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Updated February 2024

China is a renowned destination for many as it is a land of awe-inspiring landscapes, vibrant culture, and a rich history that dates back centuries. It is a country that offers an unforgettable experience for any traveller, and Indian residents are no exception to this allure.

If you’re an Indian resident looking to travel to China, here is everything you need to know about obtaining a Chinese visa from India, the complete application process, the documents required and more.

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China visa for Indians news

There are no recent news updates, modifications, or changes in visa rules at the moment. In the event of any official information becoming available, this section will be promptly updated.

China visa for Indians 2024

Announcing the resumption of all types of visas for Indian travellers, including those for tourism, after a three-year break, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in India has resumed issuing all types of visas for foreign nationals, including tourism visas, port visas, and multiple visa-exemption policies.

Documents required

For all types of China visas issued to Indian passport holders, the general documents required are:

Chinese visa application form and confirmation page of online visa application
original passport still valid for at least 6 months, with 2 or more blank visa pages, and the photocopy of relevant passport pages; and expired passports within 5 years and the photocopy of relevant passport pages
two recently-taken colour passport photos (full face, front view and bare head, size: 48mm×33mm within 6 months)
original and photocopy of the proof of legal stay, residence, employment or study status or valid visa (applicable to applicants of non-Indian citizens)

In addition to the general documents, the following supporting documents for respective visa categories must be submitted:

For tourist visa:

itinerary documents, including air ticket booking (round trip) and hotel reservation, etc. or an invitation letter issued by an entity or individual in China
a personal written statement with details as follows: the place to visit, name, address and contact number of the inviting / contact company person
certification letter from the local employer of the applicant (with details as follows: name and contact number of the employer, the applicant’s income statement), or an original copy of the recent 6-month bank statement of the applicant
for a tourist group visa, please provide an ‘invitation letter’ for the Tourist Group issued by an authorized tourism agency in China.

For students visa (for staying more than 180 days in China):

original and photocopy of the admission letter issued by a school or other entities in China
original and photocopy of “Visa Application for Study in China” (Form JW201 or Form JW202)
for those who are on the lists of students reported to the embassy by relevant schools, visa applications can be submitted with a copy of the admission letter and the copy of “visa application for study in China” (Form JW201 or Form JW202). The Embassy, in due course, will adjust the validity period for this measure according to the actuality

For students visa (for staying less than 180 days in China):

original and photocopy of the Admission Letter issued by a school or other entities in China

Transit visa:

onward air (train or ship) ticket with a confirmed date and seat to the destination country or region

To know more about the additional documents required for other types of visas, refer to the official Chinese Embassy website.

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Submission channels for visa applications

Visa applications are processed in accordance with the respective consular jurisdiction areas of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in India.

for applicants who reside in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chattisgarh, and West Bengal, their visa applications are processed by the Chinese Consulate-General in Kolkata
for applicants who reside in Maharashtra or Karnataka, their visa applications are processed by the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai
for applicants who reside in areas other than those mentioned above, their visa applications are processed by the Chinese Embassy in Delhi

The addresses for the Chinese Embassies across India that process visa applications are as follows:

Chinese visa application service center in New Delhi

address: Concourse Floor, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, Connaught Place, New Delhi -110001 India
tel：91-9999036735 (weekdays 9:00 am – 14:00 pm, 15:00 pm – 17:00 pm)
e-mail：[email protected]

Chinese visa application service center in Kolkata

address: BIPI Building Omega, Ground Floor, Bengal Intelligent Park, Block EP & GP, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata, India
tel：91-9999036735 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), 91-033 40010210 (Tuesday, Thursday), Weekdays 9:00 am – 12:00 am, 13:00 pm – 16:00 pm
e-mail：[email protected]

Chinese visa application service center in Mumbai

address: 8th Floor, Mafatlal Center, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021
tel：91-22-22855271 (Weekdays 10:00 am – 13:00 am, 15:00 pm – 18:00 pm)
e-mail：[email protected]

Consultation for visa application within the consular jurisdiction area of the Chinese Embassy in India

address: Gate No. 4, Chinese Embassy, Nayaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110021
e-mail: [email protected]
tel：91-11-24675259 (Weekdays 9:30 am-12:30 pm，15:30 pm-17:30 pm)

Application process

Once you have collected all the necessary documents required

visit the website of the Chinese visa application service center
fill out the visa application form and confirmation page online
make an appointment
print out the confirmation page and full form, and sign your name
during your appointment at the Embassy or Service Centre, submit the application in person along with ten fingerprints

The following applicants can be exempted from fingerprint collection:

those who are under the age of 14 or over the age of 70
those who already had fingerprints collected within the past five years at the Chinese Embassy in India or the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi using the same passport
applicants with all fingerprints uncollectable

On the day of your visit to the Centre, please be punctual. Upon arrival, you will:

obtain a queue number for submitting your application; please wait for your number to be called
submit your application at the counter designated for handling the particular queue number
receive a pick-up form, which is a receipt showing the information about your application and the expected date for collection
please check all the particulars on the pick-up form; should you have any questions about the information printed on it, please contact the staff immediately. Always carefully retain the pick-up form, as it must be shown when collecting your passport

Tracking visa status

The Chinese visa application service centre provides a 24-hour online facility to track the status of your application. You can click here to enter the track your application status page. Or you can easily find the tracking page from Quick Access on the homepage of the visa centre’s website.

Fees

You should pay the visa fee according to the type of visa you are applying for on the day of application at the visa centre.

Fee category		Amount (in INR)
Fee category		Indian Citizen	US Citizen	Third Country Citizen
Visa Fees	Single Entry	3900	9100	2700
	Double Entries	5850	9100	4050
	Multiple entries/6 Months	7800	9100	5400
	Multiple entries/1 year	11700	9100	8100
	Group Visa	2400	2400	2400
	Extra fee for next working day collection	1800
Application Service Fees	Regular Service (4 working days)	1861 (Inclusive of GST)
Application Service Fees	Express Service（next working day collection）	2742 (Inclusive of GST)

Please note that:

visa fees are collected on behalf of the Chinese Embassy
application service fees are charged by the centre, and they are non-refundable
the total amount of the fees to be paid by an applicant = visa fees + application service fees in cash
for express service (next working day collection), you must submit your application before 11 AM and pick up your visa after 3 PM the next working day afternoon

Exemptions

The following categories from India are exempt from applying for a visa to China:

Indians holding a valid permanent resident permit ID card
Indians holding valid APEC Business Travel Cards (Please note: To further facilitate business travel, APEC Virtual Cards holders will also be accepted for entry from 1 May 2023)
Indians part of the Transit Visa Exemption Program
Indians part of the Hainan visa-free policy; visa-free policy specified for foreign cruise-group-tour through Shanghai Port; Guangdong visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups entering from Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR; visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups of ASEAN countries entering Guilin, Guangxi province (for details, please contact the immigration inspection authorities of the intended destination).