Cambodia Ends Special China Visa Free Trial After Four Months While Nine Countries Continue Regular Tourist Exemptions: All You Need to Know
Cambodia’s 2026 visa policy created a special travel arrangement for Chinese visitors while keeping its regular visa-free rules unchanged for nine other countries. According to Cambodia’s official e-Visa information, eligible travellers holding passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau were allowed to enter Cambodia without a tourist visa during a special four-month trial from 15 June to 15 October 2026. The programme has now ended. No other country was placed under the same temporary four-month visa-free trial during 2026.
At the same time, Cambodia continues to grant regular tourist visa exemptions to nine countries. These are Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Myanmar. Unlike the temporary Chinese scheme, these exemptions form part of Cambodia’s normal visa framework.
China Was Given a Special Four-Month Visa-Free Trial
Cambodia introduced the China-focused visa-free programme as a temporary measure.
The trial started on 15 June 2026 and ended on 15 October 2026. Eligible travellers from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau could enter Cambodia without obtaining a tourist visa before travel.
The programme did not include Taiwan.
Under the special arrangement, eligible Chinese travellers could stay in Cambodia for up to 14 days per entry. Multiple entries were permitted during the four-month trial period.
Travellers were still required to complete Cambodia’s e-Arrival Card before entering the country.
The visa fee itself was waived under the temporary programme.
Cambodia Did Not Give the Same Trial to Another Country
Official Cambodian visa information does not show another country receiving the same temporary four-month visa-free arrangement during 2026.
This makes China different from the nine countries that already have regular visa exemptions.
The difference is important. China’s visa-free access was created as a time-limited tourism measure. The other countries already benefit from established visa-free arrangements and therefore did not enter or leave a temporary trial during 2026.
Cambodia Visa-Free Countries Compared with China’s 2026 Trial
| Country / Market | Visa-Free Status | 2026 Situation | Type of Arrangement |
|---|---|---|---|
| China – Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, excluding Taiwan | Visa-free for up to 14 days during trial | 15 June–15 October 2026; trial ended | Temporary four-month pilot |
| Laos | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
| Malaysia | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
| Philippines | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
| Singapore | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
| Vietnam | Visa exempt | Continuing | Standing bilateral/ASEAN exemption |
| Thailand | Visa exempt | Continuing | Standing bilateral/ASEAN exemption |
| Indonesia | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
| Brunei Darussalam | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
| Myanmar | Visa exempt | Continuing | Regular visa exemption |
Cambodia’s official e-Visa information lists these nine countries under its tourist visa exemption framework.
Nine Countries Continue to Receive Regular Visa-Free Access
Cambodia’s normal tourist visa policy continues to exempt travellers from nine countries. These countries are mainly located within Southeast Asia and are closely connected with Cambodia through regional travel and ASEAN cooperation. For travellers from these countries, the visa exemption is not described as a temporary 2026 experiment. That means their travel position did not change when the special Chinese programme ended on 15 October 2026.
This distinction is important for travellers, airlines, tour operators and travel agents because the rules for China and the nine regularly exempt countries are not the same.
Key Cambodia Visa-Free Figures
| Indicator | Official Position |
|---|---|
| Countries given the same special 2026 trial as China | 0 |
| Countries under regular tourist visa exemption | 9 |
| China trial duration | 4 months |
| China trial start | 15 June 2026 |
| China trial end | 15 October 2026 |
| Maximum stay under China trial | 14 days per entry |
| Entry type under China trial | Multiple entry |
| Visa fee under China trial | None |
| e-Arrival Card required | Yes |
These figures show clearly that China was treated differently from Cambodia’s regular visa-exempt markets during 2026.
China’s Visa-Free Access Was Designed as a Temporary Tourism Measure
The China programme was not presented as a permanent change to Cambodia’s standard visa policy. It was introduced for four months and allowed eligible Chinese visitors to make multiple entries while staying for up to 14 days on each visit.
This gave Chinese travellers a simpler short-term travel process during the programme period. However, the official trial ended on 15 October 2026. As of 26 October 2026, the official information provided does not confirm that the special visa-free measure has been permanently extended. Travellers should therefore avoid assuming that the 2026 trial remains active.
e-Arrival Card Was Still Required During the Trial
Visa-free travel did not remove Cambodia’s separate arrival requirements. Eligible Chinese visitors using the temporary visa exemption were still required to complete the Cambodia e-Arrival Card.
This distinction is important because visa exemption and arrival registration are separate processes. The visa-free trial removed the tourist visa requirement for eligible travellers during the four-month period, but it did not remove the need to complete Cambodia’s arrival formalities. This means travellers should always check both visa rules and entry procedures before travelling.
Vietnam and Thailand Follow Different Visa Arrangements
Vietnam and Thailand are useful examples of how Cambodia’s regular visa-free system differs from the Chinese trial. Cambodia and Vietnam have an ordinary-passport visa-exemption arrangement.
Cambodia and Thailand also operate under a bilateral ordinary-passport exemption framework. These arrangements are standing travel agreements and were not created as part of the temporary 2026 Chinese tourism programme. This means Vietnamese and Thai travellers were not affected by the end of the Chinese trial on 15 October 2026.
Other ASEAN Countries Also Keep Regular Exemptions
Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Laos and Myanmar are also listed under Cambodia’s regular tourist visa exemption framework. For these travellers, visa-free access continues under Cambodia’s existing policy.
They did not receive a temporary four-month exemption in 2026 because they already benefited from regular visa-free treatment. This is why the number of countries facing the same situation as China is zero.
Why the Difference Matters for Travellers
The main issue is the type of visa arrangement. A permanent or standing visa exemption gives travellers a continuing benefit under the applicable agreement. A temporary pilot gives travellers a benefit only for a fixed period. China’s 2026 programme belonged to the second category.
It began on a fixed date and ended on a fixed date. The nine other visa-exempt countries remain under Cambodia’s regular system and therefore continue to follow their existing arrangements. Travellers should always check the current official Cambodia e-Visa or foreign-affairs information before departure because entry rules can change.
Cambodia’s 2026 Visa Policy Shows Two Different Travel Frameworks
Cambodia’s visa policy in 2026 can therefore be divided into two clear groups.
The first group was China, which received a special temporary four-month visa-free trial covering eligible travellers from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, excluding Taiwan.
The second group consists of nine countries that already receive regular tourist visa exemptions: Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Myanmar.
The Chinese programme ended on 15 October 2026, while the regular exemptions for the other nine countries continue under Cambodia’s established visa framework.
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