Quick answer
Canadian ordinary passport holders enter China visa-free for 30 days — a policy that took effect in February 2026, per the verified reference data. There is no application, no fee, no CVASC appointment: the check happens at the airline counter and at immigration. The entry covers tourism, business, family visits, and transit, and stays can be extended through the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) inside China.
Why this matters in 2026
The February 2026 change moved Canada into the largest bucket of China's entry system — 94 nationalities with 30-day visa-free entry. Before that date, a Canadian trip meant a CVASC file, the CNY 1200-equivalent fee, and 4–7 working days of processing. What remains to get right is smaller but real: the 30-day count, onward-travel evidence, passport validity, and the police registration rules that apply to every foreign visitor.
What the 30 days cover
Per the current policy data, visa-free entry for Canadian ordinary passports applies to:
- Tourism: the standard two-to-four-week itinerary fits with room to spare.
- Business: meetings, site visits, trade shows — not paid employment, which always requires a work visa.
- Family visits: visiting relatives, with the host's address and contact details.
- Transit: Canada-to-third-country itineraries through Chinese ports.
Extensions run through the local PSB exit-entry office, the same mechanism available to every visa-free nationality.
Key facts at a glance
- Effective: February 2026 for Canadian ordinary passports
- Stay: 30 days per entry, visa-free
- Purposes: tourism, business, family visits, transit
- Fee: CNY 0 — no application exists
- Extension: via the local PSB, apply at least 7 days before day 30
- Overstay: CNY 500 per day, plus possible 1–5 year entry ban
Requirements at the border
- Ordinary passport, 6+ months validity: airlines enforce this in Toronto and Vancouver before anything happens in China.
- 2 blank pages: for the entry stamp.
- Onward or return evidence: a ticket out of China within 30 days, printed.
- First-night accommodation: booked and confirmable at immigration.
- Reason consistent with the trip: a holiday story backed by holiday bookings, not a suitcase of client meetings.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Count the nights before booking
Thirty days per entry. Toronto–Beijing–Shanghai–Toronto inside 28 days fits; day 31 does not.
Step 2: Print the proof
Onward ticket and the first hotel on one page. Paper survives slow terminals; screenshots sometimes do not.
Step 3: Enter and note day one
The immigration stamp starts the 30 days. Photograph the stamp — memory of "when did I land" fails exactly when it matters.
Step 4: Register every address
Hotels register automatically; private stays require a police visit within 24 hours of arrival. Keep every registration slip — extensions and exit checks ask for them.
Step 5: Extend early if the trip grows
The PSB extension needs a documented reason and a 7-day buffer before expiry. Rerouted bookings, a medical note, or a host's letter carry the request.
Step 6: Leave on day 30 or earlier
The ceiling is hard. Overstaying costs CNY 500 per day and follows you into every future application.
Common scenarios and use cases
1. The three-week highlights trip
Vancouver–Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai–Vancouver, 20 days: inside the window with 10 days of slack, zero paperwork.
2. The five-week spring trip
Thirty visa-free days plus one PSB extension in week three — rerouted train tickets and hotel registrations from each city make the file.
3. The ski season worker problem
A paid season at a club near Beijing is employment, not tourism. Visa-free entry does not cover it; a work visa with a sponsoring employer is the only legal route.
4. The frequent-visitor pattern
Quarterly two-week trips fit comfortably, one entry each. If rotations stretch past 30 days or grow frequent enough, compare multi-entry visa options at the CVASC.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Planning 31 days on a 30-day entry: the arithmetic fails at exit control, CNY 500 per day.
- A missing registration slip: the first document any PSB window requests.
- Ticketless "flexibility": airlines deny boarding without printed onward evidence.
- Working on visa-free entry: even short paid engagements require a proper work visa.
- Treating Hong Kong as an extension: a side trip to Hong Kong and back is a new entry, subject to fresh eligibility — not an added 30 days.
Costs and pricing breakdown
- Entry: CNY 0 — no consular fee, no service fee
- Versus the pre-2026 route: saves the CNY 1200-equivalent visa and CNY 20–110 CVASC fee per person
- A family of four: saves roughly CNY 5000-equivalent versus applying under the old rules
- PSB extension: a modest local administrative fee
- Overstay: CNY 500 per day
- Total at immigration: CNY 0
Alternatives and trade-offs
- Longer stays: one PSB extension in-country, or a category visa (X for study, Q for family) applied at the CVASC in Canada.
- Working in China: a Z work visa with a sponsoring employer — never covered by visa-free entry.
- 240-hour transit: pointless for Canadians — 30 free days beats 10 transit days every time.
- Frequent business rotations: a multi-entry visa beats serial 30-day entries when trips cluster.
Verifying current information
The policy is new — verify it is still current before flying:
- National Immigration Administration: https://www.nia.gov.cn — the current visa-free list
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PRC): https://www.fmprc.gov.cn
- China Visa Application Service Center: https://www.visaforchina.org — only for category visas
- Your airline: onward-ticket checks at check-in
Putting it all together
Since February 2026 the Canadian file for China is the lightest it has ever been: a valid passport, 30 days counted from the entry stamp, a printed ticket out, and a registration slip for every bed. The old CVASC route — forms, biometrics, the CNY 1200-equivalent fee — now belongs to the 25 tracked visa-required nationalities. Canadians who respect the arithmetic and register where they sleep never need to think about visas at all.
FAQ
Do Canadians need a visa for China in 2026?
No. Canadian ordinary passport holders enter visa-free for 30 days, a policy in effect since February 2026.
How long can Canadians stay in China?
30 days per visa-free entry, extendable through the local PSB inside China.
Since when is China visa-free for Canadians?
February 2026, per the verified policy data.
Can Canadians extend their stay?
Yes. Apply at the local PSB exit-entry office at least 7 days before expiry with your passport, registration records, and a documented reason.
Is there any fee for Canadian travelers at entry?
None. No consular fee, no CVASC service fee — the pre-2026 CNY 1200-equivalent route no longer applies to ordinary passport holders.
Can Canadians work in China on visa-free entry?
No. Paid work requires a Z work visa with a sponsoring employer.
Does visiting Hong Kong give me another 30 days?
A trip to Hong Kong and back is a new entry with fresh checks — not an automatic extension of your first stay.