In a surprise Lunar New Year gift, Beijing has announced that Canadian citizens will be able to enter mainland China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days as of Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The measure, confirmed late Sunday by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, makes Canada the newest country on China’s rapidly expanding unilateral visa-waiver list.
The timing is strategic. Two weeks ago Prime Minister Mark Carney became the first Canadian leader in seven years to visit Beijing, where he and President Xi Jinping pledged to “reset” a relationship strained by trade spats, security concerns and the 2018 detention of the “Two Michaels.” Allowing ordinary Canadian passport-holders to visit visa-free is being cast by both sides as an early confidence-building step that will encourage face-to-face business, education, and cultural exchanges.
Practically, the change eliminates the need for a C$180 single-entry L-class visa or the cumbersome documentation previously required for short trips. Canadians may now fly in, clear immigration with just a passport valid for six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket, and remain for up to 30 days per visit through December 31, 2026. The waiver covers tourism, family visits, short-term study, and most forms of business travel, but it does **not** replace the Z-class work permit or student X-visa needed for longer assignments. Travellers with criminal records or past overstay violations can still be refused entry at the border.
![China Opens 30-Day Visa-Free Entry to Canadians Starting February 17]()
For Canadians who might still require a longer-term visa—or simply want professional peace of mind that their documentation meets the latest rules—VisaHQ offers an all-in-one service that includes real-time requirement checks, application preparation, and expedited passport couriering. Its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) keeps travelers and HR teams up to date on China’s evolving policies and can seamlessly switch clients from the new visa-free option to traditional Z, X, or L visas when trip parameters change.
The business community is already reacting. Air Canada said it will evaluate adding frequencies on its Toronto–Shanghai and Vancouver–Beijing routes, which are currently running at roughly 60 percent of their pre-pandemic schedule. Tour operators such as Canada China Business Forum predict a surge in trade missions, while universities hope the simplified entry rules will revive joint-research programs suspended during the pandemic. Analysts at CIBC Capital Markets estimate the policy could restore up to C$1 billion in two-way visitor spending over the next 12 months if seat capacity and consular staffing keep pace.
For corporate mobility managers, the headline takeaway is speed: employees who need to attend last-minute meetings, trade fairs or facility inspections in China now face lead-times measured in hours rather than weeks. Companies should nonetheless update travel policies to remind staff that the 30-day clock cannot be reset by a same-day hop to Hong Kong or Macau, and that consecutive visa-free entries may trigger scrutiny from Chinese border officers. Human-resources departments are also urged to verify whether medical insurance policies treat visa-free visitors differently from traditional visa holders.
Although the waiver is technically a pilot scheme that expires at year-end, Beijing has extended similar programs repeatedly in the past. If the rollout goes smoothly, insiders expect Ottawa and Beijing to begin negotiating reciprocal concessions—potentially faster processing for Chinese work-permit holders bound for Canada or the reopening of additional Canadian visa centres in China. For now, however, February 17 marks the most significant easing of travel formalities between the two countries in almost a decade, and a clear signal that China once again wants Canadian tourists and deal-makers back on its doorstep.
The timing is strategic. Two weeks ago Prime Minister Mark Carney became the first Canadian leader in seven years to visit Beijing, where he and President Xi Jinping pledged to “reset” a relationship strained by trade spats, security concerns and the 2018 detention of the “Two Michaels.” Allowing ordinary Canadian passport-holders to visit visa-free is being cast by both sides as an early confidence-building step that will encourage face-to-face business, education, and cultural exchanges.
Practically, the change eliminates the need for a C$180 single-entry L-class visa or the cumbersome documentation previously required for short trips. Canadians may now fly in, clear immigration with just a passport valid for six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket, and remain for up to 30 days per visit through December 31, 2026. The waiver covers tourism, family visits, short-term study, and most forms of business travel, but it does **not** replace the Z-class work permit or student X-visa needed for longer assignments. Travellers with criminal records or past overstay violations can still be refused entry at the border.
For Canadians who might still require a longer-term visa—or simply want professional peace of mind that their documentation meets the latest rules—VisaHQ offers an all-in-one service that includes real-time requirement checks, application preparation, and expedited passport couriering. Its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) keeps travelers and HR teams up to date on China’s evolving policies and can seamlessly switch clients from the new visa-free option to traditional Z, X, or L visas when trip parameters change.
The business community is already reacting. Air Canada said it will evaluate adding frequencies on its Toronto–Shanghai and Vancouver–Beijing routes, which are currently running at roughly 60 percent of their pre-pandemic schedule. Tour operators such as Canada China Business Forum predict a surge in trade missions, while universities hope the simplified entry rules will revive joint-research programs suspended during the pandemic. Analysts at CIBC Capital Markets estimate the policy could restore up to C$1 billion in two-way visitor spending over the next 12 months if seat capacity and consular staffing keep pace.
For corporate mobility managers, the headline takeaway is speed: employees who need to attend last-minute meetings, trade fairs or facility inspections in China now face lead-times measured in hours rather than weeks. Companies should nonetheless update travel policies to remind staff that the 30-day clock cannot be reset by a same-day hop to Hong Kong or Macau, and that consecutive visa-free entries may trigger scrutiny from Chinese border officers. Human-resources departments are also urged to verify whether medical insurance policies treat visa-free visitors differently from traditional visa holders.
Although the waiver is technically a pilot scheme that expires at year-end, Beijing has extended similar programs repeatedly in the past. If the rollout goes smoothly, insiders expect Ottawa and Beijing to begin negotiating reciprocal concessions—potentially faster processing for Chinese work-permit holders bound for Canada or the reopening of additional Canadian visa centres in China. For now, however, February 17 marks the most significant easing of travel formalities between the two countries in almost a decade, and a clear signal that China once again wants Canadian tourists and deal-makers back on its doorstep.
