China rolls out visa-free access for Brits, Canadians: Is it available for Indians?

Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, February 15, that Beijing has decided to extend its visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), starting from February 17, as reported by news agency Xinhua.

“Ordinary passport holders from the two countries can be exempted from visa to enter China and stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family/friends visit, exchange and transit purposes,” said the Xinhua report.

The policy will stay in effect until December 31, 2026, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The visa-free policy aims to "further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries", the Foreign Ministry also said.

The development comes after the two countries' prime ministers had announced such pacts following official trips to Beijing.

Canadian and British prime ministers Mark Carney and Keir Starmer, respectively, visited Beijing in January, seeking to bolster ties with China and pivot from the increasingly mercurial United States.

Both leaders had hailed progress following meetings with top Chinese leaders such as President Xi Jinping, including on issues such as visa-free access for their citizens to China.

To modernise and accelerate the visa process for Indian citizens, the Chinese Embassy in India officially introduced the China Online Visa Application System on December 22, 2025.

Travelers can now access the streamlined service via the official portal at visaforchina.cn/DEL3_EN/qianzh. This digital shift is designed to enhance efficiency by allowing most documentation to be handled electronically, significantly cutting down on the time required during the preliminary stages of the application.

Account Creation: Applicants must register or log in to their personal account on the official website.

Digital Submission: The visa application form must be completed online, with all supporting documents uploaded directly to the portal.

Status Monitoring: It is vital for applicants to follow the website's instructions closely.

Final Step: Physical passports and paperwork should only be brought to the center once the application status updates to "online review completed" and a confirmation email is received.

While the initial stages are now digital, the physical service center remains available to assist applicants.