout the process with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia, there was no queue ticket taken, nor were there any fees and even all the document that was submitted was returned after they have used it for reference to write the supporting letter.

As I stated the route which will pass Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, the Ministry gave me four letters, one for each country to request facilitation and support on my quest and journey.

With the final document in hand I returned to the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Malaysia and submitted the documents. A copy of the letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia was made and stamped received date and I was told to wait for one month for the reply.

.....

One Month Later came and passed and I visited the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Malaysia again but the Officer had no reply from his counterpart in Cambodia. He promised to send another inquiry to his counterpart in Cambodia and will contact me if there was any news.

At this point I decided to take the risk and started my Journey North towards Thailand.

Entered Thailand 15 October 2018

Email Contact from the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia

On the 16 October 2018 I got an email from a guy I assumed works at the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia requesting for additional information such as Motorcycle colour, Make, Capacity, Weight and Price of the Motorcycle.

I knew it was risky for it was an informal email but I took the risk trusting that not many people would have known about the documents I submitted and since no query of engine number, passport ID or any sensitive information that was already provided in the initial submission, I replied the email and waited.

A few days later another email query requesting the actual date of entry and departure. I was sure now this was genuinely from Ministry of Tourism Cambodia for I have put in the month and year of entry/exit and purposely left out the specific date. Replied and wait.

A few days later I received a document which was a letter nicely drafted and addressed to the Ministry of Tourism stating a request to enter Cambodia with Bluey particulars and finally my name at the bottom. I signed and replied and wait. (SAMPLE)

A week later I got an email informing that the documents has been processed successfully and I should retrieved it at Phnom Penh Ministry of Tourism and proceed to Stage 2 where I have to bring the documents to Customs in Phnom Penh for import permission approval then finally bring these documents to the border and enter with Bluey.

You can now understand why I say the first preparation works in Malaysia is really Redundant. I manage to get half the permit done remotely ... but half done is as good as not done ...

Below is a photo of my incomplete document (print out copy) and a completed document sample presented to me at Customs in Poi Pet border. Your document is incomplete the officer at Customs Poi Pet border said to me. 

My Incomplete Document on the Left & The Completed Sample shown by the Customs officer on the Right

Getting the Permits to Enter Cambodia with a Motorbike.

In the end, there was no avoiding the painful system Cambodia have in place for obtaining the Permits for Motorbike entry. (The alternative method is to sneak through .... but this post is not about that)

I left Thailand easily completing all the necessary documentation for export of motorbike and entered Poi Pet, Cambodia. Parked Bluey in-front of Imigration and got my passport stamped for entry then proceeded to ride on looking out for customs. 

I actually went pass customs with no one stopping me at all, but maybe I am naive or afraid ... I went back and asked around inside the customs office for someone who knows about bringing Bluey into Cambodia.

Imagine that ... if I did no effort on my part to follow the rules, I would already be riding in Cambodia. I requested for my motorbike (Bluey) to be parked inside the customs building just to be safe and they gladly accepted. The officers and people were really polite and helpful, sympathetic even but follows the rules.

Bus Ride USD 10 (K.S.O Bus Services) from Poi Pet at 10am and reached Phnom Penh at 8pm

Find a Hostel and sleep

The next day I went to the Ministry of Tourism (Map Below) to finally meet the kind young chap that helped me processed the first document in advance. I obtained the original documents from the Ministry of Tourism and proceeded to Customs Buildings which misleadingly not what is shown in Google. The actual place is at Vattanac Capital Tower Level 5. (Map Below) 

Ministry of Tourism Phnom Penh 

Location of Ministry of Tourism Phnom Penh 

General Customs & Excise @ Vattanac Capitol Tower Level 5 

Once there I just flash the Ministry of Tourism Letter around and the people will point you to the right location. Submitted my documents and wait. I got back the document close to 5pm just before closing time of the Ministry. 

General Customs & Excise Office at Level 5 of Vattanac Capitol Building 

Hop back onto overnight bus USD 10.50 (168 Sorya bus service) from Phnom Penh to Poi Pet

Back in Poi Pet .... ( Seriusly tired by this point )

Reunited with Bluey but not before waiting for another 3 hours for the customs papers to be processed. The customs process cost USD 15 and came with a receipt and I used a runner for USD 10 to get the documents processed at various customs departments at the border.

The officer explained to me that I could do it on my own for free but I’ll probably be lost since there were places that need a copy of the letters to be exchange for chops, and then there were forms to be filled up to print out the custom release note, etc, etc ... plus all these were not in English. USD 10 I parted with the money mentally exhausted.

So now I have these current documents with me travelling in Cambodia with a Motorbike

1. Letter from Ministry of Tourism & Endorsed by Customs at Phnom Penh & Endorsed by Customs at Poi Pet ( at back Page)

2. Motor List Document stating Motor & Rider Particulars endorsed by both Ministry of Tourism & Customs at Phnom Penh

3. Endorsed Cargo Release Note from Customs Poi Pet

4. Endorsed Customs Declaration Document from Customs Poi Pet

5. Official Receipt Payment for Customs Processing Fees (USD 15)

6. Additional Letter Requesting Change in Exit Border ( Read on for this )

Additional Information in Changing the Content Inside the Import Permit if required.

While I manage to obtain the approval letter from the Ministry of Tourism in advance, the problem was the information that was given for the application of that letter was outdated.

I initially wanted to exit Cambodia into Vietnam via Bavet border but as I have still no formal/legal way of entering Vietnam with a motorbike, I decided to change my plans and exit back into Thailand.

The letter from the Ministry of Tourism clearly states that I would be entering Via Poi Pet and leaving via Bavet. Hence when I submitted the documents at Customs Phnom Penh, I made it a point to inform the customs officer of my intentions to change the exit border to Cham Yeam Border instead of Bavet.

The additional measures I had to do was find a computer and write another letter requesting change in exit border with reference to the original Ministry of Tourism Letter and submit it to Customs. (SAMPLE)

I of course ran like hell to find a computer in Phnom Penh, quickly draft the letter, print, sign and submit it to the officer the same day which he gracefully processed it together with the original submission.

Back on the Road ... Welcome to Cambodia 

Traveled on: November 2018

#bordercrossing #poipet #motorbike #motorbikebordercrossing #cambodia #blurtravels