Canada citizens: China visa requirements
The short answer
Holders of a Canada passport may enter China visa-free for up to 30 days nationwide (business, tourism, family visit, exchange or transit), valid until 31 Dec 2026; also eligible for 240-hour transit and Hainan 30-day visa-free entry.
- Entry
- Visa-free, 30 days
- Where
- Anywhere in China
- Onward ticket
- Recommended
- Work / study
- Visa required
Schemes that apply to you
Ordinary passport holders travelling for business, tourism, family visits, exchange programmes or transit may enter China without a visa and stay for up to 30 days.
- Stay
- Up to 30 days
- You need
- A valid ordinary passport, valid for the length of your stay
- Permitted purposes
- Business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchange visits, transit
- Where it applies
- Nationwide — any sea, land or air port open to foreign travellers
- The 30-day stay starts at 00:00 on the day after you enter.
- Brunei has no end date; Russia runs until 31 December 2027; the other 48 countries run until 31 December 2026.
- Travel documents other than an ordinary passport (temporary, emergency or alien’s documents) do not qualify.
- Work, study and journalism are not covered by visa-free entry.
Ordinary passport holders holding a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region may enter China without a visa through any of 65 designated ports.
- Stay
- Up to 240 hours (10 days)
- You need
- An ordinary passport plus a confirmed onward ticket with fixed dates and itinerary
- Permitted purposes
- Transit to a third country or region (tourism, business, visits and family visits are allowed while you are there)
- Where it applies
- 65 designated ports across 24 provinces; you must stay inside the designated area of that port
- Your itinerary must be A → China → B. Returning the way you came does not normally count as transit.
- You need a confirmed onward ticket with dates — a one-way ticket is not enough.
- Work, study and news reporting still require a visa obtained before you travel.
- A separate 24-hour transit exemption applies at all open ports, but you may not leave the port area.
Ordinary passport holders visiting Hainan for tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions or sports (not work or study) may enter without a visa.
- Stay
- Up to 30 days
- You need
- A valid ordinary passport
- Permitted purposes
- Tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports — not work or study
- Where it applies
- Hainan Province only, arriving and departing through Hainan’s open ports
- You cannot fly onward to mainland China on this policy — Hainan only.
- Combined with bilateral and unilateral agreements, nationals of 88 countries can currently enter Hainan visa-free.
- Individual travellers qualify; tour groups also qualify.
Take this to the airport
- Passport valid for the length of your stay — airlines often want six months.
- A return or onward ticket, plus your first hotel address.
- Hotel bookings covering the first nights.
- For business travel, a letter from your company or the Chinese host.
What visa-free does not cover
- Work, study or news reporting — a visa is required.
- Stays beyond the permitted duration.
- Travel on temporary or emergency documents instead of an ordinary passport.
- A guarantee of entry: the border officer still decides.
Canada travellers: common questions
Do Canada citizens need a visa for China?+
Visa-free for up to 30 days nationwide (policy runs until 31 December 2026).
How long can Canada citizens stay in China without a visa?+
Up to 30 days per entry under the visa-free policy, which currently runs until 31 December 2026. The stay starts at 00:00 on the day after entry.
Can Canada citizens work or study in China on visa-free entry?+
No. Work, study and news reporting are excluded from all three visa-free schemes and require a visa obtained before travel.
Other countries in Americas
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