Background
Vehicle registration rules set the administrative conditions for identifying vehicles and linking them to lawful ownership. Vehicle registration in Cambodia functions as an administrative record connecting a vehicle, its owner, and its registration plate. The registration process also links transport administration with tax documentation, technical inspection records, and proof of legal ownership.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport administers vehicle registration services within Cambodia’s transport governance system. MPWT is the central government institution responsible for public works and transport administration, including vehicle registration services. Registration procedures for license plates are implemented through formal service requirements that applicants must satisfy before a plate can be issued.
The special personalized “Cambodia” license plate system is a formal registration option for eligible vehicles under the vehicle registration framework. The system requires applicants to submit ownership, identity, tax, import or sale, and technical documentation according to the vehicle type and applicant status.
Scope of Application
The MPWT notice applies to applications for special personalized “Cambodia” license plates for motorcycles, three-wheeled motor vehicles, and four-wheeled motorcycles. The stated procedure covers individual applicants and legal entities.
For individual applicants, the required identity documents differ between Cambodian citizens and foreign nationals. For legal entities, the application requires a patent tax card copy bearing the company seal or a copy certified by a competent institution.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Applicants must attach a vehicle registration application form, a vehicle technical inspection certificate copy where required, the original vehicle tax receipt, and a sales invoice or vehicle import document for personally imported vehicles.
For Cambodian citizens, the ownership identity requirement may be satisfied by a Cambodian national identity card copy certified by a competent authority, or by other identity verification documents specified in the MPWT notice. For foreign nationals, the required documents include a passport, a non-tourist visa valid for at least 30 days, and an original current residence certificate issued by a competent authority.
The stated service fee for registration is 120,000 riel.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
The procedure confirms that personalized vehicle plate registration is not limited to number selection; it also requires evidence of vehicle ownership, tax payment, and applicant identity. Businesses applying as legal entities must prepare company documentation, including the patent tax card requirement identified by MPWT.
Foreign applicants must account for immigration-status documentation because the procedure requires a valid non-tourist visa and residence certificate. Vehicle owners using direct import documents must keep import evidence available for the registration process.
Official Source
The MPWT notice states that the requirements were extracted from Interministerial Prakas No. 197 SHV.PrK.ATCh dated 17 March 2025 on the sale and auction of special personalized vehicle registration numbers, and Prakas No. 123 SK.PrK.DChK dated 23 May 2025 on the formalities and procedures for vehicle registration, issuance of vehicle identification plates, and removal of vehicles from the vehicle register.
Official source: Ministry of Public Works and Transport Facebook post, published 6 May 2026. URL: https://www.facebook.com/mpwt.gov.kh/posts/pfbid07RBo1f6jueRGSxg7SaGG9bYoiwVEjFRMhir6dbzAerfhT3WHNgFwY8Kk1kXLUqQUl
