China has recently announced a surprising gift for few foreign countries ahead of Spring Festival 2026.
In a latest update UK and Canadian nationals will be able to travel to mainland China for up to 30 days without a visa from 17 February, 2026.
China confirmed that Canadian and British citizens will be able to visit the country visa-free from Tuesday, after the two countries’ leaders had announced such agreements following official trips to Beijing.
Beijing’s foreign ministry confirmed these agreements on Sunday, saying Canadian and British citizens will be able to travel to China visa-free from Tuesday, with the policy in effect until December 31.
“Holders of ordinary passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges, or transit for a period not exceeding 30 days,” it said in a statement.
This was made to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries,” it added.
China’s foreign ministry said visa-free entry would be permitted for tourism, business or visits to family and friends, with the policy set to stay in effect initially until 31 December,2026.
British and Canadian prime ministers Keir Starmer and Mark Carney both visited Beijing in January, seeking to bolster relations with China and pivot from the increasingly mercurial 2026United States.
It follows British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s and Canadian Prime minister Mark Carney official visit to China last month where both leaders had hailed progress following meetings with top Chinese leaders such as President Xi Jinping, including on issues like visa-free access for their citizens to China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping last month agreed that travel rules would be relaxed in near future for both countries.
Sir Keir said the agreement would make it easier for businesses to expand to China, though critics say Downing Street’s push to reset relations with Beijing overlooks human rights and national security concerns.
Announcing the policy’s start date on Sunday, China’s foreign ministry said the scheme would “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries”.
The move brings rules for UK and Canada passport holders into line with 50 other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan.
Hundreds of thousands of British people could potentially benefit from the change, with around 620,000 travelling to China in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics.
During his official visit to China in January, Sir Keir said British businesses had been “crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China”.
The visit, which was the first by a British prime minister since Theresa May in 2018, was criticised by some opposition figures.
Shortly before heading to China, Sir Keir’s government approved plans for a major new Chinese embassy in central London, despite opponents claiming it could be used as a base for spying and pose security risks.
Additionally, Xi and Sir Keir agreed to deepen trade relations in services, healthcare, green technology and finance – though no sweeping trade free trade agreement was announced.
