In short: You can buy an apartment in Cambodia without flying in — market data suggests around 90% of transactions work this way. The sequence: choose the unit online → pay a reservation of $500–3,000 to the developer's account → sign the contract remotely within 10 calendar days → pay the first instalment of 20–50% within 3 days → continue on the payment schedule. A foreigner may acquire a condominium apartment on strata title (from the 2nd floor upwards); land, no.

Why a remote transaction in Cambodia is the norm, not the exception

The Cambodian market was built around the remote buyer from the outset. Market data suggests around 90% of transactions close without a personal visit: the investor is buying a stage of the market and a financial model, not impressions from a trip.

There are three reasons. The economy is dollarised — all settlement is in USD, so there is no currency risk between you and the developer. Developers work with online viewings: video walkthroughs of units, virtual tours, live links from showrooms (a case from October 2025: a webinar with an online tour of Le Condé and Time Square 8 / 10 produced 10 enquiries and 4 reservations in two days). And the paperwork is standardised.

What exactly you buy remotely — and what you cannot buy at all

  • A foreigner cannot own land in Cambodia — the basic prohibition of the Land Law, and no remote scheme gets around it.
  • A condominium apartment on strata title is the only "clean freehold" available without a local partner, a trust or a legal entity. The law was promulgated on 24 May 2010; the restrictions in Article 6 are: ownership is possible only from the 2nd floor upwards, a 70% limit applies to the floor area of private units held by foreigners in a single building (Sub-Decree No. 82 of 2011), and ownership is prohibited within 30 km of land borders — except in SEZs and approved urban zones. The right arises only after registration in the cadastre (Art. 8), and a transaction in breach of Art. 6 is void (Art. 11).
  • Leasehold / perpetual lease — for land and villas: 15–50 years with an extension of up to another 50, so up to 100 years in total. This is not ownership.
  • A 51/49 company and a trust (Trust Law 2019) — structures for land and commercial property. The risk with a company is the local partner's 51%: control rests on contractual mechanisms rather than on ownership.

The conclusion for a remote buyer: the transaction that closes most easily and most cleanly from a legal standpoint is precisely a condo on strata title — the other forms require a local partner, a trust or a legal entity, plus separate legal work.

The transaction step by step

  1. Choosing the property. Price list, layouts, floor, yield calculation. The spread across Phnom Penh is wide: from ~$1,300/m² at Time Castle XI (BKK3 — as of 06.07.2026 it is 95% sold, with 21 units left and delivery in Q2 2029) to $3,000–4,750/m² in completed prime BKK1 buildings. Verify the price, the remaining units and any current promotions with the developer on the date of the transaction: price lists and discounts change over the course of a season.
  2. Reservation. $500–3,000 to the developer's account (Megakim — $500, Time Castle XI — $500, Kingston Royale — $1,500). It locks in the unit and the individual terms of the payment schedule.
  3. Contract. Signed within 10 calendar days of the reservation clearing. Khmer practice is a signature plus a fingerprint; the buyer and the developer each keep an original.
  4. Down payment. 20–50% of the price, within 3 days of signing.
  5. Instalment plan. 30–60% of the total, over 36 months or more, interest-free. If you are short for the final payment, a number of developers offer their own credit at 10% a year (Kingston Royale — up to 15 years), but you have to declare this in advance and write it into the contract.
  6. Accepting the apartment. At handover the property is inspected and accepted by your representative on the ground.
  7. Registration of title. After payment in full, the developer registers the Co-ownership Certificate (also known as the strata title) at its own expense.

Who signs, and who represents your interests

Two formats are used: remote electronic signing by the buyer personally, and signing by a representative under a power of attorney. Our materials do not record a single set of rules for legalising a power of attorney (notarisation, apostille, consular certification) — check this with a licensed local lawyer for the specific developer, rather than taking the seller's word for it.

A representative on the ground checks the developer's documents, monitors payments, accepts the apartment at handover and helps with a visa and a bank account. One important detail: the commission is paid by the developer (8–10% of the transaction), and the price list is the same at the developer and at the broker — coming "direct" will not make it cheaper, but you will lose the support.

How to check a property without travelling

The document pack to request before signing:

  • Hard Title on the developer's land plot — not a lease and not soft title;
  • the condominium development licence (an example from our database: Megakim's licence for Time Square 6, BKK1, number CB-16 122-006-01, issued on 14 January 2024 for 3 years). Under the rules it must be displayed in the sales office and on the construction site;
  • MOC Certificate (registration with the Ministry of Commerce) and VAT Certificate;
  • confirmation that the unit is free of mortgages and encumbrances;
  • Schedule of Payment — the payment schedule as a separate annex to the contract.

On the developer, market practitioners' benchmark is at least 3–5 completed projects. In the contract, look at: the construction period and the grace period (in the Kingston Royale template, 30 months plus 6), a penalty for late payment of 0.2% a day after 5 days and forfeiture of payments after 60 days, the right to freeze payments without penalty if construction stops for more than 3 months, and a 1-year warranty against leaks and cracks.

