When is the next Canton Fair, phase by phase?

The dates below are for the next upcoming session, pulled from the organiser’s own schedule rather than written into this page by hand — which matters because the actual dates change every session while the structure around them doesn’t.

What “session” and “phase” mean here

The fair runs twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn, and each of these sessions is split into three sequential phases — covered in full on the phase-structure page. The dates above are for phases within one specific upcoming session, not a general yearly calendar; the next session after this one will run on entirely different dates, following the same twice-yearly, three-phase pattern.

Registration window and invitation lead time

Buyer registration for a session typically opens roughly a month before that session begins, though the organiser doesn’t commit to it as a fixed date —

above shows the current estimate or confirmed opening for the next session specifically. The same applies to how long an invitation letter takes to come through once requested: there’s a confirmed minimum turnaround, but no officially guaranteed maximum, so treat the range shown as planning guidance, not a guarantee.

Why a date here might be marked provisional

For a session that’s still some way off, the organiser sometimes hasn’t finalised every phase’s exact dates at the time this page is checked. Where that applies, the block above says so directly rather than presenting an estimate as settled fact — worth checking again closer to your travel dates if you’re booking flights or a visa appointment far in advance.

What’s next

Once you know your dates, register as a buyer and start on whatever visa route your passport needs — both have their own lead times that need to fit before the phase you’re attending begins.