Whether you need a visa for the Canton Fair depends entirely on your passport, not on the fair itself — there’s no separate “trade fair visa” that replaces your country’s normal entry rules. Most foreign buyers apply for a business visa (category M). A handful of passports can enter visa-free, and a few more qualify for a short visa-free transit if the fair is a stop on the way to a third country. Find your passport below, then read the two pages that actually decide the outcome: the invitation letter, and the business-versus-tourist split.
Find your passport
| Country | Visa | Days | 240h transit | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India Business (M) visa required. The fair's invitation letter is listed as an accepted document, but a business licence from the inviting Chinese company may also be required, and it's unclear whether that applies to trade fair invitations — check with your visa centre before relying on the letter alone. | Required | — | No | — |
| Pakistan Business (M) visa required. A Canton Fair invitation letter is accepted as a complete, standalone basis for the application under the embassy's current instructions — no additional documents needed for that route. | Required | — | No | — |
| Bangladesh Business (M) visa required. Buyers applying specifically for the Canton Fair may qualify for a simplified, invitation-only route under an embassy notice issued for a specific session — confirm a current notice is in place before applying under it. | Required | — | No | — |
| Nigeria Business (M) visa required. Buyers holding a Canton Fair invitation letter can apply through a dedicated visa centre procedure built around the fair, with a lighter document list than the general business-visa checklist. | Required | — | No | — |
| Egypt Business (M) visa required. Egypt's embassy checklist names a trade fair invitation as an accepted supporting document — bring the fair's Invitation Letter along with your application. | Required | — | No | — |
| Indonesia Business (M) visa required for most trips, though buyers continuing on to a third country may qualify for the 240-hour visa-free transit instead. Whether the fair's invitation letter is accepted for the regular visa route is unconfirmed. | Required | — | Yes | — |
| Türkiye Business (M) visa required. The fair's invitation letter isn't named on the embassy's checklist — buyers still need a letter from a Turkish organisation, such as a chamber of commerce, alongside an invitation from China. | Required | — | No | — |
| Brazil Visa-free under China's unilateral scheme, valid for stays up to 30 days and explicitly covering business travel. The scheme has a fixed end date, shown above, and isn't guaranteed to be renewed for later sessions. | Not required | 30 | Yes |
Rules change without notice — verify with your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate before booking. Checked September 4, 2026
If your row shows that you need a visa, the next two sections matter more than the table itself.
Business visa or tourist visa?
Most buyers apply for the M (business) visa, not the L (tourist) visa most embassies process for holidays. The distinction matters more here than it looks: in several markets, the tourist visa route effectively requires joining a group of five or more people through a licensed Chinese travel agency — not how someone attending the fair on their own would travel, and not something you can arrange the week before you fly. Work out which category actually applies to you before you fill in a form.
Compare the M and L visa routesThe buyer invitation letter
A business visa application usually needs a supporting document from an organisation in China. The Canton Fair issues its own invitation letter, free of charge, to registered buyers through its online buyer service system — and depending on your passport, that letter alone can be enough to support an M visa application. It isn’t a universal shortcut everywhere, and treating it as one is the single most common mistake buyers make with this document.
How the invitation letter works, country by countryIf your passport doesn’t need a visa at all
A short list of passports can enter China visa-free for business trips, and a slightly different list can use a visa-free transit if the Canton Fair is a stop on the way to a third country rather than the final destination. Both show up in your passport’s row once you find it. If that row carries an expiry date, check it before you book anything non-refundable — these exemptions get renewed, but not automatically, and not always in time.
Each country page linked from this hub gives a straight answer for that passport: whether the invitation letter is enough on its own, what else the local visa centre asks for, and where the official guidance stops short of a clear answer.
- Canton Fair Business Visa vs Tourist VisaA side-by-side of what each category actually requires, plus when it's worth asking about a multi-entry business visa instead of applying fresh each time.
