Canton Fair Badge & Registration — How to Register as a Buyer

What is the Canton Fair buyer badge?

The Canton Fair buyer badge is a physical card (and increasingly, a QR code on your phone) that grants you access to the exhibition halls for the phases you registered for. It is checked at the entrance to each hall — without it, you will be turned away. The badge displays your name, company, nationality and the phases you are registered to attend.

The badge serves as both an access pass and a networking tool — exhibitors scan buyer badges to record who visited their booth and follow up with contacts. Some premium buyer badges (issued to high-volume or VIP buyers) unlock additional services such as access to exhibitor contact data, private meeting rooms or VIP lounges.

Starting from recent editions, the Canton Fair also supports a digital badge — a QR code displayed on the official Canton Fair app — that is accepted at most hall entrances. The physical card remains the most universally accepted format and is recommended as backup.

Who can register as a buyer?

The Canton Fair is open to any legitimate business buyer involved in international trade. Eligible registrants include: importers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers sourcing from China, e-commerce sellers purchasing directly from manufacturers, sourcing agents and procurement managers, brand owners commissioning OEM/ODM production, freight forwarders and trade logistics professionals (in a sourcing capacity), and any registered business with verifiable trading activity.

The Canton Fair is not open to the general public or to individuals buying for personal use. You must represent a business entity and have documentation to prove it.

Registration is free for overseas buyers. There is no admission fee, purchase requirement or minimum order commitment associated with the buyer badge itself.

Documents needed for registration

Business registration document or licence: A company registration certificate, trade licence, Articles of Incorporation, or equivalent document proving your business is a registered legal entity. The document should show your company name, registration number and registration date. A scanned copy as PDF or high-resolution image is acceptable.

Passport copy: A clear scan of the photo page of your passport. The name and passport number on this document must exactly match what you submit for your China visa application.

Business card or professional credential: A business card showing your name, company and role is the minimum. Some applicants provide a company letterhead letter confirming their role and purchasing responsibility.

Company website or verifiable online presence: Not always required, but having a company website listed on your registration strengthens the application. The Canton Fair registration team does review applications for legitimacy.

Email address: You will need a working professional email address for registration confirmation and badge collection instructions. Use a company email address rather than Gmail or Hotmail to avoid delays.

How to register online

Registration is conducted through the official Canton Fair buyer portal at cantonfair.net.cn (the official fair website). Navigate to the 'Overseas Buyer Registration' section and complete the online form. The form requests your personal details, company details, purchasing categories of interest, expected purchasing volume, and the phases you intend to attend.

After submitting the form with your supporting documents, the registration team reviews your application. Processing time is typically 2–5 business days, though it can take up to 7–10 business days during the peak registration period (4–6 weeks before the fair opens). You will receive an email confirmation when your registration is approved.

Once approved, you will receive a pre-registration QR code or confirmation number. This code is required when you collect your physical badge at the venue. Save it to your phone and print a backup copy to carry.

If your application is rejected (uncommon for legitimate businesses), you will receive a reason. Common rejection reasons include incomplete documentation, unverifiable business information, or submitting a personal rather than business email. Resubmit with the corrected information.

Collecting your badge at the venue

Physical badge collection takes place at the Overseas Buyer Registration Area at the Canton Fair Complex. This is located near the main north entrance of the complex (adjacent to the Xingang East metro station exit). Follow signs for 'Overseas Buyer Registration' — staff wearing official fair uniforms can direct you.

You will need to present: your passport (original, not a copy), your pre-registration QR code or confirmation number, and your business card. In some editions, a printed business registration document is also checked. The process takes approximately 5–15 minutes per person once you reach the desk.

Timing warning: Registration queues are longest on Day 1 of each phase, particularly in the first 90 minutes after the complex opens (usually 9:00–10:30 am). If you can arrive before 9 am or after 11 am on Day 1, your queue experience will be significantly faster. Alternatively, if you have colleagues attending, stagger your collection times.

Sub-registration desks also exist inside some individual halls for buyers who need phase-specific registration. These are smaller desks with shorter queues but limited processing hours — check the official fair app for their locations and hours.

Online badge — the QR code option

The Canton Fair has been progressively rolling out digital badge support. In recent editions, registered buyers can display a QR code from the official Canton Fair app that is scanned at hall entrances in place of the physical card. This eliminates the need to wait at the registration desk at all — your badge is on your phone.

The digital badge system is available after completing the online registration and being approved. Download the official Canton Fair app, log in with your registration credentials, and access your digital badge from the profile section.

Practical note: The digital badge works at most hall entrances but may not be accepted at all secondary access points. Carry your physical badge as backup once collected. Phone battery and connectivity can be unreliable inside busy halls — having a physical badge avoids the risk of a dead phone locking you out.

Badge delivery service — no queue, delivered to your hotel

Buyers who source USD 100,000 or more annually from China and book their hotel accommodation through cantonfair.co's partner network qualify for our premium badge delivery service. Instead of queuing at the registration desk, your Canton Fair buyer badge is delivered directly to your hotel room before the fair opens — you walk into the complex on Day 1 without any registration procedure.

This service is available for hotels in the Pazhou area that we partner with, for both the spring and autumn editions of the Canton Fair. It saves 30–90 minutes of queueing time on what is typically your most important and productive first day at the fair.

To activate this service, contact us at support@cantonfair.co with your company details, annual China purchasing volume, and the Canton Fair edition you are attending. We will confirm your eligibility and coordinate the hotel and badge delivery logistics.

The badge delivery service is part of our broader buyer services programme, which also includes priority exhibitor matching, dedicated WhatsApp/WeChat support during the fair, and hotel booking assistance.