CIIE 2026: Registration, Meetings and Connectivity for Overseas Visitors
CIIE 2026: Registration, Meetings and Connectivity for Overseas Visitors
Oct 13,2026
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Overseas professional visitors cannot register on site for the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE). Online registration closes at midnight Beijing time on 20 October 2026, with payment due by midnight on 23 October.
Registration, review and certificate collection are managed through the CIIE registration system and email. Separately, once you are registered, the Online Matchmaking Platform can help you research exhibitors and prepare meetings. Most administrative steps should be completed before departure; mobile data in China is mainly useful if you need to check updated collection instructions, manage meeting changes or send follow-ups.
This guide walks through those steps in order and explains what to prepare before leaving home, what to save offline, and where a live connection can help during the trip.
20 OctOnline registration closes24:00 Beijing time
The CIIE Paper Trail: Deadlines and Where Connectivity Comes In
These are the steps in the order you meet them. The Shanghai government's copy of the same FAQ notes that the app and WeChat mini program procedures may vary from the website.
1
Register online Before you fly
By 24:00 on 20 October
Enter the organisation and every attendee. Personnel information cannot be modified after submission, although more attendees can be added before the deadline.
2
Pay the certificate fee Before you fly
By 24:00 on 23 October
QR payment, international cards from Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and UnionPay, and wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are all accepted.
3
Check the review result After submission
The result is sent to the email used at registration, and progress also shows under Business Exhibition, Visitor, Sign In. Either works at home or abroad.
4
Apply for an invitation letter After registration
Foreign nationals can apply after registering, under Application for Personnel Certificates. The approved letter is downloaded from the same site. This guide does not cover visa rules.
5
Receive your certificate May need live data
Express delivery is available only to addresses in mainland China. The delivery address must remain valid for six months, and no extra express fee is charged. Alternatively, collect the certificate on site; the time and place are sent by email and shown in the registration system.
Save the collection details offline before departure, and keep access to your email and registration account in case you need to check for updates after arrival.
6
Visit CIIE May need live data
6 to 10 November
Platform reservations, meeting changes and notes may all need a connection.
Most of this happens at home, on any connection. The step worth planning for is the certificate: the instructions arrive by email and in the registration system, so save them before you leave and keep access to both in case anything changes.
Which CIIE Badge Date Option Fits Your Schedule?
The organisers list two certificate fees for overseas professional visitors, tied to different entry dates.
OPTION ACNY 2006–10 November
Per certificate (about $29.50). Covers every overseas professional visit day, including 6 and 7 November.
OPTION BCNY 1008–10 November
Per certificate. Only suits people who will not need 6 or 7 November.
These are different entry date ranges, not an early-booking discount, so check each person's meeting dates before you choose.
Refunds depend on the review. If a registration is not approved, the applicant can request a refund through the official website, and any exchange-rate gain or loss in the refund falls on the applicant. Once the registration is approved and the certificate goes into production, there is no refund and no replacement of the attendee. Confirm names and dates before you submit.
Turn the Online Matchmaking Platform into a Meeting Plan
After registration, professional visitors can log in to the Online Matchmaking Platform to release procurement and investment demands, obtain exhibitor information and view updates on pre-event activities, according to the organisers' launch notice. The public page lets you search by product, exhibitor or booth number, and shows My Favorites, My Reservations and My needs. It also displays published buyer demands and product or exhibitor recommendations. Some features may depend on your account, so confirm what is available after you sign in.
CIIE Online Matchmaking Platform page: search by product, exhibitor or booth number
A few habits keep the plan honest:
Use My Favorites as a shortlist, and check My Reservations for the actual status of each meeting. Saving an exhibitor does not mean a meeting is confirmed.
Write each need as if a stranger will read it cold: the product, the specification, a quantity range and delivery terms. Exhibitors can recommend products against published demands, so a vague post invites vague replies.
For every meeting you really intend to hold, write two or three questions you must leave with answers to, such as price, sample terms or distribution.
