China Visa-Free: UK & Canada Added – 30-Day Access for Tourists & Business

China Expands Visa-Free Access to 79 Countries, Including UK and Canada

Beijing. British and Canadian citizens can now enter China without a visa, a move that brings the total number of countries with visa-free access to 79, as China aims to stimulate both tourism and business travel.

The policy, which took effect on Tuesday, February 17th, allows visitors from the United Kingdom and Canada to stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, exchange programs and visits to family and friends. China has been steadily expanding its visa-free program over the last two years, reflecting a broader effort to improve international relations and economic ties.

Currently, most European nations already benefit from visa-free entry. The expanded program also includes select countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. For citizens of the United States and Indonesia, a 10-day visa-free transit stay is available, provided they possess onward tickets to a third destination.

The change has been welcomed by business leaders and travelers, who have long cited the Chinese visa application process as a significant hurdle. “Business executives and tourists have welcomed the change, as the China visa application process can be a relatively cumbersome one,” according to reports.

The inclusion of the UK and Canada follows recent visits to China by their respective prime ministers, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney, last month. Both leaders, relatively new to their positions, have expressed a desire to strengthen relationships with Beijing following a period of strained ties. The move signals a potential reset in relations, with both countries seeking to increase trade and investment.

While the visa-free policy for most countries is currently scheduled to expire at the end of the year, China has previously extended the program, suggesting a willingness to maintain the relaxed travel rules. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the scheme would “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries.”

The policy’s implementation date of February 17th was announced on Sunday by China’s foreign ministry. The move brings travel rules for UK and Canadian passport holders in line with approximately 50 other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia, and Japan. Around 620,000 British people traveled to China in 2024, indicating the potential scale of impact from the new visa-free arrangement.

During his visit to China in January, Prime Minister Starmer noted that British businesses had been “crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China.” Alongside the visa-free agreement, discussions focused on deepening trade relations in key sectors such as services, healthcare, green technology, and finance, though a comprehensive free trade agreement was not announced.