China Visa for Indians 2026: Tourist Visa Requirements, Fees and How to Apply

Do Indians Need a Visa for China? (2026 Quick Answer)

Yes. Apart from 24-hour transit and narrow group-tour options such as Guangdong via Hong Kong or Macao, Indian passport holders need a visa for mainland China. As of 17 February 2026, India is not on China's unilateral 30-day visa-exemption list; its seven Asian members are Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

As of September 2026 there is no official e-visa and no visa on arrival for individual Indian tourists. China's port visas are for ordinary-passport holders with an urgent need to enter who had no time to apply at a Chinese embassy or consulate abroad, and for tour groups whose Chinese travel agency applies in advance.

Chinese missions in India resumed issuing all visa types on 15 March 2023. The key numbers as of September 2026:

• Embassy fee, single entry: Rs 2,900 (reduced rate, valid until 31 December 2026) plus the centre's service fee
• Processing: usually about 4–6 working days regular, 3–4 express, depending on jurisdiction
• Visa-free transit: 24 hours inside the port's restricted area; India is not on the 240-hour list

China Visa Types for Indian Travellers

Each visa letter matches a purpose of travel:

• L — tourism and sightseeing
• M — commercial and trade activities
• Q1 and Q2 — family members of Chinese citizens or of foreigners with permanent residence in China; Q1 covers stays over 180 days, Q2 visits of up to 180 days
• S2 — up to 180 days to visit family members working or studying in China, or for other private matters
• G — transit through China

Visa officers decide whether a visa is issued, and its type, entries, validity and length of stay, based on the purpose of the visit, the planned stay and the application materials.

Single, double or multiple entry

First-time applicants are generally issued a single-entry visa. If you obtained a Chinese visa in the past five years and have visited China before, you can request double or multiple entries.

Documents for a China Tourist Visa

These are the requirements as of September 2026, per the Embassy and the New Delhi centre; your centre's current list has the final word.

• Original passport valid for at least 6 months, with 2 or more blank visa pages
• Photocopy of the passport information pages
• Any passports that expired within the last 5 years
• Recent colour photo, 48 mm x 33 mm, taken within the last 6 months
• Copy of your previous Chinese visa page, if asking for double or multiple entry

The photo has to show your current appearance: neutral expression, eyes open, facing the camera. No glasses, hats or headscarves; a religious head covering has to leave the whole face visible. Non-compliant photos get applications rejected or returned.

Trip documents

The Embassy's requirements notice of August 2024, still its latest such notice on 28 September 2026, asks L-visa applicants for a tour itinerary, a hotel booking and an air-ticket booking, plus an invitation letter from the relevant organisation or individual when necessary.

Bank statements: the July 2026 rule

The New Delhi visa centre's notice updated on 7 July 2026 is stricter than the 2024 list. Tourist applicants provide personal savings-account statements for the last 3 months with a consistent minimum monthly balance of INR 1 lakh, or a personal deposit certificate for a similar amount made at least 3 months before applying.

A large deposit made just before applying matches neither option. If you apply under Mumbai or Kolkata, we recommend confirming the bank rule with your own centre.

How to Apply - Online Form, Appointment and Biometrics

Your state of residence decides which mission handles the application:

• Maharashtra or Karnataka — Consulate-General in Mumbai
• Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh or West Bengal — Consulate-General in Kolkata
• Anywhere else in India — Embassy in New Delhi

Step 1: Online form

On 22 December 2025 the Chinese Embassy in India launched the Chinese Online Visa Application System on visaforchina.cn. Applicants fill in the visa form and upload their documents there.

Step 2: Online approval

The New Delhi centre's notice updated on 7 July 2026 asks applicants to log in once the application is approved, check the visa category, number of entries and duration of stay, and then visit the centre.

Step 3: Passport submission

According to the Embassy, appointments have not been required since November 2023, and documents can be submitted at the visa centre on any working day. That guidance predates the online system (last updated May 2025), so we recommend checking your centre's latest notice.

Step 4: Biometrics

Until 31 December 2026, Chinese visa authorities overseas exempt short-term applicants staying up to 180 days from fingerprinting. D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z applicants, who apply for residence permits after entering China, still give fingerprints. A short-stay L or M visa needs none for now.

