Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration issued a clarification on May 26 denying a Chinese-language WeChat post claiming that Phnom Penh International Airport had temporarily suspended all arrivals, that land-border controls would tighten and that all foreigners under 40 would be refused entry.
The department said those claims were false and that immigration police had never received a directive imposing a blanket entry ban on foreigners under 40. It said entry and exit procedures at major international checkpoints, including air and land checkpoints, continued normally, without the alleged new measures obstructing travel.
The department said Cambodia’s entry controls focused on security and the management of foreign nationals to prevent unlawful entry. They were not the blanket suspension of lawful tourism and business travel alleged in the post.
The department reaffirmed that Cambodia continued to welcome lawful tourists, investors, businesspeople and foreign workers and to provide them with protection and support.
On visa arrangements, the Tourism Ministry had previously announced a trial visa exemption for eligible Chinese passport holders from June 15 to October 15, 2026.
AKP’s January 16 report, citing the Tourism Ministry’s January 15 notice, stated that the arrangement was not limited to direct arrivals from China: eligible travellers could also arrive from other countries. It allowed stays of up to 14 days per visit and multiple entries during the trial, without a visa application or visa fees, provided travellers completed an E-Arrival Card.
