Canton Fair 2026:
Dates, Badge, and the Visa Change
The 140th session runs in three phases: 15–19 October (electronics, machinery, vehicles, hardware, lighting), 23–27 October (consumer goods, gifts, home decor, furniture, building materials) and 31 October – 4 November (textiles, garments, shoes, toys, medical, food, children's products), all at the China Import and Export Fair Complex on Pazhou Island — Metro Line 8 → Pazhou, straight into the entrance. The visa position: buyers traditionally needed an M business visa with an official invitation letter, but EU, Australian, Japanese, Korean and 40+ other nationalities can now simply attend visa-free for up to 30 days — and since 17 February 2026 that includes UK and Canadian buyers. Much sourcing advice has not caught up.
140th session, autumn 2026
| Phase | Dates | What is exhibited |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 15–19 October | Electronics, machinery, vehicles and NEVs, hardware, lighting |
| Phase 2 | 23–27 October | Consumer goods, gifts, home decor, furniture, building materials |
| Phase 3 | 31 October – 4 November | Textiles, garments, shoes, toys, medical and health, food, children's products |
No exhibition on 20–22 or 28–30 October, between phases. Venue: 382 Yuejiang Middle Road, Pazhou Island, Haizhu — the 140th session spans about 1.55 million m² of exhibition space, one of the largest trade-fair venues on earth. Metro Line 8 to Pazhou goes directly to the entrance; Xingangdong also serves it. Daily hall times are on the official site, cantonfair.org.cn.
Most Western buyers no longer need a business visa
This is the single most useful thing on this page and much of the sourcing industry's advice has not caught up with it.
The traditional route was an M business visa obtained with the fair's official invitation letter — four to six weeks and US$50–140, with invitation-letter problems the number one recurring administrative blocker every session.
But China's unilateral visa-free scheme explicitly permits business as a purpose of visit, and the UK and Canada joined it on 17 February 2026. So a UK, Canadian, EU, Australian, Japanese, Korean or 40-plus other passport holder can now simply turn up and stay up to 30 days, with no application, no fee and no invitation letter needed for immigration purposes. You still need the buyer badge to enter the halls — that is separate.
One thing to watch if you are attending more than one phase: the three phases span 15 October to 4 November, which is 21 days. That fits comfortably inside 30 days, but make sure your permission covers the gaps between phases as well as the phases themselves. And if your passport is not on the unilateral list, the 240-hour transit scheme gives ten days — enough for one phase, not for two.
China runs two separate schemes and most English-language guides are a policy generation behind. 50 countries get 30 days visa-free — the UK and Canada were added on 17 February 2026. 57 nationalities, including the United States, get 240 hours (10 days) of visa-free transit with a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region, and Guangzhou Baiyun has been a designated port for it since the scheme began on 17 December 2024. The unilateral scheme is a trial currently valid through 31 December 2026 (Russia's to the end of 2027) — it has been rolled forward twice and will probably be rolled forward again, but check before you book a flight into 2027. Rules checked 5 October 2026.
Rather book it?Pazhou hotels — walking distance to the halls on Agoda ↗
Getting your badge
Through the buyer section of the official site, cantonfair.org.cn — pre-registration is open all year. Free, and the sane route. The buyer badge is the only official entry pass — nothing else gets you into the halls.
The fair's own guidance for the 140th session: new overseas buyers who pre-register apply for the badge free of charge. Older guides quote a ¥100–200 on-site fee; pre-register and the question never arises.
At the complex, Baiyun Airport, Guangzhou South Station, the Pazhou Ferry Terminal, designated hotels in Guangzhou, and the Canton Fair Hong Kong Representative Office. Collecting at the airport on arrival saves a morning queue at the halls.
Even though most Western buyers no longer need one for the visa, letters remain the top recurring admin complaint each session. Start early if you do need one.
The practical stuff nobody writes about
Scale first, so you know what you are walking into: the 139th session (spring 2026) drew 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries, with 32,000+ exhibitors across 75,700 booths — the most overseas buyers in the fair's history. The 140th session expects a similar scale: more than 32,000 exhibitors, and over 210,000 overseas buyers had pre-registered by mid-September.
Transport: there is a severe taxi shortage around Pazhou at phase open and close, and DiDi surge pricing is heavy at those hours. Line 8 is packed 08:30–10:00 and 17:00–18:30. The practical answer is to stay within walking distance of Pazhou or directly on Line 8, and use the metro rather than fighting for a car.
Hotels: rates run 2–4× normal and sell out sixty to ninety days ahead. Our hotels page breaks down Pazhou proximity against Line 8 access with real numbers.
And one warning aimed squarely at you, which appears nowhere else: the hostess-bar 'celebration dinner' scam targets Canton Fair attendees specifically. A new supplier contact suggests a deal-closing dinner; the venue turns out to be a hostess bar; drinks are ¥800–2,000 each plus undisclosed companion fees, with bills reaching ¥10,000–50,000+. Choose the venue yourself, state a budget out loud, and pay by credit card so a chargeback is possible. See our safety page.
The services that actually help a buyer
Questions people actually search
When is the Canton Fair 2026?
The 140th session runs in three phases: 15–19 October, 23–27 October, and 31 October to 4 November 2026, all at the China Import and Export Fair Complex on Pazhou Island. Phase 1 is electronics and machinery, Phase 2 consumer goods and home, Phase 3 textiles, toys and food.
Do I need a visa for the Canton Fair?
Probably not any more. China's 30-day unilateral visa-free scheme explicitly permits business as a purpose, so EU, Australian, Japanese, Korean and 40+ other passport holders can simply attend — and since 17 February 2026, so can UK and Canadian buyers. You still need a buyer badge for the halls. If your passport is not on that list, the traditional M business visa route with an invitation letter still applies.
How do I register for the Canton Fair?
Free online pre-registration through the buyer section of cantonfair.org.cn, open all year. Pre-registered new overseas buyers get the badge free, and can collect it at the complex, Baiyun Airport, Guangzhou South Station, the Pazhou Ferry Terminal, designated hotels in Guangzhou, or the fair's Hong Kong Representative Office.
How do I get to the Canton Fair complex?
Metro Line 8 to Pazhou takes you directly to the entrance; Xingangdong also serves the complex. Expect Line 8 to be packed 08:30–10:00 and 17:00–18:30, and expect a severe taxi shortage at phase open and close — the metro is genuinely the better option during fair weeks.
Is the Canton Fair worth attending as a first-time buyer?
For sourcing at scale, it remains the largest trade event of its kind — 314,000 overseas buyers and 32,000+ exhibitors at the last session. What catches first-timers out is the sheer physical scale (about 1.55 million m² of exhibition space), the three-phase structure meaning your category may only run for five days, and the hotel market, which needs booking sixty to ninety days ahead.
- Introduction of the 140th Canton Fair: phases, categories, 1.55m m², free badges — Chinese Consulate-General, Cebu
- 140th Canton Fair in south China to draw over 32,000 exhibitors — Xinhua
- 139th Canton Fair sets new record with overseas buyer attendance (314,000 from 220 countries) — Guangdong Province via PR Newswire
- Attendance Guide for Overseas Buyers: badge collection at Baiyun Airport, Guangzhou South, Pazhou Ferry Terminal, hotels — Canton Fair
- China to grant visa-free policy to Canadian, British nationals from Feb. 17 — State Council (gov.cn)
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