China has added Canada and the United Kingdom to its fast-growing unilateral visa-waiver programme. A Foreign Ministry notice confirmed that, from 17 February 2026, ordinary passport holders from both countries may enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business meetings, family visits or cultural exchanges. The Straits Times reported on 22 February that the move was timed to coincide with the Lunar New Year ‘Golden Week’, when China’s airports and hotels traditionally run at full capacity. Background: Beijing began trialling visa-free entry for a handful of European states in late 2024 and has steadily expanded the list. The programme is designed to revive inbound tourism – which is still barely half of its pre-pandemic volume – and to soften China’s global image after several difficult diplomatic years. Canada and the UK were notable omissions until now because of political frictions; their inclusion suggests that overt commercial interests are again taking precedence.
![China Opens 30-Day Visa-Free Entry to Canada and UK, Signalling Warmer Ties]()
Travellers who want additional clarity on the new rules—or need to secure alternative visas for stays longer than 30 days—can tap VisaHQ’s one-stop online service. Its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) explains current requirements in plain language and can arrange courier collection, document review and embassy submission if a traditional visa is still required.
Practical implications: Carriers such as Air Canada, British Airways and Air China have already announced extra frequencies on the Heathrow–Beijing, Vancouver–Shanghai and Manchester–Chengdu corridors for the summer 2026 season. Canadian tour operators say enquiries for 2-week China itineraries jumped 175 % in the first five days of the announcement. Multinationals with regional headquarters in London and Toronto can now move staff into China more quickly for project work, without the two-week visa-application lag. Business travellers should note that the 30-day stay is counted from the next calendar day after arrival and cannot be converted to a work or study permit inside China. Multiple entries are allowed, but travellers must exit the country before re-entering for a fresh 30-day period. Travellers transiting to Hong Kong, Macau or third countries by air may also combine the waiver with existing 24-, 72- or 144-hour transit-without-visa schemes in Shanghai and other hubs. Outlook: Analysts expect further G-7 additions later in 2026 as Beijing races to meet its inbound-visitor target of 80 million by 2030. The National Immigration Administration is reportedly studying reciprocal short-stay waivers with Australia and New Zealand, and a business-fast-track card for Fortune 500 executives is under internal review.
Travellers who want additional clarity on the new rules—or need to secure alternative visas for stays longer than 30 days—can tap VisaHQ’s one-stop online service. Its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) explains current requirements in plain language and can arrange courier collection, document review and embassy submission if a traditional visa is still required.
Practical implications: Carriers such as Air Canada, British Airways and Air China have already announced extra frequencies on the Heathrow–Beijing, Vancouver–Shanghai and Manchester–Chengdu corridors for the summer 2026 season. Canadian tour operators say enquiries for 2-week China itineraries jumped 175 % in the first five days of the announcement. Multinationals with regional headquarters in London and Toronto can now move staff into China more quickly for project work, without the two-week visa-application lag. Business travellers should note that the 30-day stay is counted from the next calendar day after arrival and cannot be converted to a work or study permit inside China. Multiple entries are allowed, but travellers must exit the country before re-entering for a fresh 30-day period. Travellers transiting to Hong Kong, Macau or third countries by air may also combine the waiver with existing 24-, 72- or 144-hour transit-without-visa schemes in Shanghai and other hubs. Outlook: Analysts expect further G-7 additions later in 2026 as Beijing races to meet its inbound-visitor target of 80 million by 2030. The National Immigration Administration is reportedly studying reciprocal short-stay waivers with Australia and New Zealand, and a business-fast-track card for Fortune 500 executives is under internal review.
