Ultimate Cambodia Investment Checklist (2025 Edition)
A downloadable PDF to help you plan, validate, and launch your investment strategy—step by step
Investing in Cambodia can be one of the most rewarding decisions you make in Southeast Asia. With its growing economy, liberal foreign ownership laws, favorable tax incentives, and expanding infrastructure—Cambodia is increasingly on the radar for serious global investors.
But with opportunity comes complexity. Regulations, permits, land titles, tax compliance, and cultural nuances can trip up even experienced entrepreneurs. That’s why we created the Ultimate Cambodia Investment Checklist—a simple, powerful tool to help you:
✅ Validate your investment readiness ✅ Identify legal and financial requirements ✅ Launch with clarity and confidence
📥 Get your free, printable checklist here → Download Now
Or, read on to explore each item in detail before diving in.
📌 Who This Checklist Is For
This resource is tailored for:
- Foreign entrepreneurs exploring land, real estate, or hospitality projects
- Investors launching manufacturing, logistics, or agri-business ventures
- SMEs setting up a presence in Cambodia
- Developers building in SEZs or smart city corridors
- International funds looking for compliance assurance
📌 If you’re new to the Cambodian market, we also recommend starting with our Cambodia Investment FAQ (2025 Edition)
✅ Phase 1: Strategy & Feasibility
Before signing anything, smart investors take the time to define objectives and evaluate alignment.
Preliminary Checklist:
- ☐ Define business model and investment structure
- ☐ Choose target sector(s) aligned with national investment priorities
- ☐ Study competitor and customer landscape
- ☐ Run a feasibility study (technical, market, and legal)
- ☐ Identify licensing or ownership restrictions
📌 Popular sectors in 2025 include: agri-processing, renewable energy, tourism infrastructure, and logistics. 📌 Explore sector-by-sector incentives here
📝 Phase 2: Legal & Tax Structuring
The foundation of your investment rests on how well your venture is legally built and registered.
Legal & Tax Checklist:
- ☐ Choose business entity type (Co., Ltd. or JV)
- ☐ Verify foreign ownership restrictions (e.g., for land or media)
- ☐ Draft Memorandum and Articles of Association
- ☐ Register company via MoC Business Portal
- ☐ Obtain Tax Identification Number (TIN) from GDT
- ☐ Determine VAT registration status (required > KHR 250M turnover)
- ☐ Structure for QIP application if eligible
📌 How to legally structure a foreign-owned company 📌 Understanding QIP incentives from CDC
📄 Phase 3: Land, Zoning & Permits
Land acquisition and development are often the riskiest components of Cambodia-based projects—without proper due diligence.
Property & Compliance Checklist:
- ☐ Conduct land title verification (Hard Title / Soft Title / LMAP)
- ☐ Run cadastral and boundary due diligence
- ☐ Evaluate zoning designation
- ☐ Submit zoning conversion (if needed)
- ☐ Complete construction permit process
- ☐ Assess environmental impact requirements (EIA)
📌 Understanding Land Ownership Types in Cambodia 📌 Construction permits: step-by-step guide 📌 Navigating Cambodian zoning laws
👥 Phase 4: Workforce & HR Planning
Whether you’re hiring 5 employees or 50, proper HR setup helps avoid regulatory trouble and builds early trust.
HR & Staffing Checklist:
- ☐ Draft bilingual employment contracts (Khmer & English)
- ☐ Register employees with NSSF
- ☐ Set up monthly salary tax and social contributions
- ☐ Secure work permits and quotas for foreign staff via FWCMS
- ☐ Design policies for attendance, bonuses, and compliance audits
📌 How to Hire and Build a Local Team in Cambodia 📌 Employment Law in Cambodia: Key Rules & Rates
🧾 Phase 5: Monthly & Annual Compliance
After you launch, the real work begins—ensuring tax and regulatory compliance across the board.
Post-Launch Checklist:
- ☐ Submit monthly VAT, WHT, and salary tax reports by 20th of the following month
- ☐ File annual Tax on Profit return by March 31
- ☐ Renew licenses and permits (construction, tourism, education, etc.)
- ☐ File Annual Declaration with MoC
- ☐ Maintain clean accounting and financial records (Khmer version required)
📌 Annual Reporting Obligations for Businesses in Cambodia 📌 Complete Tax Guide for Foreign Investors
🚀 Bonus: Investor Tools You Can Use
In addition to this checklist, we recommend downloading or bookmarking these top investor resources:
- 📘 Investment Incentives Matrix (PDF)
- 📗 Land Conversion & Property Development Guide
- 📒 FAQ: First-Time Investor Questions Answered
- 📥 Cambodia QIP Application Template & Process
Want all of this in one file? 📥 Download the Ultimate Cambodia Investment Checklist PDF
💡 Real Case: How a Logistics Startup Used This Checklist
In early 2024, an SME from Singapore consulted Adaeng Development to open a last-mile logistics hub in Poipet. Using the checklist:
- They structured a 100% foreign-owned Co., Ltd.
- Registered for QIP, securing a 6-year tax holiday
- Secured a lease inside an SEZ with duty-free import benefits
- Recruited 10 local staff under compliant contracts
- Launched operations in 90 days, with full GDT and NSSF onboarding
Result: The firm hit breakeven within 10 months, thanks in part to proper setup, governance, and incentive access.
🎯 Final Thoughts: Use the Checklist, Stay Ahead
In a country growing as fast as Cambodia, the best investment strategies are the most prepared ones. The Ultimate Investment Checklist ensures no detail gets overlooked—from taxes and permits to hiring and compliance.
Use it to validate your strategy, refine your setup, or review your current operation. Better yet, use it with a trusted partner who knows the Cambodian market inside and out.
📞 Get setup guidance from the team behind this checklist → Contact Us.
🔗 Internal Links
- Register a Business in Cambodia (Step-by-Step Guide)
- Due Diligence Before Buying or Partnering in Cambodia
- Joint Ventures: Legal Tips and Structuring