Wait, Canada and the UK Are Visa-Free Now?! I Almost Booked a Visa Appointment for Nothing

ChinaTravelMemo

I was about to help my Canadian friend book a visa appointment for his November trip. I checked the NIA website first.

Good thing I did.

The update:

As of late 2024/early 2025, Canada and the United Kingdom were added to China's unilateral 30-day visa-free entry program.

My Canadian friend can now fly to China, show his passport, and get a 30-day stamp. No application. No fee. No waiting.

He almost paid ¥1,200 and spent 3 weeks stressing over paperwork.

Current visa-free countries (highlights, as of 2026):

Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, etc.
Asia: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, UAE, Qatar, etc.
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
Americas: Canada, Barbados, Bahamas, etc.

Total: roughly 50 countries eligible for 30-day visa-free entry through December 31, 2026.

What's the difference between 30-day visa-free and 240-hour transit?

30-day visa-free:
• Fly directly to China from anywhere
• Stay up to 30 days
• Enter and exit through any port
• No onward ticket required (though some airlines ask)

240-hour transit:
• Must be transiting to a third country (can't return to your origin)
• Must enter and exit through specific ports
• Stay up to 10 days

My Canadian friend's new plan:

Instead of a rushed 8-day transit trip, he's now doing 3 weeks. Beijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Shanghai. No visa stress. No countdown anxiety.

"I was ready to spend $200 and 3 weeks on paperwork. Now I just book a flight and go? This feels illegal."

Pro tip: Before you apply for ANY Chinese visa, check the latest visa-free list. China has been adding countries aggressively since late 2023. The list you saw 6 months ago is probably outdated.

Has anyone else almost applied for a visa they didn't need?