China is a very underrated Asian destination; I really enjoyed my travel experiences there, especially the last few times I went. It’s the 2nd-most populous country in the world, and yet it’s unfortunately very rarely on travelers’ radar in terms of places to visit in this awesome part of the world. The visa requirement for Canadians certainly doesn’t help.
Canada’s Prime Minister is on an official visit to the country right now, and one of his announcements was that the visa requirement should be lifted.
Here are the details on the elimination of China’s visa requirement for Canadians (at least, the few we have at this stage), and a few quick thoughts on why you should consider this destination.
What are the current rules for visiting China?
Don’t forget that checking a country’s entry requirements is literally the only mandatory step for all trips.
It’s not well known, but there’s already a simple way to travel to China visa-free: Canadians can spend 10 days there without a visa, as long as the exit country is different from the entry country.
So it’s easy to use by combining China with another Asian country; flights there are often very cheap (my China–Cambodia flight cost me US$79 this winter).
I’ve used this transit visa 4 times in the last 15 months to visit several cities in China. By the way, it’s also possible to stay 20 days by simply going into a nearby country (that’s called a visa run). And it even includes the special region of Hong Kong (accessible by subway from China).
Otherwise, to be able to stay in China with a plane ticket departing to the same country you’re arriving from, or to stay more than 10 days without having to do a visa run, Canadians currently need an actual visa.
It’s definitely a bit more effort, even though it’s honestly not that bad. I tested that too for my 1st trip there in 2017, at the consulate in Montreal.
What will change with China’s entry rules?
China clearly wants to attract more international visitors and has been relaxing its entry requirements for years.
In addition to this new transit visa for Canadians, several nationalities already no longer need a visa at all. That’s the case for many European countries, for example.
Well, Canadians will be added to this list of citizens who don’t need a visa.
Prime Minister Carney indeed confirmed today that China has agreed to eliminate the visa requirement for Canadians.
CARNEY: “I’m very pleased to share that President Xi, in our meeting today, has committed to ensuring visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China.” pic.twitter.com/rTI3tBGPVW\
— Scott Robertson (@sarobertsonca) January 16, 2026
In the press release, it’s worded this way:
The Prime Minister welcomed President Xi’s commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China.
When will the visa requirement be eliminated for Canadians?
Unfortunately, we have no further details at this stage.
We’ll keep you posted (you can join the 150,000+ savvy Canadian travelers who receive our free newsletter to not miss anything), but I wanted to share the great news with you right away.
While China’s government has committed to doing it, as is often the case with politicians, it could still take a very long time.
I’m strongly considering going back to China this winter or spring, like last year, to take advantage of cheap Marriott hotels for the doubled elite nights promotion for Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
If China’s visa requirement was lifted by then, I’d even consider staying more than 10 days because I loved my 10-day trip last year. But I don’t think it’ll be that fast.
Why travel to China?
The awesome culture shock, the delicious and affordable food, the cost of everything else being relatively affordable while having excellent infrastructure (a rare combination in my 77 countries I visited), the cities with rich culture and history, and even the nature that looks sublime that I haven’t really explored yet…
It’s a country I highly recommend as long as you’re comfortable having to do a bit more preparation than usual before your trip, given that logistics are a bit more complex than elsewhere in Asia.
By the way, following my 9 business class flights in 2025 (including for that Asia trip), I’ll soon share a short recap of my destinations I visited in 2025.
It includes 4 other Chinese cities (among many others), namely Chongqing, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Shenzhen. That’s in addition to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Xiamen that I’d already visited (plus Hong Kong and Macau, which are special regions).
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Summary
China should eliminate the visa requirement for Canadians, according to Prime Minister Carney. If you want to go there before it takes effect, as I might do myself, it’s extremely easy to travel to China visa-fre for 10 days, which is better than nothing.
What would you like to know about China removing its visa requirement for Canadians? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Chongqing and Hangzhou, China (photo credit: Harrison Qi & David Veksler, edited by Flytrippers)
