A foreign individual present and working in Cambodia for any period of time is legally required to obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT) or at the relevant provincial MLVT department. There is also an option for “self-employment” within the work permit application.
Per current MLVT practice, any foreigner applying for a 1 year business visa must also obtain a work permit. Work permits are valid for 1 year and usually linked to the term of the business visa.
Usually the employer/sponsor applies for the work permit on behalf of the foreign employee. An employing sponsor (business entity in Cambodia) should note that a work permit application cannot be processed without the existence of a locally incorporated entity to act as the employer or without initial MLVT registrations having been completed – such as declaration of opening of enterprise, declaration of personnel (and updates regarding outgoing and incoming staff), foreign worker quota request/approval, medical examination certificate, etc.