How to Register for the Canton Fair & Get Your Buyer Badge
Registration is free and takes under 30 minutes online. Skipping it costs ¥200 and means no invitation letter — which means no visa for most buyers.
Pre-register online at cantonfair.org.cn (or via the Canton Fair APP), tick the box to generate your invitation letter at the same time, then collect your physical badge in Guangzhou using your passport and QR code. The whole process takes around 20–30 minutes and costs nothing. On-site registration costs ¥200 and does not produce an invitation letter.
Why Pre-Registration Matters: Two Reasons That Are Hard to Ignore
Saved — every session
Online pre-registration produces a free buyer badge. Walk in without it and on-site registration costs ¥200 per session. Pre-register twice and you've covered a decent dinner in Guangzhou.
That unlocks your visa
The official Canton Fair invitation letter is generated during online pre-registration. It is the primary document for a China M (business) visa application. On-site registration does not produce one. No letter, no visa for most buyers.
There is also a third, practical reason: buyers who pre-register can collect their badge at a hotel near Pazhou the afternoon they arrive — skipping the long opening-day queues at the venue entirely. Opening day registration desks routinely run one to two hours. Your first fair morning is too valuable to spend in a queue.
Are You a New or Returning Buyer?
The process has small but important differences depending on whether you have attended before. Select your situation:
You will create an account, apply for a badge, and generate your invitation letter — all in one flow. This takes 20–30 minutes.
Go to cantonfair.org.cn and click Overseas Buyer, or open the Canton Fair APP (iOS / Android) and tap Register. Enter a valid email address.
⚠ Use Gmail or your company email. Yahoo, Outlook, and some regional providers do not reliably receive the Canton Fair verification email — a missed code means starting over.Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport. Company name, address, business type, and the product categories you buy. Accuracy matters: the invitation letter and badge will reflect exactly what you enter, and corrections take time.
Upload a recent passport-style photo (white background, face forward). Then — critically — tick the box labelled "Generate Invitation Letter Simultaneously."
⚠ This tick-box has limited application attempts. If you miss it, you will need to go through a separate request process which takes longer. Do not skip it.After successful submission, a pop-up confirms your badge application and invitation letter generation. Go to Personal Centre › My › Overseas Buyer Badge to find your QR code. Download and print the invitation letter — print two copies.
Present your original passport and your QR code at any badge collection point. See the collection locations table below.
✅ Best option: collect at your hotel the afternoon you check in. 31+ designated hotels near Pazhou have on-site badge offices.Your badge may still be valid — it lasts two years across multiple sessions. Check before you do anything else.
Go to cantonfair.org.cn and log in to the Buyer Service System with your existing account. Navigate to My › Overseas Buyer Badge. If your badge is valid and your information is current, you may be able to walk in directly.
⚠ Do not assume your badge is valid. Badge formats have changed between sessions — confirm the expiry date and that your badge photo is still accepted.Even if your badge is valid, you should confirm your contact details, company information, and the phases you plan to attend. Outdated information can cause issues at the badge desk.
In the Buyer Service System, go to the Invitation Letter section and submit updated personal and company information. The system generates a new letter for your current trip. If your visa is already valid and covers the full period, you can skip this step.
Bring your physical badge and original passport. If you lost or forgot your badge, a replacement costs ¥100 and requires the same in-person process.
⚠ If your badge has expired, you need to complete the full new-buyer flow to get a replacement. Allow time for this.
Where to Collect Your Badge in Guangzhou
You need your original passport (not a photocopy — staff check against the registered profile) and your pre-registration QR code at every collection point.
| Location | Details & Access |
|---|---|
| Designated partner hotels Recommended | 31+ hotels near Pazhou run on-site badge offices during the fair. Collect the afternoon you check in. No queues; most open from late afternoon on the day before each phase starts. |
| Zone B / Zone C of the Complex | Registration offices at Exits A/B of Pazhou Metro Station (Line 8). Long queues on opening day of each phase — avoid if possible. |
| Zone A of the Complex | Registration office at Exit A of Xingangdong Metro Station (Line 8). Same caveat on opening day. |
| Guangzhou Baiyun Airport | Collect before you leave the airport. Ideal if you land the day before a phase opens. |
| Guangzhou South Railway Station | Useful for buyers arriving by high-speed rail from Shenzhen or Hong Kong. |
| Pazhou Ferry Terminal | For buyers arriving by ferry from Hong Kong. The terminal is walking distance from Zone B/C. |
Collection hours: Opening day of each phase: 10:30 AM – 6:00 PM. During the phase: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Final day: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM.
On-Site Registration: What It Costs and What You Don't Get
Online Pre-Registration
Free buyer badge + official invitation letter + fast-track collection at hotels and airports. Open approximately 3 months before each session.
On-Site Registration
Badge only — no invitation letter, no visa support document. Long queues on opening day. Only viable if you already hold a valid China visa.
On-site registration exists as a fallback, not a strategy. If you arrive in Guangzhou without a pre-registered badge and already hold a valid visa, you can pay ¥200 and join the queue. But there is no good reason for an overseas buyer who needs a visa to take this route — the invitation letter that comes with online registration is what makes the visa application possible.
Five Mistakes That Delay or Block Entry
Yahoo, Hotmail, and some regional email addresses do not consistently receive Canton Fair verification emails. You get stuck at step one. Use Gmail or a corporate domain when creating your account.
This is the single most consequential click in the registration flow. The invitation letter has a limited number of application attempts. Miss the checkbox and you create extra steps — and potentially extra delay — before your visa application can begin.
Every badge collection point requires your original passport — the physical document — for verification against your registered profile. A photocopy or a phone photo of your passport is not accepted. This is a common trip for first-time buyers who leave the original in the hotel safe.
The buyer badge lasts two years, but that window passes faster than it seems. Log into the Buyer Service System before your trip to check. A badge that expired between sessions means going through the new-buyer flow — with the time pressure of an imminent departure.
Registration gives you the badge and the invitation letter. The letter starts your visa process — and visa processing takes 4–6 weeks in many countries. Start registration as early as possible (it typically opens 2–3 months before the session) so you have enough runway to apply for the visa and receive it before your flight.
Rather have someone handle registration and the invitation letter for you?
Registration is straightforward when everything works. But when something goes wrong — a rejected photo, a failed verification email, a first-time applicant who missed the invitation letter checkbox — fixing it under time pressure from another country is stressful.
Our Essentials package handles your Canton Fair registration and invitation letter generation, so you receive both documents without the back-and-forth:
- Canton Fair buyer badge registration confirmed
- Official invitation letter generated and delivered to you
- Visa guidance using your invitation letter
- Hotel near Pazhou arranged before rooms sell out
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration handled. What's next?
Badge, invitation letter, visa guidance, and a hotel near Pazhou — our Essentials package takes all four off your list before you board the plane.