Step 5: Payment

According to the New Delhi centre's fee page, undated when we checked it on 28 September 2026, the centre collects the visa fee on behalf of the Embassy, charges its own service fee and accepts cash or demand draft. Payment modes in Mumbai and Kolkata were not verified.

China Visa Fees for Indians

The total is the Embassy's visa fee plus the visa centre's service fee, as the New Delhi centre's fee page notes.

Embassy visa fee, reduced until 31 December 2026

A notice dated 4 January 2026 extended the reduced fees at the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in India until 31 December 2026. The reduction has applied since 11 December 2023, and this is its second extension. Fees for Indian citizens, excluding the service fee:

• Single entry — Rs 2,900
• Double entry — Rs 4,400
• Multiple entry, 6 months — Rs 5,900
• Multiple entry, 12 months or longer — Rs 8,800
• Express fee — Rs 1,800, not reduced
• Urgent fee — Rs 2,700, not reduced

The New Delhi centre's undated fee schedule, checked on 28 September 2026, lists the same four visa fees. As of that date nothing official has been announced for after 31 December 2026: no further extension and no standard rates.

Service fee at the New Delhi centre

• Regular service — Rs 2,107 including tax, collection expected on the 6th working day
• Express service — Rs 3,106 including tax, collection expected on the 4th working day

These are current figures from the centre's undated page, checked on 28 September 2026. The centre adjusts its fees every quarter with the USD-INR exchange rate, so we recommend confirming the amount at submission. Mumbai and Kolkata centre fees could not be verified.

Total for a single-entry visa

Summing the two official fee lines as of 28 September 2026, a single-entry visa through New Delhi comes to about Rs 5,007 on regular service (Rs 2,900 plus Rs 2,107). On express it is about Rs 7,806 (Rs 2,900, the Rs 1,800 express fee and Rs 3,106). These are our sums, not a single published price.

Refunds after a refusal

If the application is rejected, the Embassy charges no fees: the visa fee and any express fee are refunded through the visa centre. The centre's own service fee is non-refundable, according to the same undated New Delhi fee page.

Processing Time and Express Service

As of September 2026, a complete application usually takes about 4–6 working days on regular service and 3–4 on express, depending on jurisdiction. These are usual times, not guarantees.

• Embassy in New Delhi — usually 4 working days regular, 3 express (August 2024 notice, still the latest on 28 September 2026)
• Consulate-General in Mumbai — the same 4 and 3 days (notice of 2 September 2024)
• Consulate-General in Kolkata — usually 6 working days regular, 3 express (August 2024 notice)

The New Delhi centre instead gives an expected collection day: the 6th working day for regular service, the 4th for express. Its undated fee page says express applications go in before 12 PM, with collection expected after 3 PM on the 4th working day.

Urgent service

The Embassy lists an urgent fee of Rs 2,700, but we found no official page stating how fast urgent processing is or whether the New Delhi centre offers it, so it is worth asking before relying on it.

The online stage

The centre's collection days run from submission at the centre. The online review comes first, and we found no published timeline for it. Citing higher application volumes, the New Delhi centre's notice updated on 7 July 2026 advises submitting online applications well before the travel date.

Transit Without a Visa - Who Qualifies

As of September 2026, Indian passport holders qualify for 24-hour visa-free transit, not for China's 240-hour scheme.

24-hour transit

Travellers of every nationality, Indians included, can transit through any open Chinese port for up to 24 hours without a visa. They need a valid travel document and an onward international ticket with a confirmed seat, and they stay inside the port's restricted area throughout.

240-hour transit: India is not on the list

The scheme lets eligible nationals transiting to a third country enter through 65 designated ports and stay up to 10 days in permitted areas. According to the National Immigration Administration's list of 20 August 2026, 57 countries qualify; the Asian ones are Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE and Vietnam. India is not among them.

For a longer layover, or to leave the restricted area, Indians need a G (transit) visa, which requires an onward air, train or ship ticket with a confirmed date and seat.

