China to reopen visas for Indians online from 22 Dec 2025

December 10, 2025|Joshua

The Chinese Embassy in India will launch an online visa application system on 22 December 2025, allowing Indian travelers to apply for most Chinese visas digitally by submitting forms and documents online before visiting visa centers in New Delhi or Kolkata, streamlining the visa process for mainland China travel.

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The Chinese Embassy in India has announced that it will launch a new China Online Visa Application System for applicants in India on 22 December 2025. From that date, most travellers will be able to complete Chinese visa forms and upload supporting documents online before submitting their passports at a visa centre, instead of relying only on paper forms.

What changes on 22 December 2025?

In a notice titled Notice Regarding Online Visa Processing Approval, the embassy confirmed that the Chinese Online Visa Application System will be officially launched on 22 December 2025 for applicants in India. The notice states that applicants can fill out the visa form and upload application materials through the designated online portal, and encourages travellers to use the new system for greater convenience.

The same update has been shared by the Consulate General of China in Kolkata and by Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong, who highlighted that the move is meant to streamline visa processing for Indian travellers.

The Chinese Visa Application Service Centres (CVASC) in New Delhi and Kolkata will continue to accept applications and provide in-person services during their existing business hours, but applicants will increasingly be expected to start their process online rather than by handwritten forms.

Who is affected?

The change mainly affects people who apply for a visa for mainland China through Chinese visa centres in India, especially:

Indian citizens holding ordinary passports who submit applications in New Delhi or Kolkata.
Other foreign nationals legally residing in India who use these visa centres, depending on the centre’s rules.

The New Delhi CVASC portal already lists a full range of visa purposes and confirms that it handles applications for holders of regular passports.

The announcement does not change which nationalities need a visa. Indian citizens still need a visa for most types of travel to mainland China and are not included in China’s expanding visa-free entry schemes or long visa-free transit policies.

Visa types available through the online system

On the New Delhi CVASC website, applicants are asked to choose their Purpose of Visit from the standard set of Chinese visa categories, including:

L – tourism.
M – commercial and trade activities.
F – exchanges, visits, study tours and similar activities.
X1 and X2 – long term and short term study.
Z – work.
Q1 and Q2 – visiting Chinese family members or relatives.
S1 and S2 – visiting foreign family members residing in China or travelling for personal matters.
G – transit.
C – crew.
J1 and J2 – resident and short term foreign journalists.
D – permanent residence.
R – high level talent and specialists.

Most short term visitor visas, such as tourism L visas and business M visas, are issued for stays of up to 30 days per entry, although longer stays are sometimes possible and the final decision is printed on each visa.

Long term categories such as X1, Z, Q1 and S1 generally require the holder to apply for a residence permit at a local public security bureau within 30 days of arrival.

How the new online application process will work

China is gradually rolling out an Online Visa Application or Online Visa Processing System worldwide. In other countries where the system is already live, the process usually follows these steps, and India is expected to be similar:

Create an online account
Applicants register on the official visa portal and select the relevant visa centre (for example, New Delhi or Kolkata).
Enter basic trip and passport details
The portal asks for passport type, remaining validity, proposed date of arrival in China and purpose of visit. The New Delhi site reminds applicants that a passport valid for at least six months with two or more blank visa pages is strongly recommended. (visaforchina.cn)
Complete the visa form online
Instead of handwriting forms, applicants type in their personal information, travel plans, employment details and previous travel history online.
Upload supporting documents
The system allows applicants to upload scans of required documents such as invitation letters, flight and hotel bookings, proof of residence in India, or admission notices for students. Exact document lists depend on the visa type and are detailed on the portal and CVASC guidance.
Submit for preliminary review
Once the form and uploads are complete, the application is submitted online. In other countries using the system, consular staff carry out an initial review and then instruct applicants when to come in person.
Visit the visa centre with originals
After receiving confirmation, applicants must visit the visa centre in person with their passport, printed application confirmation, photographs and original supporting documents. At this stage, biometric data such as fingerprints may be collected in line with Chinese visa rules.
Pay fees and wait for processing
Visa and service fees are paid at the centre, and processing time depends on the service selected and the consular workload.
Collect passport with visa
When processing is complete, applicants collect their passport and check that the visa details match their plans, including entries, validity and duration of each stay.

The embassy has indicated that full instructions will be available on the official portal and visa centre websites ahead of the 22 December launch.

Validity, entries and duration of stay

Chinese visas specify three key pieces of information that travellers should understand clearly:

Validity period (Enter before) – the last date on which you can enter China using that visa.
Number of entries – how many times you can enter China on that visa during its validity.
Duration of each stay – the maximum number of days you can remain in China after each entry, usually counted from the day after arrival.

Staying in China beyond the permitted duration without an approved extension from local immigration authorities is treated as an overstay and can result in fines or other penalties. Extensions, where allowed, must be requested from the exit and entry administration of the public security bureau before the permitted stay expires, and approval is not guaranteed.

For holders of long term visas such as D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z, a separate residence permit must normally be obtained within 30 days of entry unless the visa itself clearly allows a 30 day stay without a permit.

Passport validity and other key entry requirements

Based on the guidance on the New Delhi visa centre portal and general Chinese visa practice:

Passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the intended arrival date in China.
At least two blank visa pages are recommended to avoid refusal at the application stage.
Details on the visa form, supporting documents and travel bookings should be consistent.
Travellers should comply with local registration rules in China, including hotel registration or police registration for private stays.

China has also expanded some visa free entry and longer visa free transit options for selected nationalities, but these programmes currently focus mainly on countries in Europe, the Americas and parts of Asia and do not cover Indian passport holders.

Broader India China travel context

The launch of online visa processing in India comes during a gradual normalisation of travel between the two countries after the 2020 border clashes and pandemic related restrictions.

On the Indian side, tourist visas for Chinese nationals were first resumed in July 2025, and the Ministry of External Affairs later confirmed that the visa regime for tourism and business purposes for Chinese nationals is now fully functional.

On the Chinese side, the new online system in India is part of a wider push to digitise visa processing worldwide and to make short term travel to China easier, while still requiring traditional sticker visas for most Indian travellers.

At the same time, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has advised Indian citizens to exercise due discretion when travelling to or transiting through China, following recent incidents involving Indian passengers and passport checks at Chinese airports.

Practical tips for Indian applicants

Start your application well in advance – ideally at least one to three months before your planned trip.
Check which Chinese mission and visa centre has jurisdiction over your place of residence in India.
Read the latest document checklist for your visa category on the official portal before filling in the form.
Prepare clear scans of your passport and key supporting documents to upload.
Keep copies of your online application, appointment confirmation and fee receipts.
Monitor both Chinese consular notices and Indian government travel advisories in case of sudden changes.

Apply now

You can start your application on the official Chinese Visa Application Service Center portal for New Delhi:
https://www.visaforchina.cn/DEL3_EN/qianzhengyewu