Canadian leisure and business travelers just received the biggest boost to Asia-Pacific mobility since Beijing scrapped PCR testing last year. Late on February 24, China confirmed that ordinary Canadian passport holders can now enter the mainland visa-free for stays of up to 30 days. The unilateral waiver—valid from February 17 2026 through December 31 2026—eliminates a C$140 visa fee and a two-week processing routine that had discouraged spontaneous trips.
The announcement follows Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January state visit to Beijing, where President Xi Jinping signalled an intention to rebuild people-to-people ties after a bruising period of diplomatic tension. Visa-free entry is expected to have an outsized effect on Canada’s SME exporters, universities and tech start-ups that rely on short-notice travel to maintain supply-chain or research partnerships in the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. Tour operators are already reporting a surge in enquiries for spring and summer departures, and Air Canada says it will add a second daily Vancouver-Shanghai frequency from June 1 to meet projected demand.
![Canadians gain 30-day visa-free access to China until end-2026]()
For trips that fall outside the new 30-day waiver—such as study, work placements or longer-term projects—Canadian travelers can turn to VisaHQ’s dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) for streamlined application support. The service provides real-time requirements, document reviews and courier handling, making it easier to secure the correct Chinese visa or any other travel document you might need for future global itineraries.
From a compliance standpoint, companies should remember that the waiver applies strictly to visits under 30 days for tourism, business meetings or family purposes; any remunerated activity or stays beyond 30 days still require the appropriate Chinese visa. Travellers must also carry proof of onward travel and accommodation bookings, which Chinese border officers have been inspecting more rigorously since pandemic-era rule changes.
The move places Canada among a growing list of Western countries—including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands—whose citizens can now enter China without consular paperwork. Mobility teams should update internal travel hubs and briefing materials immediately to reflect the new fast-track option.
The announcement follows Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January state visit to Beijing, where President Xi Jinping signalled an intention to rebuild people-to-people ties after a bruising period of diplomatic tension. Visa-free entry is expected to have an outsized effect on Canada’s SME exporters, universities and tech start-ups that rely on short-notice travel to maintain supply-chain or research partnerships in the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. Tour operators are already reporting a surge in enquiries for spring and summer departures, and Air Canada says it will add a second daily Vancouver-Shanghai frequency from June 1 to meet projected demand.
For trips that fall outside the new 30-day waiver—such as study, work placements or longer-term projects—Canadian travelers can turn to VisaHQ’s dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) for streamlined application support. The service provides real-time requirements, document reviews and courier handling, making it easier to secure the correct Chinese visa or any other travel document you might need for future global itineraries.
From a compliance standpoint, companies should remember that the waiver applies strictly to visits under 30 days for tourism, business meetings or family purposes; any remunerated activity or stays beyond 30 days still require the appropriate Chinese visa. Travellers must also carry proof of onward travel and accommodation bookings, which Chinese border officers have been inspecting more rigorously since pandemic-era rule changes.
The move places Canada among a growing list of Western countries—including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands—whose citizens can now enter China without consular paperwork. Mobility teams should update internal travel hubs and briefing materials immediately to reflect the new fast-track option.
