Canton Fair phases 2 and 3: dates, badges and China visa steps for Kenyan traders

Two phases of the 140th Canton Fair are still to come: phase 2 on 23–27 October 2026 and phase 3 on 31 October–4 November, according to the schedule on China's Ministry of Commerce website. Kenyan traders who miss phase 1 can still go to Guangzhou, but Kenyan passport holders need a Chinese visa first.

The fair, formally the China Import and Export Fair, opened on 15 October and runs to 4 November. Xinhua reported that day that more than 30,000 companies are exhibiting and about 340,000 overseas buyers are attending. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the fair on 14 October, People's Daily Online reported.

Zhou Zhencheng, minister counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said at a Nairobi promotion event on 4 March 2025 that 1,400 Kenyan merchants took part in the 136th session in 2024. Pius Rotich, general manager for investment promotion and business development at the Kenya Investment Authority, said at the same event that Kenya has consistently sent the largest number of buyers and exhibitors from Africa. Xinhua reported both remarks the same day.

Phase 1, 15–19 October, covers advanced manufacturing. Phase 2's theme is quality home furnishing, and the Ministry of Commerce list begins with daily-use ceramics, kitchen and dining utensils, household goods and glass crafts. Phase 3's theme is better living, and its list begins with toys, maternity, baby and children's products, children's wear and men's and women's wear. The days between phases, 20–22 October and 28–30 October, are set aside for changing exhibits.

The Ministry of Commerce says the fair's pre-registration channel for overseas buyers is open all year. A buyer attending for the first time can pre-register on the fair's website, then collect a badge, free of charge, at one of the fair's badge centres: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Guangzhou South Railway Station, the Pazhou Hong Kong–Macao passenger port, the fair's designated hotels or its Hong Kong representative office.

A badge does not replace a visa. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya's page on visa-exempt entry, updated on 9 July 2026, lists 50 countries whose ordinary-passport holders may enter for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges or transit. Kenya is not among them.

Traders apply for a business visa, the M category, through the Nairobi Chinese Visa Application Center. The applicant fills in the form online at visaforchina.org, prints and signs it, and brings the printed confirmation page with the passport. The passport must have at least six months' validity and two blank adjacent pages. The application also needs a photocopy of the data page and a recent colour photo on a light background.

An applicant who has been to China before needs an invitation letter from the Chinese host, with a copy of its business licence if the host is a company, plus a travel itinerary. A first-time visitor to China needs either an Invitation Letter (TE) or a Verification Letter of Invitation, obtained through the Chinese host, plus a travel itinerary. The centre says the TE or verification letter can be waived if the applicant submits an invitation from a host or trading partner in China together with all of the following: a bank statement covering at least six months, with a balance of not less than 1 million Kenyan shillings, notarised by a Kenyan notary public; a police clearance certificate certified by Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and one of a tax compliance certificate certified by the ministry, proof of employment notarised in Kenya, or a business or industry association membership certificate notarised in Kenya. The consular officer may ask for more documents or an interview.

The Chinese Embassy in Kenya's notice of 26 December 2025 extends reduced visa fees to 31 December 2026. For Kenyan citizens they are KSh 3,000 for a single entry, KSh 4,500 for two entries, KSh 6,000 for multiple entries over six months and KSh 9,000 for multiple entries over 12 months. The centre charges a separate application service fee, listed on its fee page, and accepts M-Pesa, Visa and Mastercard.

The centre is on the 7th floor of The Chancery, Valley Road, Milimani, Nairobi. It takes applications and returns passports from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays. Its helpline is +254 790 487 260 and its email address is [email protected].