To further facilitate Chinese visa applications by applicants in India, the visa application procedures and requirements are hereby notified as follows:
I. Basic Visa Application Procedures
1. Choose Consular District: Chinese visa applications shall be submitted to the embassy or consulate general in respective consular district where the applicant resides. Applicants residing in Maharashtra and Karnataka shall submit their visa applications to the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai. Applicants residing in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal shall submit their visa applications temporarily to the Chinese Embassy in India. Applicants residing in other areas other than those mentioned above shall submit their visa applications to the Chinese Embassy in India.
2. Submit Visa Application Online: Applicants shall visit the website (https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/), fill in the Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China online, upload the required documents, and submit them for online review (no fee shall be paid at this step).
3. Submit Documents: Upon approval of online review, the applicant will receive an email notification. Within 30 days upon receipt of this notification, the applicant shall go to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General in India to submit the passport, visa application form and other relevant documents, and have fingerprints collected (if required). Applicants eligible for diplomatic, official, and courtesy visas shall make an appointment by phone before submitting the documents.
4. Collect the visa. The applicant shall, on the expected collection date on the pick-up slip, go to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General in India to pay the fees（see “Notice on Schedule of Fees for Consular Service”）and collect the visa.
Note: The above procedures apply to visa applications for travel to Chinese mainland. For travel to Hong Kong or Macao, please refer to the websites of the Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Public Security Police Force of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region.
II. Visa Application Documents
1. General Documents
(1) Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China.
(2) Passport. The passport shall be valid for more than 6 months with at least 2 blank visa pages. The passport information page（last page） and any previous passport issued within the past 5 years shall also be provided. (If the name on the new passport is inconsistent with that on the previous passport, a certificate of name change issued by the relevant official authority shall also be provided.)
(3) Two recent color photos with white background, no head covering. Size: 48mm×33mm. The photos shall be taken within past 6 months.
(4) Valid visa or certificate of stay, residence, employment or study in India (applicable to non-Indian citizens).
(5) Chinese visas obtained in the past three years (if any).
(6) For applicants under the age of 18, a birth certificate, identity document of the guardian (for non-Indian citizens, a valid residence certificate or visa), and a letter of consent for the visa application from the guardian shall be provided.
(7) If the application is submitted through a third party or travel agency, the qualification documents of the agency and the identity document of the agent shall be provided.
2. Category Documents
In addition to the general documents, applicants shall submit the following documents according to specific visa category applied for:
Important:
(1) The visa application form must be filled in accurately and completely. The telephone number and email address provided in the visa application form must belong to the applicant. All supporting documents must be complete and clear. The uploaded original photo of the identity document must be clear, free of reflection, and complete at the edges, avoiding cropping or photographing of the screen.
(2) "Family members" include: spouse, parents, parents-in-law, children, children's spouses, brothers and sisters, grandparents, grandchildren.
(3) For business visa（M） applications, the following requirements shall be met:
a. The copies of business license of the inviting Chinese company and the identity document of the legal representative or the inviter must be valid and clear. The business license must include the scope of business. Both documents must have handwritten endorsement in Chinese (not printed) , with the content: "This document is only for the visa application of XX (name of applicant)", and must also include a handwritten Chinese signature and date.
b. The invitation letter must include the purpose of visit, Chinese handwritten signature and stamped with the company's official seal. The company's contract seal or personnel seal are not accepted.
c. The Cover Letter must include the company profile such as year of establishment, scope of business and clearly mention the specific purpose of trip to China, exact duration of stay in China. Please note that general descriptions of visit purpose, such as business visit, business meetings, might not be accepted.
(4) For tourist visa （L）applications, the applicant shall provide personal saving bank account statements of recent 6 months with a minimum consistent average monthly balance of INR 1 Lakh, or personal deposit bank certificate of similar amount made at least 3 months before visa application date. The deposit certificate must be signed and stamped with the official seal of the bank. If due to some special circumstances such as being a minor, parent or guardian bank account statement, an authorization letter with signature of the account holder must be submitted.
(5) Marriage certificates and birth certificates must be notarized and authenticated. The marriage certificate authentication and the certificate of no criminal record shall be valid for no more than 6 months.
(6) If the consular officer requires other supporting documents, please provide them in a timely manner as required.
III. Fingerprint Collection
1. Until December 31, 2026, fingerprint collection shall be exempted for all applicants for short-term visas with a stay period of no more than 180 days.
2. Applicants for visas with a stay period of more than 180 days, applicants for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas who need to apply for a residence permit after entry, and applicants for multiple-entry visas shall, in principle, go to the embassy or consulate general for fingerprint collection.
3. Fingerprint collection shall be exempted for the following persons:
(1) Persons under the age of 14 or over the age of 70;
(2) Persons holding diplomatic passports or eligible for diplomatic, official or courtesy visas of China;
(3) Persons who have applied for a visa at the same Chinese embassy or consulate general or Chinese Visa Application Service Center with the same passport within five years and whose fingerprints have been collected;
(4) Persons with all all fingers mutilated or whose fingerprints cannot be collected.
IV. Visa Exemption
1. Holding valid permanent residence permits and other valid residence permits of China.
2. Holding valid APEC Business Travel Cards (excluding virtual cards).
3. Holding connecting tickets and transiting through China by international aircraft, ship or train to a third country or region, staying in China for no more than 24 hours without leaving the designated port area.
4. Subject to various mutual visa exemption agreements.
5. 240-hour visa-free transit, regional visa exemption and other visa-free situations.
V. Processing Time (calculated from the day after the passport is submitted)
1. Regular: 7 working days
2. Express: 4 working days
VI. Office Hours, Addresses and Contact Information
1. Chinese Embassy in India
Office hours: Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Visa application), 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Collection)
Address: Gate No.4, Chinese Embassy, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021.
Tel: 91-11-24675259
Email: new-delhi@csm.mfa.gov.cn
2. Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai
Office hours: Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Collection), 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Visa application)
Address: 10th Floor, Nariman Bhavan, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, India
Tel: 91-22-66324305 ext. 36
Email: mumbai@csm.mfa.gov.cn
VII. Interpretation of Notice
This Notice shall be interpreted by the Chinese Embassy in India. In case of any inconsistency between the previous released information and this Notice, this Notice shall prevail.
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India
October 22, 2026
