How to Register for Canton Fair: Badge & Invitation Letter

Last updated: April 2026. Registration procedures and official URLs can change between sessions — verify the current process at cantonfair.org.cn before you start.

At a Glance

What Does Registration Actually Get You?

Canton Fair registration produces two things: a buyer badge (the physical card scanned at entry) and, for buyers who need a Chinese visa, an invitation letter from the organizers to support the visa application. Since 2025, both come through the same online system — there is no longer a separate process for each.

Pre-registering online is free and avoids a 100 RMB on-site fee for first-time registrants. It also gives you priority access to the invitation letter, which is needed to apply for a Chinese business visa before travelling.

What to Prepare Before You Start

The registration form asks for:

• Passport information: number, nationality, expiry date
• A passport-style photo: white background, front-facing, roughly 48 × 33 mm — the same format used for Chinese visa applications
• Company information: company name, main product categories, job title. Sole traders and independent buyers can enter their own name and note "Sole Trader" in the company field — the system does not require proof of business registration
• Email address: used for confirmation and system notifications
• Business cards: not required to complete online registration, but needed when collecting your badge on-site or at airport collection points

The registration interface is available in English. An international phone number works fine; a Chinese SIM is not required.

Step 1: Create Your Buyer Account

Go to www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US and find "Buyer Registration" in the navigation. This is the official English-language entry point and is accessible from outside China. The registration portal (invitation.cantonfair.org.cn) is linked from there — go through the main site rather than typing the portal address directly, as the sub-domain can be slow or unreachable from some countries.

Fill in your personal and company details, upload your photo, and submit. The system will send a confirmation email with a pre-registration receipt — save it as a PDF or screenshot.

Creating an account is not the same as completing registration. The receipt confirms your submission; the buyer badge is collected separately (see Step 3).

If you run into Chinese-only pages, the language toggle is in the top-right corner of the site. For any page that does not switch cleanly, a browser translation is enough to navigate the form fields.

Step 2: Get Your Invitation Letter (If You Need a Visa)

Attending the Canton Fair for sourcing purposes falls under business activities, which require a business visa (M visa) rather than a tourist visa (L visa). The M visa application requires an invitation letter from the fair organizers.

After creating your account, log back into the system and go to the Invitation Letter section. Confirm your personal and company details, submit the request, and the letter is usually ready within one to two working days. From there it can be viewed, downloaded, and printed directly from the system.

The letter includes your name, passport number, company details, and the session information for the fair you plan to attend.

On visa-free arrangements: As of 2026, Australia has 30-day visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders; the United Kingdom and Canada joined the same 30-day unilateral waiver effective February 17, 2026 (announced by Chinese authorities; confirm current end dates before travel). The United States is not on China’s 30-day waiver list for ordinary passports — US citizens need a visa. The eligible-country list expands and is updated often — do not rely on a static number from any article. Whether visa-free entry matches your Canton Fair itinerary is still a grey area for immigration purposes: short fair attendance is often fine; multi-week sourcing plus factory travel is clearer on an M visa. See China Visa for Canton Fair Buyers.

Step 3: Collect Your Buyer Badge

The buyer badge is a physical card scanned at the hall entrance. It cannot be downloaded or shown on a phone — you need the card itself.

Pre-collection points (recommended):

Pre-collecting at the airport or railway station is the most efficient option. On the first two days of any phase, on-site queues at the venue can run over an hour.

What to bring for badge collection: passport (original), pre-registration receipt (digital or printed), and at least one business card. All three are typically required.

On-site collection is available at the venue entrance throughout the phase, but expect queues — especially on opening day.

Which Phase Should You Register For?

The fair runs in three five-day phases per session, with each phase covering different product categories:

One buyer badge is valid for all phases within the same session — register once and the badge works for Phase 1, 2 and 3. What matters for multi-phase attendance is the invitation letter: if applying for a Chinese business visa, make sure the letter covers all phases and dates you plan to attend, as this determines the length of stay your visa application can support.

For a detailed breakdown of which phase fits which type of buyer, see Canton Fair Phases Explained.

Common Questions

No company? Can an individual still register? Yes. Enter your name in the company field and note "Sole Trader" or "Individual Buyer." The system does not verify business registration documents for overseas buyers.

Can a tourist visa get you in? Technically there is no entry checkpoint at the fair that checks visa type. However, conducting commercial sourcing activities on a tourist visa is not the intended use of that visa category. Most sourcing buyers apply for the M visa to be consistent with their actual purpose.

The registration portal won't load — what now? Start from www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US instead of typing the portal address directly. The English main site is accessible from outside China and links through to the registration system from there.

How far in advance should you register? Pre-registration opens roughly two months before each session. Submitting four to six weeks out gives time to resolve any issues and process the visa comfortably. Invitation letter processing can slow down in the weeks immediately before the fair opens.

Before You Go

• [ ] Pre-registration complete via www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US — receipt saved (free online; 100 RMB if registering on-site for the first time)
• [ ] Invitation letter downloaded and printed (if applying for M visa)
• [ ] Fair phase dates confirmed for current session at cantonfair.org.cn — flights and hotel booked for the right week
• [ ] Passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended travel dates
• [ ] Business cards packed — required at badge collection points
• [ ] Chinese payment setup ready — see How to Pay in China
• [ ] Internet access plan confirmed for in-country use — see Staying Connected in China

For a broader overview of the fair — what to expect inside, where to stay, and how to navigate the halls — see Beginner's Guide to Canton Fair for Small Buyers.

Practical Information

Registration procedures, official URLs, and badge collection locations may change between sessions. Always verify current instructions on the Canton Fair official website before registering.