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Coverage 14 Oct 2026 · 4 min read

Vietnam Pilots Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups to Khanh Hoa via Cam Ranh

Vietnam's Resolution 325/NQ-CP lets Chinese tour groups enter Khanh Hoa visa-free via Cam Ranh until 31 Dec 2027. Conditions, limits, and what OTAs and tour sellers should know.

LM
Loris Mazloum
Founder, SimpleVisa

On 12 October 2026, Vietnam's government signed Resolution No. 325/NQ-CP. It pilots a visa exemption for Chinese tour groups visiting Khanh Hoa province, home to Nha Trang and Cam Ranh. The policy applies from the date of signature until 31 December 2027, during the Vietnam-China Tourism Cooperation Year 2026-2027.

This is not a general visa exemption for Chinese travelers. Independent travelers and trips outside Khanh Hoa are not covered.

This note is for OTAs and tour sellers. It is not legal advice.

The conditions

Condition Rule
Passport Valid ordinary passport of the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong and Macau SAR passports are excluded.
Group Tourism in a group of 2 or more people
Organiser Package tour organised by a Vietnamese international travel company
Where Khanh Hoa province only
Border point Cam Ranh International Airport. Entry and exit must be through the same airport.
Flight Direct flight from mainland China to Cam Ranh
Length Up to 30 days
Period 12 October 2026 to 31 December 2027

Not fully operational yet

The resolution asks two ministries to issue the working rules. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will set how Vietnamese tour operators are selected and managed, and how the programme runs. The Ministry of Public Security will issue the entry, exit and residence procedures.

Until those rules are out, sellers should not promise visa-free entry to a specific group without confirmation from the Vietnamese tour operator.

What travel sellers should do

01

Do not change the general rule. Chinese passport holders still need a Vietnam e-visa or visa for independent travel and for trips outside this pilot. See Vietnam's e-visa and the entry-date rule.

02

Gate the exemption. Only apply it when all conditions are true: group of 2 or more, package tour by an approved Vietnamese operator, Khanh Hoa only, direct flight to Cam Ranh, same airport in and out, 30 days or less.

03

Wait for the operator list. Ask your Vietnamese ground partner whether they are approved under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism rules.

04

Flag itinerary changes. A group that adds Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or a different exit airport falls outside the pilot and needs visas.

05

Keep the end date. Store 31 December 2027 as the pilot end date.

Related: Vietnam pre-arrival information (PAI) and eVisa API for OTAs and airlines.

Watch Vietnam

Coverage alerts send one email per rule change for the destinations you pick, from the partner console. Systems can take the same events as webhooks; the shape is in the developer docs. The live requirement for any passport is always in the requirements checker.

Information taken from the sources below. Not legal advice. The implementing procedures were still outstanding when this note was checked.

Sources

Resolution No. 325/NQ-CP, 12 Oct 2026 verified 14 Oct 2026 · baochinhphu.vn, 12 Oct 2026 verified 14 Oct 2026

LM
Loris Mazloum
Founder, SimpleVisa

Loris Mazloum founded SimpleVisa and writes the coverage notes on this blog for airlines, OTAs, and other travel companies. Each note is checked against the government source named at the bottom before it publishes. SimpleVisa keeps requirement data for 190+ destinations and files applications where a government channel exists.

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