- Canton Fair Invitation LetterWhat the letter contains, how the free application actually works, and why 'submit the invitation' is not the same answer in every country.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from BangladeshThe one market where the embassy has published a single, short answer: what the invitation-only notice actually says, and what it doesn't require.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from IndiaWhere the fair's free invitation letter is accepted as-is, where a business licence gets asked for on top of it, and which visa centre handles your state.
- Is the Canton Fair Invitation Letter Free?What the organiser actually charges, and an official warning against exactly the promise a paid middleman tends to make.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from BrazilThe one market in this guide where the visa question has a simple answer — and the one detail worth checking before you assume it still applies.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from EgyptWhat the embassy's current document list actually requires, and one older pandemic-era rule worth knowing if an officer asks for more than listed here.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from IndonesiaWhat the transit route's onward-ticket condition actually means in practice, and an honest gap in what we could confirm about the regular visa checklist.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from NigeriaThe exact document list the fair-specific window asks for, what the 'inviting party' field should say, and why there's no rush option if you're late.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from PakistanWhat the fair-specific route actually skips, one outdated embassy edition still ranking above the current one, and a tell-tale sign worth checking on the seal.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from TürkiyeWhich Turkish organisations can issue the letter the checklist requires, and where the fair's own invitation fits into that alternative.
- Documents for a China Business VisaThe general M-visa document set, and which parts of it your specific consulate is likely to make stricter.
- How Long Does the Canton Fair Visa Process TakeThe three separate stages that add up, and which one is usually the longest despite getting the least attention.
- Multi-Entry China Visa for Repeat Canton Fair BuyersWhy validity varies enormously by passport, and the actual question to ask your consulate before you decide.
- 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit for ChinaWho this route is genuinely for, and why it's usually the second-best option rather than the first for most passports on this list.
- Bringing Family to the Canton FairWhy a companion generally needs their own visa application, and what that means for planning a joint trip.
- Canton Fair Invitation Letter Rejected: What to DoThe difference between an invitation application that didn't go through and a visa that's actually been refused, and what each one calls for.
- China Arrival Card for Foreign VisitorsWhy this depends on your specific port of entry, and why checking on arrival beats assuming either way.
- China Visa Fee by CountryThe reciprocity-based pricing structure behind the fee, and why this guide won't quote a fixed number for your country.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Canton Fair invitation letter the same as a visa?
Can I attend the Canton Fair on a tourist visa?
Do I need the invitation letter to get into the fair itself?
How much does the Canton Fair invitation letter cost?
Keep planning
- Canton Fair Invitation LetterWhat the letter contains, how the free application actually works, and why 'submit the invitation' is not the same answer in every country.
- Canton Fair Business Visa vs Tourist VisaA side-by-side of what each category actually requires, plus when it's worth asking about a multi-entry business visa instead of applying fresh each time.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from IndiaWhere the fair's free invitation letter is accepted as-is, where a business licence gets asked for on top of it, and which visa centre handles your state.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from PakistanWhat the fair-specific route actually skips, one outdated embassy edition still ranking above the current one, and a tell-tale sign worth checking on the seal.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from BangladeshThe one market where the embassy has published a single, short answer: what the invitation-only notice actually says, and what it doesn't require.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from NigeriaThe exact document list the fair-specific window asks for, what the 'inviting party' field should say, and why there's no rush option if you're late.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from EgyptWhat the embassy's current document list actually requires, and one older pandemic-era rule worth knowing if an officer asks for more than listed here.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from IndonesiaWhat the transit route's onward-ticket condition actually means in practice, and an honest gap in what we could confirm about the regular visa checklist.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from TürkiyeWhich Turkish organisations can issue the letter the checklist requires, and where the fair's own invitation fits into that alternative.
- China Visa for the Canton Fair from BrazilThe one market in this guide where the visa question has a simple answer — and the one detail worth checking before you assume it still applies.