Cambodia has fired the starting pistol on its most ambitious tourism-recovery drive since the pandemic, gazetting a new visa-waiver pilot that explicitly includes travellers holding Hong Kong and Macao passports alongside mainland Chinese. Under the scheme, Hong Kong residents may enter Cambodia visa-free between 15 June and 15 October 2026 for stays of up to 14 days per visit, with unlimited entries during the four-month window provided travellers complete the country’s digital e-Arrival Card before departure.
The initiative is part of Phnom Penh’s strategy to restore Chinese-language tourist flows to pre-Covid levels and to entice regional business events back to Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Before 2020, Hong Kong supplied more than 70 000 leisure visitors and a growing contingent of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) delegates each year.
For Hong Kong corporates, the waiver removes roughly US$36 per traveller in visa fees and days of lead time required for online approvals. Mobility managers should, however, note that the exemption is temporary and that normal e-Visa rules will resume on 16 October. Multiple-entry business visas (E-class) remain available for travellers who need longer stays or work authorisation.
![Cambodia offers four-month visa-free window to Hong Kong passport holders]()
Need help cutting through the paperwork? VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) tracks real-time Cambodian entry requirements, offers step-by-step e-Arrival Card guidance, and can arrange alternative e-Visa or E-class business permits for travellers whose plans fall outside the waiver window—handy peace of mind for both corporate bookers and last-minute holidaymakers.
Airlines are already reacting: Cathay Pacific subsidiary HK Express plans to boost Hong Kong–Phnom Penh flights to double-daily from July, while Greater Bay charter operators report a surge in golf-tour bookings. Travel-risk advisers remind visitors that Cambodia still requires proof of medical cover of at least US$10 000 and recommends registering on the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism’s “Safe Travel” app for emergency updates.
Immigration lawyers suggest keeping a copy of the gazette notice handy, as frontline officers at smaller airports may be unfamiliar with the pilot in its early weeks. Employers sending staff for site visits should build in compliance briefings to avoid inadvertent overstays.
The initiative is part of Phnom Penh’s strategy to restore Chinese-language tourist flows to pre-Covid levels and to entice regional business events back to Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Before 2020, Hong Kong supplied more than 70 000 leisure visitors and a growing contingent of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) delegates each year.
For Hong Kong corporates, the waiver removes roughly US$36 per traveller in visa fees and days of lead time required for online approvals. Mobility managers should, however, note that the exemption is temporary and that normal e-Visa rules will resume on 16 October. Multiple-entry business visas (E-class) remain available for travellers who need longer stays or work authorisation.
Need help cutting through the paperwork? VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) tracks real-time Cambodian entry requirements, offers step-by-step e-Arrival Card guidance, and can arrange alternative e-Visa or E-class business permits for travellers whose plans fall outside the waiver window—handy peace of mind for both corporate bookers and last-minute holidaymakers.
Airlines are already reacting: Cathay Pacific subsidiary HK Express plans to boost Hong Kong–Phnom Penh flights to double-daily from July, while Greater Bay charter operators report a surge in golf-tour bookings. Travel-risk advisers remind visitors that Cambodia still requires proof of medical cover of at least US$10 000 and recommends registering on the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism’s “Safe Travel” app for emergency updates.
Immigration lawyers suggest keeping a copy of the gazette notice handy, as frontline officers at smaller airports may be unfamiliar with the pilot in its early weeks. Employers sending staff for site visits should build in compliance briefings to avoid inadvertent overstays.
