Canada Resets Beijing Ties as China Grants Canadians Visa-Free Entry
"We're renewing Canada's relationship with China. As part of our new strategic partnership, China is granting visa-free travel for Canadians," Carney wrote on X, framing the development as concrete evidence of strengthening bilateral engagement.
China's Foreign Ministry confirmed Sunday that ordinary passport holders from both Canada and the United Kingdom would be permitted visa-free entry beginning Feb. 17, 2026, with stays of up to 30 days authorized for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, and transit purposes.
"To further facilitate cross-border travel, China decides to, starting from February 17, 2026, extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the UK," the ministry said, adding that the measure will remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2026.
The policy is a direct outgrowth of Carney's January trip to Beijing, where he held talks with President Xi Jinping and "welcomed [the president's] commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China," according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Separately, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer secured agreements on people-to-people exchanges during his own visit to China.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand welcomed the shift on X, saying the change is making "travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries."
The waiver represents a marked departure from years of strained relations during which Beijing maintained strict visa requirements for Canadians and curtailed Chinese tourism groups from traveling to Canada. Most Canadian travelers previously navigated a lengthy application process and approximately $140 in fees to enter China.
The diplomatic reset has coincided with broader economic momentum, including a deal allowing tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada in exchange for tariff relief on Canadian agricultural exports, including canola seeds.
Beijing has moved to expand visa-free access to a growing number of Western nations in recent years as part of a wider push to revive international tourism and travel in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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