The move is aimed at boosting travel and people-to-people exchanges and will remain in force until December 31, 2026.
The decision was taken “to further facilitate cross-border travel,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement on February 15.
Under the scheme, ordinary passport holders from the UK and Canada will be able to enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visits to family and friends, exchanges and transit, the statement added.
The policy aligns the UK and Canada with around 50 other nations that already benefit from similar arrangements.
The UK relaxation after Starmer-Xi meet
The announcement follows British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official visit to China last month, during which he met President Xi Jinping and agreed to ease travel rules.
Read more: Indian passport climbs 10 ranks in 2026, but visa-free access to these two nations dropped
Starmer said the deal would help companies expand their presence in China, noting that British businesses had been “crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China”, as per a report by BBC.
Roughly 620,000 Britons travelled to China in 2024, according to the data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics, suggesting hundreds of thousands could benefit from the change, as per BBC.
However, the visit drew criticism from some opposition figures, who argued that efforts to reset ties with Beijing risk overlooking concerns related to human rights and national security.
Canada’s thawing ties with Beijing
The visa waiver for Canada is being viewed as part of a gradual improvement in relations between Ottawa and Beijing.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed the change on social media, saying it is making “travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries,” as per a report by Canada’s public broadcaster CBC.
The idea of visa-free access was first raised after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January visit to Beijing. At the time, his office said he “welcomed [the president’s] commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China,” as per CBC.
The agreement comes as China continues to ease entry requirements for several Western countries in an effort to revive tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.