Money: what you pay on top of the price

ItemAmount / rate
Reservation$500–3,000
Stamp duty (transfer tax)4%. For a new-build from a licensed developer there is relief: up to $70,000 — 0%; $70–210k — a $70,000 deduction from the base. Stated as running until the end of 2027; check the year of extension with the tax authority (GDT)
Annual tax (TOIP)0.1%, threshold ~$25,000
Rental tax (withholding)10% resident / 14% non-resident
Capital gains tax (CGT)20%, introduction deferred to 01.01.2027 (the date has already been postponed several times)
Assignment of a contract under an instalment plan$200–300, with no 4%
Re-registration of title~$1,500
Building service charge (management company)$0.5–1/m²/month (in the template contract, $0.90)

Payments are made in USD to the developer's account, with a receipt for each one. Until the keys are handed over, taxes on the property are paid by the developer; after that, by the buyer. A local ABA Bank account is opened at the time of purchase together with the Work Permit; a Type E visa with a work permit costs around $720 a year.

What happens with rental income after the purchase

Two scenarios. The developer's management company lets the unit and remits the net income to you — or a GRR (Guaranteed Rental Return) programme applies, under which the operator pays a fixed percentage regardless of occupancy.

GRR is a term of a contract with a specific developer, not a property of the market and not a guarantee of returns. Rate and term come as a pair, and one option is chosen as a whole:

  • Wyndham Garden BKK1 (UC88, UC Group, delivery September 2026) — 8% a year for 3 years, or 7% for 5 years, or 6% for 10 years;
  • Le Condé 1 (BKK1) — 8% for 3 years; the building is complete, with quarterly payments from March 2026;
  • ODOM — 8% for 5 years plus a buy-back option at 110% after 5 years.

You cannot combine these into "8% for 10 years" — no such condition exists. A realistic reference point, per a market practitioner's assessment (not official statistics): price growth of around 6–7% a year and a net yield of 4–5% after taxes and running costs. Promises of "15–20% guaranteed profit" are a red flag.

What a remote buyer is risking

  • You have seen neither the property nor the neighbourhood. The feel of a location cannot be judged from a presentation, and you cannot haggle over a unit in person either. This is offset by video walkthroughs, online viewings and — from a budget of $100k — an investment tour (10 days, a group of 10–12 people).
  • Dependence on a single intermediary. Check the agent directly: send a letter to the agency's official email asking whether this person works for them and in what capacity. If the agent presents themselves as a developer's employee, ask for the developer's licence.
  • GRR is an operator's obligation. It is worth exactly as much as that company's financial strength. Once the GRR period ends, management quality often drops.
  • Liquidity. There is barely any speculative secondary market: exiting a completed property takes 6–12 months. Assignment before handover is faster.
  • The tax regime may change. The stamp duty relief is stated as running until the end of 2027, and the 20% CGT is currently deferred to 01.01.2027 — but that date has already been postponed several times. Planning a transaction "to hit a deadline" is not viable: verify current rates and reliefs with Cambodia's tax authority (GDT) on the date of the deal.
  • Sihanoukville. Most properties there are leasehold and freehold is rare; construction sites frozen since COVID are still there. The location is more complicated than Phnom Penh.
  • The 70% limit. Check whether the foreign quota in the specific building has already been used up — otherwise you will not receive a strata title.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to visit Cambodia at least once?

Legally, no: the contract is signed remotely and the handover inspection is done by a representative. Developers' bonuses are not tied to a visit — Megakim, for example, gives a visa, a Work Permit and an ABA Bank account as a gift with a purchase (1BR — for a year, 2BR — for two, 3BR — for three), and that works in a remote transaction too. The argument for travelling is different: seeing the neighbourhood, the construction site and the developer's already-completed buildings with your own eyes. On an investment tour, the reservation, the contract, the ABA account and the Visa + Work Permit are all arranged on the spot in roughly 5 days.

Can everything be done by power of attorney?

Yes — signing by a representative under a power of attorney is accepted practice alongside remote electronic signing. But the procedure for issuing and legalising the power of attorney depends on the developer and should be confirmed by a local lawyer, not by the seller's verbal assurances.

How is the money transferred?

Payments are made in USD to the developer's account, following the schedule annexed to the contract, with a receipt for each. The first instalment falls due within 3 days of signing, so the transfer channel has to be prepared in advance. Clarify your sending bank's compliance requirements before the reservation — this is a common reason for missed deadlines.

What happens if I stop paying the instalments?

Under the template contract: more than 5 days late — a penalty of 0.2% a day on the outstanding amount; more than 60 days — the payment becomes non-refundable and the deal is terminated. Protection in the other direction is written in as well: if construction stops for more than 3 months, the buyer has the right to freeze payments without penalty.

Can I exit the deal before construction finishes?

Yes, by assigning the contract to a new buyer — a fee of $200–300 to the developer, with no 4% stamp duty payable. It is permitted during the construction period with the developer's written consent, and it is the main liquidity instrument for a remote investor.

Disclaimer

This material is for information only and is not investment, legal or tax advice. Developers' prices, rates and terms are current as of the date of publication and do change; GRR is an obligation of a company, not a market guarantee. Have the documents checked by a licensed lawyer in Cambodia.