Capture Every Meeting, Then Follow Up
A meeting is only useful if its next step survives the day. A fixed set of fields stops you leaving a booth with a business card and nothing else.
Field
What to record
Company, product and booth
Who you spoke to and what was on the table
Platform reference
The need or reservation the meeting came from
Price, MOQ and sample terms
The commercial conditions as stated, with currency
China-market questions
Distribution, certification, labelling or after-sales points that apply to your category
Preferred contact channel
The email or messaging app they actually use
Next action and date
Who does what, by when
Treat this as a note-taking frame, not a compliance checklist. Requirements differ by product, so check official rules for your own category rather than relying on what a counterpart tells you in passing.
Keep notes in an app that works offline and syncs when you reconnect, so a patchy connection never costs you a note. Then send a short message the same day, while the conversation is fresh. Fill in the brackets and copy it in one click:
FOLLOW-UP TEMPLATE
Subject: Follow-up from CIIE: [Company / Product]
Hi [Name],
It was great meeting you at CIIE today. As discussed, could you share the [product specifications / quotation / sample details] when convenient?
Our next step is to [next action] by [date]. Thank you, and I look forward to staying in touch.
Best regards, [Your name]
Where Live Data Matters, and Which Plan Fits
Going back through the steps, three moments may need a connection in China:
checking certificate collection details and status updates;
reserving or changing a meeting on the platform;
syncing notes and sending follow-ups.
Roaming or hotel Wi-Fi can cover all three. A local data plan is for having an independent connection while you move between halls, hotel and meetings.
For a CIIE-only trip, count from the day you first need data to the day you leave. Land on 5 November, visit from 6 to 10 November, fly out on 11 November, and a 7-day plan covers it. Service days are counted in 24-hour blocks from activation. The Daily, Total and Unlimited options, with prices, are laid out in the plan section of our Canton Fair guide. All of them are data-only, so no Chinese phone number comes with them.
Attending both Canton Fair and CIIE? Canton Fair's third phase ends on 4 November, while overseas professional visitors can enter CIIE from 6 November, so 5 November is a transition day between the two events. If you are travelling from Guangzhou to Shanghai, calculate your plan from the day you first need mobile data to your final day in China, not just the CIIE admission dates. Starting the Canton Fair trip on 30 October and leaving on 11 November covers about 13 calendar days, so compare a 15-day plan rather than buying 7 days and adding a second plan later. Activating a new package ends the one that is running, and you should confirm the validity rules for the plan you choose.
TRAVEL ESSENTIAL
Mainland China eSIM
Data-only plans (no phone number): Daily, Total and Unlimited, from 1 to 30 days on China Mobile 5G, with hotspot sharing.
No. The organisers say overseas professional visitors must register online in advance, and regular on-site registration is not allowed. Online registration closes at midnight Beijing time on 20 October 2026.
Can I change attendee details after submitting?
Personnel information cannot be modified after submission, although additional attendees can be added before the registration deadline. Check the registration account for available options, and contact CIIE customer service (+86-21-968888) if you need to correct other information.
I am travelling without a company. Which registration channel should I use?
Individual visitors have a separate channel with different rules: one-day visits on 8, 9 or 10 November with limited daily quotas, a 50-yuan badge fee per day, and badges delivered by courier to a mainland China address that stays valid for six months. Invitation letters are not available through it. This guide covers overseas professional visitors.
I already have a Canton Fair badge. Do I need to register for CIIE separately?
The CIIE FAQ requires all overseas professional visitors to register online in advance and does not mention any other event's badge, so plan to register separately and confirm with CIIE customer service if you are unsure.
Does the China eSIM come with a phone number?
No. It is a data-only plan. If you need a Chinese number to receive local SMS codes, an eSIM alone will not provide one.
Complete your CIIE registration before the official deadline, and choose a China data plan once your arrival date and length of stay are clear. Save your certificate collection details and key meeting information before departure, so you have a backup even when you are offline. Get your China eSIM→
