(MAINLAND CHINA) China will add Canada 🇨🇦 and the United Kingdom to its unilateral visa waiver scheme for 30-day visa-free entry starting February 17, 2026, raising the total to 50 eligible countries. For travelers, the change means they can fly to mainland China for short stays without applying for a visa in advance, as long as they fit the allowed purposes and meet border checks.
This is visa-free travel, not a free pass to work. Airlines still screen documents at check-in, and border officers still decide entry at arrival. But for many families, business travelers, and conference-goers, the policy cuts weeks of paperwork and makes last-minute trips more realistic.
What China expanded, and what “30 days” means at the border
China’s unilateral 30-day visa-free entry policy now covers nationals of 50 countries who hold an ordinary passport. “Unilateral” matters because it’s a China-set rule, applied at China’s border, without needing a prior visa sticker or pre-approved e-visa.
At the airport, “visa-free” does not mean “question-free.” Expect the airline to check that you have a qualifying passport and a plan that matches the permitted purposes. Expect border inspection to ask basic questions about your itinerary, where you’ll stay, and when you’ll leave.
Travelers should also treat the policy as a short-stay option only. It does not replace a residence permit, a work visa, or a long-term student status, and it does not cover paid employment.
February 17, 2026 start, December 31, 2026 end, and how to count the stay
For Canada 🇨🇦 and the UK, the expansion applies from 00:00 on February 17, 2026, through December 31, 2026. That window is the planning anchor for tickets, hotel bookings, and travel insurance. Book with the stated validity period in mind.
The “30 days” is not counted from the minute you land. China’s rule counts 30 calendar days starting from 00:00 on the day after entry. That detail changes real itineraries. If you arrive late at night, you still usually get the benefit of the next day being counted as day one.
A practical way to plan is to map your arrival date, then count 30 calendar days starting the next day at midnight, and set your departure earlier than the final day to avoid problems with delays. If you overstay, even by a short period, you risk fines, detention, and future entry problems.
Multiple entries are allowed in principle, as long as each stay follows the maximum stay rule. A traveler could enter, leave, and re-enter later, but each entry starts a new 30-day count under the same method. Border officers can still ask why a traveler is coming and going often, so keep documents consistent with your stated purpose.
Who qualifies: the 50-country list, explained by region
Eligibility is tied to nationality and passport type, not residence or where you are flying from. The unilateral visa waiver applies to ordinary passport holders from 50 countries, grouped in official and media reporting across regions. Regional framing helps readers do a fast self-check before they spend money on flights.
The breakdown given for the 50 countries is:
- Europe (29)
- Americas (6)
- Asia-Pacific (10)
- Middle East (4)
- Other (1)
Canada 🇨🇦 and the UK are the headline additions because they move the total from 48 to 50 and because their business and family travel volumes are large. Europe remains the biggest block, with many well-known Schengen and non-Schengen countries included. The Americas category includes several South American countries as well as Canada. The Asia-Pacific group includes Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, among others.
One editorial quirk travelers will notice is that Saudi Arabia appears in two regional groupings in the list presentation. That does not create two different rules. It is simply a duplication in how the country was grouped.
If your nationality is not on the list, do not try to force the visa-free route. Use a regular visa, or consider a transit program if your routing fits the transit rules explained below.
Documents and trip purposes that pass airline and border checks
For the 30-day visa-free entry channel, travelers should prepare for two control points: airline check-in and border inspection. Airlines enforce rules because they face penalties and return costs if they carry someone who is refused entry.
Bring an ordinary passport valid for at least 6 months. That six-month buffer is a common airline standard for international travel, and it reduces the chance of being denied boarding even before you reach the border.
Carry proof of onward travel, such as a confirmed ticket leaving mainland China within the allowed period. Border staff and airlines use onward travel to confirm you do not intend to overstay. Open-jaw or multi-city tickets can work if they clearly show an exit from mainland China.
Your purpose must match the allowed categories. China’s list includes:
- business
- tourism
- visiting family or friends
- cultural and educational exchanges
- transit
- sports competitions
- conferences and exhibitions
- study tours
The hard boundary is paid work. The visa waiver is not work authorization, and it is not a workaround for employment in China. Travelers who plan to earn money in China need a work-authorized status arranged through the usual visa process.
A simple way to reduce questions is to carry a short paper trail that matches your purpose. For business, bring meeting invitations or fair registration. For family visits, keep an address and contact number. For conferences, keep your badge confirmation and hotel booking.
Choosing between 30-day visa-free entry, transit programs, and Hainan access
China runs several entry convenience policies, and mixing them up causes real problems at check-in. The 30-day visa-free entry is a direct entry permission for eligible nationals. Transit programs are different because they require an onward journey to a third place, and they often limit where you can travel.
A major alternative is 240-hour visa-free transit, available at 65 ports for nationals of 55 countries, with an expansion noted as taking effect November 5, 2025. Transit programs depend on routing logic. You must be passing through China on the way to another destination, and you must use eligible entry and exit points under the program rules.
There is also 24-hour direct transit, which has been expanded to 10 new international airports, including Tianjin, Nanjing, and Chongqing. This option is for tight connections and short stops. It is not the same as a 30-day stay, and it does not turn a transit stop into a flexible visit across the country.
Hainan has its own 30-day visa-free policy for 59 countries, separate from the mainland scheme. Travelers should not assume Hainan’s rules apply if they want to visit Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or other mainland cities. A Hainan-only path can fail if the itinerary leaves the province.
China has also made online entry cards available since November 20, 2025, which can reduce arrival friction by putting key information into the system earlier. Treat it as a convenience tool unless an airline or port requires it for your trip.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the safest planning method is to pick one pathway that matches the full itinerary, then build documents around that pathway, rather than switching plans mid-trip at the airport.
Who sets the rules, and what travelers should watch for at implementation
The expansion follows January 2026 visits to Beijing by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, where both advocated for easier travel. Diplomatic engagement often shows up first in entry policy changes because short-term travel is a fast way to restart business ties, tourism, and family movement.
Implementation is overseen by China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In day-to-day travel terms, that means official updates usually flow through those agencies, while the on-the-ground decision still happens at the port of entry.
Two checkpoints matter most. First is airline check-in, where staff verify passport validity, eligibility for the visa waiver, and onward travel. Second is border inspection, where officers confirm your purpose fits the approved categories and your stay plan matches the 30-day count rule.
For the most reliable official reference point on entry and exit administration, travelers can check the National Immigration Administration’s website at en.nia.gov.cn.
