China-Visa-free Policy/UK/Canada
Shanghai, China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Spring Festival decorations at airport
2. Screen showing flight information
3. Sign showing immigration checkpoint
4. Passengers
5. SOUNDBITE (English) British passenger (name not given) (ending with shot 6):
"The new free visa [policy] for the UK [is] very convenient, makes traveling a lot easier. I'll probably come back, stay in Shanghai or somewhere else in China for a few days."
6. Various of foreign passengers at immigration check
7. Sign showing immigration check for foreigners
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Canadian passenger (name not given):
"[The new policy is] really good, 30 days is really helpful for Canadians. So we are happy to come again and again."
9. Various of foreign passengers at immigration check
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Canadian passenger (name not given) (starting with shot 9):
"Thank you for giving us the opportunity, it makes a big difference. We wish you a happy new year. I hope you guys have a nice celebration today."
11. Various of screens showing flight information
12. Various of passengers
The first group of visa-free travelers from Canada and the UK arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday, as a new visa-waiver policy for the two countries officially came into effect.
The new measure means ordinary passport holders from both Canada and the UK are eligible for visa-free entry for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit purposes. The policy will be effective until Dec 31 this year, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The move came following recent visits to China by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with the two countries respectively pledging to deepen ties and exchanges with China.
In the early hours of Tuesday, amid a festive Chinese New Year atmosphere at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, a flight from Manila landed, bringing in the first batch of visa-free travelers from Canada and the United Kingdom.
The newly-arrived passengers have welcomed the policy, which they say will even encourage them to make more trips to the country in the future.
"The new free visa [policy] for the UK [is] very convenient, makes traveling a lot easier. [I will] probably come back, stay in Shanghai or somewhere else in China for a few days," said a British traveler.
"[The new policy is] really good; 30 days is really helpful for Canadians. We are happy to come again and again," said a Canadian passenger.
The implementation of the visa-free measure coincided with the first day of the Year of the Horse on the Chinese lunar calendar, adding more poignancy to the occasion.
"Thank you for giving us the opportunity, it makes a big difference. Wish you a happy new year. I hope you guys have a nice celebration today," said another Canadian traveler.
China has been expanding its visa-waiver policies in recent years to facilitate greater travel convenience, boost international tourism and promote people-to-people exchanges, with the UK and Canada now being added to the growing list of countries eligible for the 30-day visa-free entry program.
The extended visa-free policy has also driven steady growth in passenger flows at Shanghai's ports of entry. Since the beginning of this year, Shanghai immigration authorities have processed 636,000 inbound visits, up more than 30 percent year on year.
China-Visa-free Policy/UK/Canada
Dateline : Feb 17, 2026
Location : China
Duration : 1'06
Shanghai, China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Spring Festival decorations at airport
2. Screen showing flight information
3. Sign showing immigration checkpoint
4. Passengers
5. SOUNDBITE (English) British passenger (name not given) (ending with shot 6):
"The new free visa [policy] for the UK [is] very convenient, makes traveling a lot easier. I'll probably come back, stay in Shanghai or somewhere else in China for a few days."
6. Various of foreign passengers at immigration check
7. Sign showing immigration check for foreigners
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Canadian passenger (name not given):
"[The new policy is] really good, 30 days is really helpful for Canadians. So we are happy to come again and again."
9. Various of foreign passengers at immigration check
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Canadian passenger (name not given) (starting with shot 9):
"Thank you for giving us the opportunity, it makes a big difference. We wish you a happy new year. I hope you guys have a nice celebration today."
11. Various of screens showing flight information
12. Various of passengers
The first group of visa-free travelers from Canada and the UK arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday, as a new visa-waiver policy for the two countries officially came into effect.
The new measure means ordinary passport holders from both Canada and the UK are eligible for visa-free entry for stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit purposes. The policy will be effective until Dec 31 this year, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The move came following recent visits to China by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with the two countries respectively pledging to deepen ties and exchanges with China.
In the early hours of Tuesday, amid a festive Chinese New Year atmosphere at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, a flight from Manila landed, bringing in the first batch of visa-free travelers from Canada and the United Kingdom.
The newly-arrived passengers have welcomed the policy, which they say will even encourage them to make more trips to the country in the future.
"The new free visa [policy] for the UK [is] very convenient, makes traveling a lot easier. [I will] probably come back, stay in Shanghai or somewhere else in China for a few days," said a British traveler.
"[The new policy is] really good; 30 days is really helpful for Canadians. We are happy to come again and again," said a Canadian passenger.
The implementation of the visa-free measure coincided with the first day of the Year of the Horse on the Chinese lunar calendar, adding more poignancy to the occasion.
"Thank you for giving us the opportunity, it makes a big difference. Wish you a happy new year. I hope you guys have a nice celebration today," said another Canadian traveler.
China has been expanding its visa-waiver policies in recent years to facilitate greater travel convenience, boost international tourism and promote people-to-people exchanges, with the UK and Canada now being added to the growing list of countries eligible for the 30-day visa-free entry program.
The extended visa-free policy has also driven steady growth in passenger flows at Shanghai's ports of entry. Since the beginning of this year, Shanghai immigration authorities have processed 636,000 inbound visits, up more than 30 percent year on year.
ID : 8466528
Published : 2026-02-18 16:50
Last Modified : 2026-02-18 20:23:00
Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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