Cambodia’s General Department of Customs recently issued new guidelines simplifying customs procedures for foreign tourists bringing yachts and other vessels into and out of the country on temporary entry. It plans to use online declarations to improve clearance efficiency and provide greater convenience for the development of water-based tourism.
Under the new rules, vessels seeking temporary admission must be legally registered abroad and have valid certificates of vessel registration and proof of ownership. The vessel owner must hold a valid tourist visa, and the vessel may be used only for personal tourism activities.
For declarations, vessel owners or lawful users can access the General Department of Customs’ electronic system and use the “Tourist Vehicle Entry and Exit” function to complete a simplified online declaration form and submit their passports, visas or lawful-residence documents, along with vessel registration and proof-of-ownership documents.
The General Department of Customs said the new measures would reduce procedural complexity, make it more convenient for foreign tourists to travel to Cambodia with their vessels, improve customs service efficiency and further promote the development of the water-tourism market.
In recent years, Cambodia has continued to improve its tourism services in an effort to attract more international visitors. The simplified procedures for the temporary entry and departure of yachts and other vessels are also viewed as a new measure to expand maritime tourism and attract international yacht visitors, creating the potential for new opportunities for the country’s tourism industry.
