Latest news

Cambodia on Tuesday announced a pilot visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens, becoming the latest country after Russia to roll out a friendly visa policy for Chinese travelers.

Cambodia's government on Tuesday issued a document announcing that it will pilot a visa-free entry policy for Chinese nationals from June 15 to October 15, 2026, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.
 
According to the document, Cambodia has approved a trial program allowing Chinese travelers to enter the country without a visa and stay there for up to 14 days.

During the four-month trial period, Chinese nationals will not be required to apply for a visa or pay any related fees; they will only need to fill an electronic arrival card. Multiple entries will be permitted during the pilot phase, per Xinhua.

Chinese online travel platforms reported a surge in searches following the announcement, with interest in Cambodian destinations — including the famed Angkor Wat — rising sharply among Chinese travelers.

A Chinese analyst noted that China's strong outbound tourism spending power has drawn growing attention from overseas destinations, adding that the safety and services for Chinese travelers should also be improved.

After the news was released, air ticket searches for Phnom Penh (Dakhmao Airport) and Siem Reap saw a notable jump, according to a statement Qunar.com provided to the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Searches for flights from Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen to Phnom Penh rose by 5.2 times, 4.3 times and 3 times, respectively, from an hour earlier. Most flights from major Chinese cities to Dakhmao Airport are now priced below 1,000 yuan ($142), with fares from cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen dipping below 500 yuan.

Home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor Wat, Siem Reap is a major tourist draw. Searches for flights to Siem Reap climbed, with Shanghai-Siem Reap route searches rising five-fold.

The new visa policy was quickly noticed by travel enthusiasts. From December 2 to the morning of December 3, search popularity for major routes from Chinese cities to Cambodia on Tongcheng.com doubled on an hour-on-hour basis.

China and Cambodia have long maintained a friendly relationship, with strong economic ties and frequent people-to-people exchanges. The trial visa-free arrangement aligns with existing tourism cooperation and is expected to further facilitate bilateral travel, and deepen cultural exchanges.

Zhang said that from an economic perspective, Cambodia aspires to attract more Chinese visitors through the visa-free policy to boost tourism-related revenues. Zhang added that the policy's real impact will depend on whether the country can effectively absorb the surge in demand — particularly by improving service quality and strengthening safety measures for travelers.

Just days before, a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin allows Chinese citizens to travel to Russia visa-free for tourism and business purposes from now until September 14, 2026, according to state broadcaster CCTV News. The visa-free stay is limited to 30 days.

Notably, this reported announcement of visa-free entry for Chinese visitors has already triggered an immediate surge in travel demand, according to the Global Times' recent research.

Earlier, China's visa-free policy with Russia had produced notably positive effects on facilitating bilateral tourism and related economic activity.

Chinese travelers respond swiftly to favorable visa policies, and the immediate surge in searches and bookings reflects a release of pent-up consumption demand, Zhang said. "The marked revival in market activity shows how quickly the travel sector can be energized when policies send a positive signal. Stronger mutual commitments and safeguards from both sides will support the steady expansion of cross-border travel."

From January to October this year, the country received around 1 million visits from Chinese tourists, citing data from Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism show, said Xinhua.