If you carry a Canadian passport, a trip to China just got a lot simpler: **Canada was added to China's 30-day visa-free list on 17 February 2026.** No application, no fee, no visa center appointment — you board with your passport and enter for up to a month. The policy is new enough that plenty of guides still describe the old "apply for a 10-year L visa" process as if it's mandatory. For ordinary tourism it isn't anymore. Here's the current picture, including a couple of catches that matter specifically for Canadians.

<aside class="answer-box">
<p><strong>The short answer</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Tourism, business, family, or transit:</strong> no visa. Enter visa-free, stay <strong>up to 30 days</strong>, round-trip ticket is fine.</li>
<li><strong>Effective 17 February 2026</strong>, currently valid through <strong>31 December 2026</strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Hold a still-valid Chinese visa from before?</strong> You can keep using it, but you don't need it for short trips.</li>
<li>Dual citizens: you must enter on the passport that qualifies — read the dual-nationality note below.</li>
</ul>
</aside>

## The February 2026 change, in plain terms

Canada and the UK were added to China's unilateral visa-free scheme on the same day — **17 February 2026** — after years of being left off while much of Europe was already covered. For Canadian ordinary-passport holders, that means visa-free entry to the mainland for stays of **up to 30 days**, for tourism, business, visiting relatives or friends, exchanges, or transit.

> "Nationals of the above countries holding ordinary passports may enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visits to relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit, for stays of up to 30 days."
> <cite>— [Policy interpretation, National Immigration Administration](https://en.nia.gov.cn/)</cite>

Crucially, this is the *30-day scheme*, not the transit scheme — so you do **not** need an onward ticket to a third country. A normal Toronto → Beijing → Toronto round trip qualifies.

## What to have ready

There's almost nothing to prepare, but border officers can still ask, so carry:

- A **Canadian passport** valid well beyond your stay (six months is the safe rule).
- A **return or onward ticket** showing you'll leave within 30 days.
- Your **accommodation** details — a hotel booking or host address.

Do the **China Digital Arrival Card** online in the days before you fly; it's the one small digital step and it speeds up the immigration line.

## The dual-citizen catch worth knowing

Canada has a large population of dual nationals, and this is where mistakes happen:

- **Enter on your Canadian passport** to use the visa-free rule — that's the document the exemption is tied to.
- If you also hold a **Chinese passport or a Chinese travel document**, China may treat you as a Chinese national, which changes the rules entirely — that's a situation to check directly with a consulate.
- Travelling with kids who hold a different nationality? Each traveller is assessed on their own passport, so check each one.

## What still needs a visa

The visa-free door is for short visits and tourism-type purposes only:

- **Over 30 days** in one entry — you need a visa, arranged in advance.
- **Working, studying, or journalism** — these require the matching visa category, regardless of length.
- **2027 and beyond** — the policy is currently pinned to 31 December 2026. It may be renewed, but confirm before relying on it for a future trip.

For any of those, the route is the same as before February 2026: apply through a Chinese Visa Application Service Center (Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal), with fingerprints collected in person.

## Get these sorted before you land

The genuine friction in China isn't entry anymore — it's staying connected and paying for things:

- Canadian mobile plans don't roam usefully here; pick up a [China travel eSIM](/en/esim/) before you go.
- Cash and foreign cards are clumsy; [link a Canadian card to Alipay](/en/pay/alipay-for-foreigners/) and you'll pay like a local.

After that, it's about timing and itinerary — see [the best time to visit China](/en/best-time-to-visit-china/) and our guides to [Beijing](/en/beijing/), [Shanghai](/en/shanghai/) and [Chengdu](/en/chengdu/).

## Other nationalities

- [United States](/en/visa-free/us/) — not visa-free; needs a visa or transit
- [United Kingdom](/en/visa-free/uk/) — visa-free since February 2026
- [Australia](/en/visa-free/australia/) — visa-free, 30 days
- [India](/en/visa-free/india/) — visa required
- [The two visa-free schemes, fully explained](/en/visa-free/)

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**Last verified: 14 June 2026.** Visa rules change frequently and the 30-day policy has a published end date. This is a general guide, not legal advice — confirm your own situation with the [National Immigration Administration](https://en.nia.gov.cn/) or the Chinese Embassy in Canada before booking.