China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported on 28 February 2026 that 30.08 million foreign nationals entered the country visa-free in 2025 – a 49.5 % year-on-year surge. The figure covers both 72/144-hour transit exemptions and the expanding list of unilateral visa-waiver programmes that now include Canada, the United Kingdom and most EU members. Beijing’s decision earlier in February to grant ordinary Canadian passport holders 15-day visa-free entry for business and tourism has already spurred interest from Canadian chambers of commerce, which see lower compliance costs and faster deal-cycle times.
![Record jump in China’s visa-free arrivals underscores new opportunities for Canadian firms]()
Canadian travellers unsure whether their trip qualifies for the 15-day waiver can turn to VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) for quick, expert guidance. The service clarifies eligibility, secures alternative visas—such as Z-, M- or F-visas—for activities outside the waiver’s scope, and issues real-time alerts on documentation like onward tickets and hotel confirmations, helping businesses and tourists stay fully compliant.
Hainan-based duty-free conglomerate CDFG told Xinhua that bookings from Canada jumped 70 % in the first week after the waiver took effect on 17 February. For Canadian multinationals, the numbers translate into quicker deployment of sales teams, after-sales engineers and executives who would previously wait up to 20 days for a single-entry M-visa. Logistics companies are exploring Shanghai Pudong as a crew-change hub, leveraging the 144-hour transit policy to rotate Canadian pilots and technicians without full visas. However, mobility advisers caution that the waiver does not cover work activities that generate remuneration in China; those still require a Z-visa and work permit. In addition, travellers must carry printed proof of onward tickets and hotel bookings, and overstays incur fines of RMB 500 per day. Companies should update travel-approval workflows to flag employees who may inadvertently perform restricted services while on visa-free status. Airlines are already adjusting schedules. Air Canada confirmed it will up-gauge its Vancouver–Shanghai service to a Boeing 787-10 from April, citing stronger leisure and SME travel demand. Tourism boards predict Chinese inbound traffic to Canada could rebound as reciprocity talks progress, potentially restoring a CAD 2 billion market battered during the pandemic.
Canadian travellers unsure whether their trip qualifies for the 15-day waiver can turn to VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) for quick, expert guidance. The service clarifies eligibility, secures alternative visas—such as Z-, M- or F-visas—for activities outside the waiver’s scope, and issues real-time alerts on documentation like onward tickets and hotel confirmations, helping businesses and tourists stay fully compliant.
Hainan-based duty-free conglomerate CDFG told Xinhua that bookings from Canada jumped 70 % in the first week after the waiver took effect on 17 February. For Canadian multinationals, the numbers translate into quicker deployment of sales teams, after-sales engineers and executives who would previously wait up to 20 days for a single-entry M-visa. Logistics companies are exploring Shanghai Pudong as a crew-change hub, leveraging the 144-hour transit policy to rotate Canadian pilots and technicians without full visas. However, mobility advisers caution that the waiver does not cover work activities that generate remuneration in China; those still require a Z-visa and work permit. In addition, travellers must carry printed proof of onward tickets and hotel bookings, and overstays incur fines of RMB 500 per day. Companies should update travel-approval workflows to flag employees who may inadvertently perform restricted services while on visa-free status. Airlines are already adjusting schedules. Air Canada confirmed it will up-gauge its Vancouver–Shanghai service to a Boeing 787-10 from April, citing stronger leisure and SME travel demand. Tourism boards predict Chinese inbound traffic to Canada could rebound as reciprocity talks progress, potentially restoring a CAD 2 billion market battered during the pandemic.
