The story
Chinese travelers can use Vietnam’s new visa exemption for Khanh Hoa only if they meet the pilot’s full conditions: at least two eligible Chinese ordinary-passport holders, a package tour organized by a Vietnamese international travel enterprise, and a direct flight from mainland China to Cam Ranh International Airport. Entry and exit must both be through Cam Ranh, and the permitted destination is Khanh Hoa Province. Hong Kong and Macao SAR passport holders are excluded, according to the Ministry’s eligibility notice.
Who qualifies, and for how long?
The package tour may last no more than 30 days. The pilot runs through 31 December 2027. Resolution 325/NQ-CP was signed on 12 October 2026 and took effect that day, as recorded in the government resolution record and the Ministry’s explanation.
Two people traveling together do not qualify on group size alone. The valid ordinary-passport requirement, qualifying organizer, package tour, destination and flight route all matter. The exemption therefore suits travelers whose plans already fit an organized Khanh Hoa tour; it does not establish permission for an independent trip around Vietnam.
The route shapes the trip
The required inbound journey is a direct flight from mainland China to Cam Ranh. Both border entry and exit must use Cam Ranh, while the destination scope remains Khanh Hoa. A plan to arrive through another Vietnamese airport or add other provinces falls outside the conditions described in the official notice.
The practical tradeoff is flexibility. Eligible travelers can receive a visa exemption within this package-tour structure, but travelers seeking a multi-province itinerary or different arrival and departure airports should not assume this pilot covers their plans. The cited official notices do not explain how itinerary changes or departures from the approved scope would be handled.
AI-generated conceptual illustration of a coastal detail associated with the destination theme; not a photograph of a verified location or tour stop.
Check the tour and flight before committing
Ask the organizer to explain how the proposed package meets the passport, group, operator, province, route and duration conditions. The resolution assigns tourism authorities responsibility for operator selection and management guidance, and public-security authorities responsibility for entry, exit and residence procedures. The cited sources do not establish a final traveler checklist or participating-operator list; travelers should confirm the current procedure with their organizer. See the signed resolution.
A policy announcement also does not confirm a flight for your dates. A 21 October Ministry report quotes the Cam Ranh terminal operator as expecting charter flights during the Lunar New Year 2027 peak, followed by a move toward scheduled services. That is an expectation, not a confirmed timetable or evidence of currently bookable direct flights. Before paying, establish that the actual flight and package fit the exemption’s conditions.
Checked: 24 October 2026.
Sources and evidence
Government of Vietnam: Resolution 325/NQ-CP record
Government of Vietnam: signed resolution PDF
Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: eligibility, route and dates
Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: tourism context and attributed flight expectations