In the latest sign of thawing bilateral ties, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi announced that all visa applications from Indian citizens will move to a digital platform on 22 December 2025. Applicants will complete forms, upload documents and book appointments via the ‘China Online Visa Application System’, with physical submissions handled only for biometrics at existing visa-centre counters.
Visa services between the two countries were suspended after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. Limited categories reopened piecemeal, but tourism visas remained frozen until November 2025, when India restored reciprocity. The new portal restores full spectrum processing – tourist (L), business (M), student (X) and work (Z) visas – in time for the peak Indian outbound season around Republic Day and the Chinese Spring Festival.
Travellers who prefer professional guidance rather than navigating the embassy portal alone can turn to VisaHQ, which already hosts a dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) that mirrors the new digital workflow. The service pre-populates forms, double-checks document quality and books biometric slots, making the switch to e-filing smoother for both first-time tourists and HR departments handling bulk submissions.
![Chinese Embassy to launch fully online visa platform for Indians from 22 December]()
The transition matters for global-mobility teams managing large Indian talent pools destined for China. Digital submission should reduce courier costs and cut average processing times by three days, according to consular officials. Early users will receive e-notifications rather than collect stamped passports in person, although the embassy cautions that complex cases may still require interviews.
Risk managers, however, note that New Delhi continues to advise ‘heightened caution’ after an Indian passenger was briefly detained in Shanghai during transit last month. Employers should monitor advisories and ensure staff list correct occupation details; failure to disclose government employment triggered the Shanghai incident.
Indian IT and manufacturing firms with China assignments are urged to pilot applications early and update employee data-privacy clauses, as the new site stores documents on Chinese servers subject to PRC cybersecurity law.
Visa services between the two countries were suspended after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. Limited categories reopened piecemeal, but tourism visas remained frozen until November 2025, when India restored reciprocity. The new portal restores full spectrum processing – tourist (L), business (M), student (X) and work (Z) visas – in time for the peak Indian outbound season around Republic Day and the Chinese Spring Festival.
Travellers who prefer professional guidance rather than navigating the embassy portal alone can turn to VisaHQ, which already hosts a dedicated China page (https://www.visahq.com/china/) that mirrors the new digital workflow. The service pre-populates forms, double-checks document quality and books biometric slots, making the switch to e-filing smoother for both first-time tourists and HR departments handling bulk submissions.
The transition matters for global-mobility teams managing large Indian talent pools destined for China. Digital submission should reduce courier costs and cut average processing times by three days, according to consular officials. Early users will receive e-notifications rather than collect stamped passports in person, although the embassy cautions that complex cases may still require interviews.
Risk managers, however, note that New Delhi continues to advise ‘heightened caution’ after an Indian passenger was briefly detained in Shanghai during transit last month. Employers should monitor advisories and ensure staff list correct occupation details; failure to disclose government employment triggered the Shanghai incident.
Indian IT and manufacturing firms with China assignments are urged to pilot applications early and update employee data-privacy clauses, as the new site stores documents on Chinese servers subject to PRC cybersecurity law.
