Before you start

Passport with a valid visa and, ideally, a long-stay extension
A Cambodian phone number for OTPs and app activation
Proof of address — a lease, or a Commune/Sangkat letter; increasingly requested
For some banks, a work permit or employer letter (not universally required)

Step-by-step

1
Choose your bank for the app, not the branch
ABA Bank has the largest foreign customer base and the app most people end up using; ACLEDA has by far the widest branch and ATM network outside the capital; Wing is a payments account rather than a bank and is useful as a second wallet. Almost all daily life happens in the app, so pick on that basis.
OnlineWho: YouAn evening of comparingFree
2
Open the account in branch
Go in person with your passport, visa extension and proof of address. You will normally be offered a dual-currency setup — a USD account and a riel account under one customer number — which is what you want, because salaries and rent are quoted in dollars but small payments settle in riel.
In personWho: You~1 hourSmall opening deposit; accounts are typically free to maintain
3
Activate the app and your KHQR code
Install the bank's app, complete the OTP activation with your Cambodian SIM, and generate your personal KHQR. That single QR is the national standard: anyone on any Cambodian bank app can pay you by scanning it, and you can pay any merchant the same way.
Mobile appWho: You~20 minFree
4
Understand which currency comes out of the ATM
Most ATMs now dispense USD 100 notes or riel. The small US bills that used to circulate have largely been withdrawn, so withdrawing dollars leaves you holding notes no tuk-tuk driver can change. Withdraw riel for daily life and keep dollars for rent and larger bills.
In personWho: YouOngoingOwn-bank ATM withdrawals are usually free
5
Set up international transfers deliberately
Inbound SWIFT to a Cambodian USD account works but is slow and charged at both ends. Many residents run a multi-currency account abroad and top up locally instead. Whatever you choose, test it with a small amount before your first rent payment is due.
Mobile appWho: YouA few days for the first transfer to landSWIFT fees at both ends

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa and long-stay extension
Cambodian SIM / phone number
Lease agreement or Commune/Sangkat residence letter
Work permit or employer letter (some banks)
Small opening deposit in cash

Things most newcomers don’t know

KHQR is not a bank feature — it is a national standard, and it is why cash matters less here than you'd expect.

The National Bank of Cambodia's KHQR is a single interoperable QR code: one code works from any participating bank's app, and millions of merchants display one, including market stalls and tuk-tuk drivers. Combined with Bakong-settled instant transfers, it means a foreigner with a local account can live largely cashless in a country most people assume is cash-only.

Source: National Bank of Cambodia / Bakong

Take riel out of the ATM, not dollars.

ATMs dispensing USD now overwhelmingly give USD 100 notes, and the small US bills that used to circulate have been withdrawn as part of the National Bank's de-dollarisation push. A hundred-dollar note is unspendable at a market stall. Withdraw riel for everyday spending and keep dollars for rent, deposits and school fees.

Source: National Bank of Cambodia; Cambodianess on de-dollarisation

Open dual-currency, not dollar-only.

Cambodia's two currencies have split by transaction size: anything under about ten dollars is settled in riel, larger amounts in dollars. A dollar-only account leaves you constantly converting at whatever rate the merchant fancies. A dual account under one customer number lets you hold both and pay from the right one.

Source: ABA Bank / ACLEDA account documentation

Your Commune letter does double duty.

The Sangkat residence letter you need for a driving licence is also what satisfies most banks' proof-of-address requirement, and it is easier to get one and photocopy it than to chase two different documents. Get it early in your first month — it unblocks several unrelated processes at once.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Opening a dollar-only account and then being unable to pay for anything small
Withdrawing USD and getting hundred-dollar notes nobody will break
Arriving without a Cambodian SIM, which blocks app activation and OTPs
Assuming your home bank's card is a substitute — foreign-card ATM fees here are steep
Letting your visa details go stale on the bank's file and having the account restricted

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.