China Business Visa and Visa-Free Entry: Canton Fair

Start with your passport and itinerary

Policy information was checked on 2026-10-18. This is practical information, not legal advice. Recheck the applicable official guidance before booking.

Use the passport you will present and check your activities, total stay and onward journey. Residence in a visa-exempt country does not establish eligibility under that country's passport exemption.

A qualifying business visit can use an applicable exemption. Canton Fair registration and an invitation letter do not themselves authorise entry; admission remains subject to border inspection.

Which nationalities have 30-day unilateral visa-free entry?

The official consular FAQs list the ordinary-passport nationalities below for visits of up to 30 days for business, tourism, visiting family or friends, exchanges and transit. Conferences and exhibitions are expressly covered. This exemption does not cover employment.

Eligibility is nationality-specific. Czechia and Lithuania are absent from this unilateral list. EU residence or a Schengen visa does not substitute for an eligible passport.

Other passports: check bilateral agreements separately

Absence from the unilateral table does not necessarily mean a visa is required. The official mutual-exemption list includes other ordinary-passport arrangements, alongside agreements covering only diplomatic or official passports.

Singapore ordinary-passport holders have a bilateral exemption for stays not exceeding 30 days. Longer stays and activities requiring prior approval require the appropriate visa before entry.

Malaysia ordinary-passport holders can visit for business under its bilateral agreement for up to 30 days per stay, with a cumulative maximum of 90 days within each 180-day period.

Thailand ordinary-passport holders have a bilateral exemption of up to 30 days per stay and 90 days within any 180-day period. These three countries are examples, not a complete bilateral list.

UK worked example: a direct Canton Fair buying trip

The Chinese Embassy in the UK confirms a business exemption of up to 30 days for UK ordinary-passport holders, effective from 2026-02-17 to 2026-12-31, Beijing time.

A qualifying London–Guangzhou–London buying visit can use this unilateral exemption without a third-country itinerary. Confirm your passport category, dates and activities before booking.

Is the 144-hour transit option still available?

The NIA extended the former 72-hour and 144-hour transit allowances to 240 hours on 2024-12-17.

Current guidance covers 57 nationalities, including the United States, UK, Czechia and Lithuania. It requires an ordinary passport and onward tickets with confirmed seats and departure dates to a third country or region. Business activities are permitted within the authorised stay and areas.

For a US-passport buyer, United States–China–United States fails the third-country requirement. United States–China–Japan illustrates the required direction, subject to all other conditions.

Check the NIA's designated ports and permitted areas against the whole itinerary, including factory visits. Transit permission does not allow unrestricted travel throughout China.

When should I apply for a business M visa?

M is the visa category for commercial and trade activities. Discuss it with the responsible Chinese mission if your buying trip does not qualify for an exemption or exceeds the permitted stay.

The cited embassy checklist requires an invitation from a commercial or trade partner in China. Its invitation requirements cover your identity, purpose, dates, destinations, relationship with the inviter, expenses, and the inviter's details, seal and signature.

Use the checklist for the mission handling your application. Do not assume another mission's documents or processing arrangements apply, or that an M visa authorises employment.

Canton Fair registration, buyer badge and invitation letter

The official Buyer Service System handles overseas buyer registration and invitation applications. The invitation guide distinguishes returning buyers from first-time onsite buyers.

The guide is dated 2025-08-13. For new buyers, it instructs applicants to select “Generate invitation letter simultaneously” when submitting the buyer badge application. Check current-session instructions and do not treat the guide's historical application window as a current deadline.

The buyer badge concerns exhibition access; the invitation supports an application or explains the visit. Neither replaces the applicable immigration requirements. Confirm whether the invitation meets your mission's requirements.

Plan the visit through our Canton Fair page, prepare with the Canton Fair buyers' pack, and use is the Canton Fair worth going to? to assess whether attending fits your purchase.

What changes often, and what should I check before booking?

Recheck policy expiry, passport eligibility, permitted purpose, stay calculation, transit conditions and the mission's application checklist. Do not assume temporary policies will continue beyond their published end.

Use the responsible Chinese embassy or consulate for visa guidance, the NIA for transit rules, and the Canton Fair official site for registration and invitations. The sources below provide verification starting points.

Check each traveller separately. Prepare accurate itinerary and application information, and supporting evidence of the visit.