China officially launches online visa application system in India today

NEW DELHI: The Chinese embassy in India officially launched the China Online visa application system, a move aimed at simplifying and streamlining the visa application process for Indian travellers, from Monday.

The announcement was shared by the Chinese Ambassador to India earlier in a post confirming that, from December 22, 2025, applicants can complete visa application forms and upload required documents online. The new system allows users to access the service through the official website, visaforchina.cn/DEL3_EN/qianzh, offering greater convenience and efficiency.

With the launch of the online platform, applicants are expected to save time during the initial stages of visa processing, as much of the documentation can now be submitted digitally.

The “Nihao China” App officially launches today!

This all-in-one cross-border platform brings together payments , travel , and everyday services , making life in China easier and more convenient for international visitors.#NihaoChina #DigitalChina pic.twitter.com/smso9mzMz2

— Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) December 21, 2025

The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi will continue to assist applicants alongside the online system. The centre operates from Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 3 pm. It is located on the Concourse Floor of Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Applicants can also reach the centre by phone at +91-9999036735. The information was shared by the envoy on his post on X, too.

According to an important notice issued by the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi, applicants must now visit the official website of the centre to create or sign in to their accounts. After logging in, applicants are required to fill out the visa application form online and upload all necessary supporting documents through the portal.

The notice clearly states that applicants should carefully follow the step-by-step instructions provided on the website. Crucially, before submitting their physical passport and other required documents at the Visa Application Centre, applicants must ensure their application status shows “online review completed” and that they have received a confirmation email.

The introduction of the online visa application system is seen as a step toward enhancing people-to-people exchanges and facilitating travel between India and China.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that the visa regime for tourism and business purposes for Chinese nationals is now “fully functional, “marking the end of a five-year suspension imposed after the 2020 border clashes.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the weekly media briefing, said, “Visas for tourists are being given to Chinese nationals and business visas were being given earlier. So you know, all those visas are now in place. The visa regime of tourism and business, etc, is fully functional.

“India officially resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals worldwide in November 2025, expanding on a limited reopening that began in July 2025. Business visas were already being issued prior to this recent announcement, and that process remains in place.

The resumption of visas is part of a series of “people-centric” confidence-building measures agreed upon by both sides in 2025, which also included the resumption of direct commercial flights in October 2025 and the revival of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrimage.

This decision is expected to boost tourism and trade and enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two most populous countries in the world. (ANI)