China lifts visa requirement for Canadians in major diplomatic thaw, signaling reset in Ottawa-Beijing relations

China will lift visa requirements for Canadian tourists and business travelers for stays of up to 30 days beginning Tuesday(February 17), marking a significant easing of travel restrictions and the clearest sign yet of a diplomatic reset between Beijing and Ottawa after years of strained relations.

China’s Foreign Ministry announced that, beginning Tuesday, Canadians will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days without a visa, with the policy set to remain in effect through at least the end of the year.

According to CTV News, during a visit to Beijing last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Chinese President Xi Jinping had pledged to grant Canadians visa-free access, a commitment Beijing did not publicly confirm at the time.


Most Canadian travelers currently face a lengthy visa application process costing about $140 to enter mainland China, though they can already visit Hong Kong, Macau, and Hainan province without a visa.

According to CTV News, Glynnis Chan, who leads Vancouver’s Happy Times Travel and Tour Ltd., said the news has been met with excitement among many of her Canadian clients.

“I have been running a travel agency for so long, some of my roles include helping Canadian clients to apply for Canadian tourist visas. This work gave me a headache since the whole process is extremely complicated,” said Chan ,according to CTV News website.

Chan said she is relieved the new policy will simplify travel, allowing Canadians to book flights and depart without waiting several days for visa approvals.

In recent years, China lifted visa requirements for several Western nations to revive post-pandemic tourism, but continued to require visas for Canadians and limited Chinese tour groups traveling to Canada amid a prolonged diplomatic dispute.

In August 2023, China ended its pandemic-era ban on group tours to many countries but continued to exclude Canada, only removing those restrictions last November.

The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa cited anti-Asian discrimination and “hyped up” foreign interference concerns, and China cut visa fees for Canadians in 2024.

Carney’s Beijing visit last month, the first by a Canadian prime minister in eight years, aimed to “recalibrate” ties, easing trade strains but prompting human rights concerns after the conviction of Jimmy Lai.

Flights have rebounded slowly since the pandemic, partly because Canada requires routes to avoid Russian airspace, preventing foreign airlines from gaining an edge over Canadian carriers barred after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

During Carney’s visit, the two sides agreed to jointly promote tourism, including around nature and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.