China visa for Indians: apply online to embassy as centres close

China has changed how Indians apply for its visas. From Monday, October 26, 2026, the Chinese visa application centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata stopped taking new visa and consular legalisation applications, and the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai now accept them directly, under a notice issued on October 22. Applicants fill in the form and upload their documents on the Chinese foreign ministry's online visa portal, and the centres' service fee no longer applies to new applications. Documents already lodged at the old centres could be collected until noon on Friday, October 30, 2026.

For years, most Indians applying for a Chinese visa dealt with a visa application centre, an outsourced office that receives forms, takes fingerprints, collects fees and returns passports on behalf of the mission. Closing these centres to new applications means the embassy and the Mumbai consulate are now the only points of contact, and the paperwork starts online. For many applicants this removes one layer of service charges, but it also concentrates all applications in two cities.

The change comes as travel between the two countries is picking up again after years of disruption. Business travellers, students, traders who visit Chinese trade fairs, and tourists are the main groups who apply for Chinese visas from India. For people in eastern India in particular, the temporary shift of Kolkata's work to New Delhi means a longer trip if an in-person visit is required.

Before you apply, the most important step is to know which office covers your state, because an application sent to the wrong mission can be delayed. Then complete the online form carefully and keep copies of everything you upload.

Where to apply for a Chinese visa from India

Short-term: Travellers planning trips to China for business meetings, trade fairs or holidays in November and December should start early, as the online system and the new submission arrangements are only days old. Anyone who had documents waiting at an old centre needed to collect them by noon on October 30.

Long-term: Direct handling by the missions, with online forms, could make the process simpler and cheaper for applicants who are comfortable with digital paperwork. Whether it is faster will depend on how the embassy and consulate handle the volume, and on whether Kolkata's consular work returns there.

Who is affected: Indian tourists, students, business travellers and traders heading to China, travel agents who arrange Chinese visas, and applicants from eastern India whose applications have moved to New Delhi for the time being.

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