(CHINA) — China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday brought in a unilateral visa waiver that lets Canadian ordinary passport holders enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days.
The policy starts February 17, 2026, at 00:00 Beijing Time, and runs through December 31, 2026, at 24:00 Beijing Time.
For many Canadians, the change removes the need to apply for a visitor visa before travel for short trips. It applies to both individual travelers and tour groups.
Visa-free entry does not guarantee admission. Border officers still decide whether a traveler meets entry conditions and whether the stated purpose matches what the waiver allows.
China’s waiver covers business, tourism, visits to family and friends, exchanges, and transit. Travelers planning to work for pay, study long term, or stay longer than the limit still need the appropriate visa.
The 30-day cap applies to each visit. China counts the stay as 30 calendar days, with counting beginning from the day after entry.
Officials have not set restrictions on entry frequency or on total days spent in China during the policy window, as long as each visit stays within the per-trip limit. Each entry still undergoes inspection, and travelers can face questions about plans even on repeat trips.
The shift marks a broad change from the previous position for Canadians, who generally needed visas to enter China. Earlier exceptions included 30-day stays in Hainan province or limited transit options of up to 10 days at select ports.
Travelers using the waiver still must meet key entry requirements at the border. One practical implication is that airlines and border officials may ask for documents that many travelers previously assembled for a visa application.
China expects a passport to be valid for at least 6 months from the entry date. Travelers whose passports fall short of that standard risk disruption at check-in or on arrival.
Proof of onward travel also remains central to entry checks. The policy calls for a confirmed return or onward ticket, and travelers can expect to be asked about where they will go next, even when they qualify for visa-free entry.
That makes itinerary consistency important at the border. Travelers who say they are visiting for tourism can face further questions if their plans resemble work or long-term study, or if they cannot explain where they will stay.
Border officials verify whether the traveler’s purpose matches the allowed activities and can deny entry for work, long-term study, stays beyond the limit, or other ineligible reasons. People entering on the waiver should assume officials can request supporting details on short notice.
China’s process can also include collection of fingerprints for travelers aged 14-70. Devices may be screened, adding another point where travelers may be asked to explain plans and provide details about their trip.
The waiver does not cover paid employment, and travelers who plan to work for pay need a Z-visa. It also does not cover degree or long-term study, which requires an X-visa, and it does not cover stays over 30 days.
Those boundaries matter for travelers who mix activities, such as adding client meetings to a family trip, or extending travel beyond a month. The waiver simplifies entry for short permitted visits, but it does not change China’s requirements for work and study.
Dual citizenship raises another practical issue. China’s laws do not recognize dual citizenship, and dual Chinese-Canadian citizens previously faced full requirements.
The source data cites about 1.7 million dual Chinese-Canadian citizens based on the 2021 census. Travelers in that category may want to confirm which documents to present and how to handle any China-related nationality questions before traveling.
In practical terms, the waiver can reduce preparation time and out-of-pocket costs for many short trips. Travelers can skip the prior single-entry L-visa and its documentation.
The prior single-entry L-visa cost C$180. Removing that step can also reduce the lead time needed to arrange consular appointments, gather paperwork, and wait for a visa decision, though travelers still need to plan for entry checks.
Airlines may also treat the policy as a factor in demand planning. Air Canada has said it plans potential route expansions on Toronto-Shanghai and Vancouver-Beijing.
Air Canada’s flights operate at 60% pre-pandemic capacity in the information provided. The carrier’s planning sits alongside an expectation that easier entry can influence how often people travel, especially for short visits.
Analysts at CIBC Capital Markets project up to C$1 billion in two-way visitor spending. The figure provides a sense of the commercial interest around renewed travel flows, even as each traveler still faces case-by-case border screening.
The timing follows Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January 16, 2026, visit amid trade talks. The visa waiver arrives as a travel measure that can support business contacts and family visits during a period of diplomacy.
Canada also joins a wider group of countries covered by China’s visa waivers. The source lists 49 other countries and gives examples that include the UK, Japan, Brazil, Russia.
The UK’s waiver matches exactly, Canada’s inclusion adds another North American country to a set of arrangements China has used to encourage short-term travel within defined conditions.
For Canadian travelers, the most immediate planning change involves understanding what “visa-free” means at the airport and on arrival. Many people who never had to show much more than a passport and boarding pass for some destinations may still need to show trip details here.
At check-in, carriers commonly verify entry eligibility, and the onward ticket requirement can become a practical hurdle. Travelers who normally buy flexible or open-ended tickets may need to ensure their booking meets a “confirmed” standard before departure.
Travelers who enter for transit should also align their plans with the waiver’s permitted purposes. Even a short stop can involve questions about where a traveler will go, where they will stay, and how long they will remain in China.
Another planning point is that each visit cannot exceed 30 calendar days, counted from the day after entry. That counting method can affect itineraries that push close to the limit, especially when factoring in late-night arrivals or early morning departures.
Travelers who want to stay longer than 30 days need to seek the appropriate visa category rather than assume they can extend visa-free entry. The policy details provided do not include an extension mechanism within the waiver itself.
The policy can also change how Canadians plan multi-city travel inside China. A traveler can still move around within the country, but officials may scrutinize whether the trip details make sense for the stated purpose, and whether the traveler can support themselves during the stay.
Device screening and fingerprint collection can also affect arrival times. Travelers who arrive with tight connections, especially those entering for transit, may want to allow additional time for inspection.
The waiver can simplify short trips for business meetings, tourism, and family visits, but it does not remove the need to plan for border discretion. Officials can refuse entry, and travelers can reduce risk by keeping their documents and plans consistent.
Canadian travelers seeking to confirm edge cases can contact China’s missions in Canada before travel. The Embassy of China in Canada can be reached at +1-613-4550117 and [email protected].
China’s consulate contacts listed for Canada include the Toronto Consulate at +1-437-3612299 and [email protected]. Travelers can also reach the Vancouver Consulate at +1-604-4160040 and [email protected].
Additional contacts in the list include the Calgary Consulate at +1-403-5376905 and [email protected], and the Montreal Consulate at +1-514-2418930 and [email protected].
When requesting guidance, travelers typically need to provide the basics that border officials will later assess. That includes travel dates within the policy window, confirmation they hold a Canadian ordinary passport, the trip purpose, and a brief itinerary summary.
Keeping a record of advice received by email can help with trip preparation, especially for travelers with complex personal circumstances. Documentation can also help ensure travelers follow consistent guidance when booking flights and preparing supporting documents.
A separate issue for travelers is how quickly public-facing advisories and information pages reflect changes. Canada’s travel.gc.ca site lists visas as required but references specific exemptions like Hainan and transit, with an update expected soon.
That kind of lag can create confusion at the planning stage, particularly for travelers who rely on official checklists. Travelers may need to reconcile older advisory wording with the announced policy terms and ensure they meet entry requirements regardless.
China’s policy status is active as announced in the source information. Officials have not provided extension details beyond December 31, 2026, leaving travelers to plan within the stated end date.
For Canadians considering a trip, the change can be straightforward in concept: short permitted visits no longer require a visa application in advance. In practice, it puts more weight on being ready at the border with a passport that meets the validity expectation, a clear purpose, and a confirmed onward ticket within the 30 days per-visit limit.