Guangdong: 6 days, group tours only

Nationals of countries with diplomatic relations with China, India included, can visit 10 Guangdong cities visa-free for up to 6 days, but only after entering Hong Kong or Macao first and only in a tour group organised by a travel agency registered there, entering and leaving with the group.

The cities are Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. Indian travellers still have to meet Hong Kong or Macao entry rules separately, and the scheme does not replace an L visa for independent travel.

Common Refusal Reasons

We found no official refusal rate for Indian applicants, and Chinese visa authorities are not required to give reasons for refusing a visa.

Incomplete documents or a non-compliant photo

Under Article 21 of China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, a visa is not issued when the applicant fails to submit information the visa authority requires. The Embassy also rejects or returns applications with photos outside the specification. We recommend checking passport validity, blank pages and the photo first.

False or undisclosed information

Article 21 also rules out a visa for fraud in the application. The New Delhi centre's July 2026 notice warns that failing to disclose information, concealment or falsification can lead to rejection, so every question on the form deserves a full and accurate answer.

Funds

A visa is not issued either when the applicant cannot guarantee expected expenses during the stay in China. For tourist applicants in the New Delhi jurisdiction, the 3-month bank-statement rule above applies.

Documents that do not match

Officers usually decide from the purpose of the trip, the planned stay and the application materials. The itinerary, bookings and the dates on the online form should all describe the same trip.

Visarun helps applicants prepare the China visa file and spot these gaps before submission, but approval is decided by the Chinese Embassy or consulate, and no agency can promise an outcome.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

The main updates for Indian travellers as of 28 September 2026. These rules change often, so the latest official notice takes precedence.

• 27 October 2025 — Direct India-China flights resumed after five years, when IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata landed in Guangzhou.
• 20 November 2025 — China's arrival card can be filled in online before travel, including via the "NIA 12367" app and WeChat or Alipay mini programs.
• 22 December 2025 — The Chinese Embassy in India launched the Chinese Online Visa Application System on visaforchina.cn.
• 25 December 2025 — The fingerprint exemption for short-term visas with stays of up to 180 days was extended to 31 December 2026.
• 4 January 2026 — The reduced visa fees were extended to 31 December 2026.
• 7 July 2026 — The New Delhi centre's updated notice states the 3-month, INR 1 lakh bank-statement rule for tourist visas.
• 20 August 2026 — Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam joined the 240-hour transit scheme, taking it to 57 countries; India was not added.
• 21 September 2026 — Foreigners staying outside hotels, or their hosts, can now complete the registration online nationwide; it is due within 24 hours of arrival.

FAQ

Can Indians get a China e-visa or visa on arrival?

No. Neither exists for individual Indian tourists as of September 2026; port visas cover urgent cases and tour groups pre-arranged by a Chinese travel agency.

How much is the China tourist visa fee for Indians in 2026?

Rs 2,900 for single entry until 31 December 2026, plus the centre's service fee: about Rs 5,007 in total on regular service in New Delhi, as of 28 September 2026. The service fee is revised quarterly.

How long does a China visa take from India?

Usually about 4–6 working days regular and 3–4 express, depending on jurisdiction, after the online review. None of it is guaranteed.

Do I need to give fingerprints for a China tourist visa?

Not for stays of up to 180 days, until 31 December 2026. D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z applicants still give them.

Can I get a multiple-entry China visa on my first application?

First-time applicants are generally issued a single entry. Double or multiple entries can be requested if you obtained a Chinese visa in the past five years and have visited China.

How much bank balance is needed for a China tourist visa?

At the New Delhi centre: 3 months of savings-account statements with a consistent monthly balance of at least INR 1 lakh, or a deposit certificate of a similar amount at least 3 months old.

Can Indians use China's 240-hour visa-free transit?

No. India is not among the 57 eligible countries. Only 24-hour transit inside the port's restricted area is visa-free for Indians; otherwise a G visa is needed.

How long can I stay in China on a tourist visa?

We found no official standard for L visas: the officer sets the permitted stay, which counts from the day after entry. Staying beyond it without an extension is illegal overstay.

Is the fee refunded if my China visa is refused?

Partly. The visa fee and any express fee are refunded through the visa centre; the New Delhi centre's service fee is not.