The Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia convened a meeting to Plan 2026 Visa-Exemption Pilot for Chinese Tourists

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) of Cambodia has convened an urgent meeting of the Tourism Working Group “Group B” of the Government–Private Sector Forum. The session focused on formulating a concrete action plan for the rollout of the pilot visa exemption program for Chinese tourists, scheduled for 2026.

This high-level meeting follows the endorsement of Prime Minister Hun Manet and aims to maximize economic benefits while ensuring efficiency and safety during the program's implementation.
H.E. HUOT HAK, Minister of Tourism, chaired the session, prioritizing the development of practical measures and effective strategies to ensure the seamless execution of the pilot scheme.

The meeting gathered approximately 130 participants from key public and private sectors, including: Neak Oknha Kith Meng, President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Coordinating Committee for the Private Sector Working Groups, Luu Meng, Co-Chair of the Tourism Working Group “Group B”, senior officials from relevant ministries and institutions and representatives from the Cambodia Tourism Board (CTB), tourism associations, Cambodia Airports, Angkor International Airport, airlines, and tourism operators.

The Royal Government, supported by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and acting on requests from the MoT and the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, has approved the following parameters for the pilot scheme; such as, No visa application or fee required; Chinese tourists must only complete an E-arrival card, the fee-entry visa is valid for 14-days stay with multiple entry privileges. The programme will start from June 15th to October 15th, 2026, with 4 months duration.

Guided by the principle of “joint thinking, joint action, joint responsibility, and joint benefit,” Minister Huot Hak called on all competent ministries, institutions, and private-sector partners to execute their mandates effectively. The Minister emphasized the need for widespread information dissemination and detailed planning to ensure the pilot delivers maximum economic impact and operational effectiveness.

Participants expressed deep appreciation to Prime Minister Hun Manet for authorizing the initiative, noting that the visa exemption is expected to significantly stimulate economic momentum during the country’s green season.