China lifts visa requirement for Canadians in major diplomatic thaw, signaling reset in Ottawa-Beijing relations
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that starting Tuesday, Canadians will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days without a visa, and that the policy will remain in effect until at least the end of the year.
According to CTV News, Prime Minister Mark Carney said during his visit to Beijing last month that Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to give Canadians visa-free entry; this was a commitment that Beijing did not publicly endorse at the time.
Most Canadian travelers currently face a lengthy visa application process to enter mainland China, costing around $140, but they can currently visit Hong Kong, Macau and Hainan province without a visa.
Glynnis Chan, manager of Happy Times Travel and Tour Ltd. in Vancouver, said the news was greeted with excitement by many of her Canadian customers, according to CTV News.
“I have been running a travel agency for a long time, some of my duties include helping Canadian clients apply for Canadian tourist visas. This job gave me a headache because the whole process is extremely complex,” Chan said, according to the CTV News website.
Chan said he was relieved the new policy would simplify travel by allowing Canadians to book flights and leave without waiting several days for visa approvals. In recent years, China has lifted visa requirements for many Western countries to boost post-pandemic tourism, but has continued to require visas for Canadians and limited Chinese tour groups traveling to Canada amid a protracted diplomatic dispute.
In August 2023, China lifted its ban on group tours to many countries during the epidemic, but continued to exclude Canada and only lifted these restrictions last November.
The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa “raised” concerns of foreign interference, citing anti-Asian discrimination, and China lowered visa fees for Canadians in 2024.
Carney’s visit to Beijing last month was the first by a Canadian prime minister in eight years; It aimed to “recalibrate” relations, easing trade tensions but raising human rights concerns following the conviction of Jimmy Lai.
Flights have slowly recovered since the pandemic, in part because Canada needs routes to avoid Russian airspace and prevent foreign airlines from gaining an advantage over Canadian carriers, which were banned after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
During Carney’s visit, the two sides agreed to jointly promote nature and tourism, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
