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Canadian passport holders can travel to China visa-free starting Tuesday until the end of 2026, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced Sunday — marking another step in Canada’s thawing relationship with the Chinese government.
In a statement posted to the Chinese ministry’s website, the spokesperson said Canadian passport holders will be “exempted from visa to enter China and stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family/friends visit, exchange and transit purposes.”
“The policy will be effective until December 31, 2026,” the spokesperson said. The policy also applies to U.K. passport holders.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed the policy on social media and said the change is making “travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries.”
The idea of Canadian visa-free travel to China was first mentioned in January after Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing and met President Xi Jinping.
After years of strained relations, Prime Minister Mark Carney has met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Carney hailed a tentative agreement with China to co-operate more on clean and conventional energy, but the Canada-China tariff dispute remains unresolved.
A statement from Carney’s office at the time mentioned that the prime minister “welcomed [the president’s] commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China.”
That visit ultimately led to Canada striking a deal with the Chinese government to allow tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada in exchange for a break on tariffs for Canadian agricultural products, such as canola seeds.
For most Canadian tourists, entering China currently requires a lengthy application process and roughly $140 in fees. China has dropped visa requirements for other Western nations in recent years as it tries to boost tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beijing maintained a visa for Canadians and restricted how many Chinese tourism groups could visit Canada during a years-long diplomatic spat.
