Hiring a Japanese Chef in Cambodia: Work Permit and Quota

Cambodia is open to foreign workers on paper and in practice, but it runs on an annual cycle. A restaurant has to declare its foreign staff numbers the year before, register them in an online system, pay per worker fees every year, and keep the chef's business visa extended on the back of the work permit. Miss the cycle and the fines are large. This guide sets out the process for a restaurant in Phnom Penh or elsewhere in Cambodia hiring a Japanese chef, as of September 2026.

1. Cambodia in numbers

• MAFF counted 370 Japanese restaurants in Cambodia in 2025, up 90 on 2023.
• 2,915 Japanese nationals lived in Cambodia on 1 October 2025, down 3.2% on the year. 2,754 were long term residents and 161 permanent residents (MOFA).

MOFA's list of the 50 largest Japanese communities by city does not include Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, and we found no official city breakdown. With about 2,900 Japanese nationals in the whole country, the local pool of Japanese chefs is very small. Expect to recruit from abroad.

2. The 10% quota, and the small restaurant exception

Under the Labour Law, a foreigner can work in Cambodia only with a work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, after entering legally, with a valid residence permit and passport, and in good health (Article 261). The Investment Law allows foreigners to be hired where no Cambodian with the qualifications or expertise is available.

Ministry Order 196 of 20 August 2014 limits foreign workers to 10% of the Cambodian workforce, split as:

On a strict reading a restaurant would need 10 Cambodian employees for each foreigner. JETRO reports two practical relaxations as of August 2025:

• an employer with 0 to 9 Cambodian employees can be allotted one foreign worker without conditions; and
• an employer that exceeds 10% can, as a special measure, apply for the excess in its quota application.

For a new restaurant with a small local team, the first point is what makes one Japanese chef workable. These are described as current practice, not statute, so confirm them when you file.

3. Quota and work permit through FWCMS

Everything runs through the ministry's online Foreign Worker Centralized Management System (FWCMS), made mandatory by Ministry Order 352 of 17 August 2016. JETRO notes the site can be hard to reach from outside Cambodia.

1. Register the workplace. The company must have applied to the ministry to register its business establishment.
2. Apply for the quota the year before. Employers declare the foreign and Cambodian staff they plan to employ. The ministry announces the window, which has usually been September to November of the previous year. For a chef starting in 2027, that means acting now. Prakas 277 of 2020 contains wording that could make this step stricter (for example by requiring each foreign worker's contract), but JETRO reported no change in practice as of August 2025.
3. Apply for the work permit. Once the quota is in place, submit the chef's passport and visa details, education, the employment contract registered with the ministry, a health certificate and photos through FWCMS.

Foreign shareholders and directors do not need a work permit unless they hold a visa (Instruction 110 of 28 December 2023). A Japanese owner who also cooks in the kitchen should take advice on which side of that line they fall.

4. Fees and penalties

Fees set by Joint Order 193 of 13 March 2025:

The fees are low. The penalties are not. Based on the fine rules under Labour Law Article 359, JETRO calculates:

• a foreigner working without a work permit: KHR 50.4 million (about US$12,600);
• failing to apply for the foreign worker quota: KHR 12.6 million (about US$3,150);
• employing a foreigner without a work permit: KHR 12.6 million (about US$3,150).

Where several violations carry the same penalty, the fine rises in proportion, up to five times.

5. The E visa and its extension

A chef who will stay in Cambodia enters on a business (E) visa and extends it at the General Department of Immigration. Extensions are available for 1 month or 3 months (single entry) and 6 or 12 months (multiple entry). The multi year business visas sold abroad are different: they allow only 30 days per entry and suit frequent visitors, not a resident chef.

For an extension, immigration asks for the passport, a certificate of employment from the employer, a copy of the employer's patent certificate, the work permit (required since October 2022) and a copy of the chef's registration in the Foreign Present in Cambodia System (FPCS). Without a work permit, a first extension can be granted only once, for up to 6 months.

FPCS registration is done by the owner of the property where the foreigner stays, not by the foreigner. If you arrange the chef's apartment, make sure the landlord registers them, or the extension will be refused.

Japanese nationals can get a business visa on arrival at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap international airports, among other entry points, or online. Since 1 September 2024, arrival, customs and health forms have been handled through the Cambodia e-Arrival system, which can be completed from 7 days before arrival.

6. A Phnom Penh hiring timeline

1. Register the business establishment with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training.
2. In the September to November window, apply for the next year's quota in FWCMS, including the chef's position.
3. Recruit the chef and register the employment contract.
4. The chef enters on an E visa. Arrange the health check and apply for the work permit in FWCMS.
5. Have the landlord complete FPCS registration, then extend the E visa (6 or 12 months) using the work permit.
6. Repeat the quota application, work permit renewal and visa extension every year.

With a one chef, small team model, the chef's main job beyond cooking is training Khmer staff. See training local staff in Japanese cuisine and, for the offer, relocation packages for chefs. Neighbouring markets: Thailand and Vietnam.

General information checked in September 2026 against JETRO's summary of Cambodian law and Japanese government statistics, not legal or immigration advice. Several points above are described as current practice rather than written rules. Confirm requirements with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the General Department of Immigration or a Cambodian lawyer before hiring.