Canton Fair: basic guide

Requirements for obtaining a chinese visa

A visa is required to enter China unless you are a citizen of Singapore or Japan with a passport. There are visa procedures on arrival in China but they are subject to change. Therefore, if you are taking this option, it is advisable to consult with the Chinese consulate before you leave. Obtaining a visa is quite simple as the Chinese government encourages businesspeople to visit the Canton Fair.

There are various ways of obtaining a visa:

1. Without an invitation letter. This option is not available to all nationalities.
2. By means of an invitation letter from one of the exhibitors attending the fair.
3. By means of an invitation letter from the Canton Fair itself.

There are specific requirements for each nationality so it is advisable to check with the Chinese consulate. However, the following links provide relevant information:

• Requirements for obtaining a visa to enter China.
• List of Chinese embassies by country.

How to obtain an invitation letter to the Canton Fair

As we have already mentioned, an invitation letter is a prerequisite for obtaining a Chinese visa. There are different ways of getting an invitation letter for your visa, here you have some of them:

• Via the relevant forms on the Canton Fair’s website.
• The Hong Kong office website.

Before entering the fair, you must register giving your name, company, nationality and passport number. You must carry your passport on you at all times, as required by Chinese law.

How to get to the canton fair

There are not many international flights into Guangzhou airport. The best way to get there is to fly to Hong Kong which is 120 km away and has one of the largest international airports in Asia. Once there, you can get a train to Guangzhou from Hung Hom station in the Kowloon district. It takes about two hours and costs around US$70 to get to the city of Guangzhou. When you arrive, you can get a taxi to the fair and it is advisable to have the address written down in Chinese if you are not a fluent speaker as most taxi drivers do not speak English.

7 reasons for visiting Canton Fair

• If you would like to have customized products made.
• If you would like to establish face to face relationships with your suppliers.
• If you would like to negociate better rates face to face.
• If you would like to get new ideas for products or a new brand.
• If you would like to meet a freight forwarder to help you with your logistics and transport needs.
• If you just want to experience the culture and uniqueness of China.
• It’s just really fun to go!

Find out about the largest trade fair on the planet

If you would like to discover more reasons to visit the fair, you can do so:

• On the Canton Fair website.
• On the Canton Fair Youtube channel where you will find a multitude of explanatory and informative videos.

We will attend the upcoming Canton Fair, the most important trade fairs in China. Contact us and get to know our importing and exporting logistics solutions for worldwide transportation of your goods. We offer you the best personalized attention and the support of our commercial team.