The Chinese Embassy and three consulates in Indonesia announced on 19 December that, effective immediately, they will waive fingerprint collection for all visa applicants whose intended stay in China is 180 days or less. The exemption mirrors notices released the same day by missions on four other continents and lasts until 31 December 2026.
Indonesia sends more than 310,000 visitors to China annually and hosts major Chinese investments in nickel, EV batteries and high-speed rail. Companies on both sides have complained that the previous fingerprint mandate forced technicians and executives to fly to Jakarta multiple times during multi-city roadshows. By dropping the biometric step, consulates in Surabaya, Medan and Denpasar expect to cut appointment wait times from three weeks to under five working days.
![Indonesia joins China’s fingerprint-free visa pilot, easing consular bottlenecks for ASEAN travellers]()
Travelers and corporate mobility teams who prefer expert help with the revised procedures can outsource the leg-work to VisaHQ; its China visa desk (https://www.visahq.com/china/) pre-screens documents online, arranges courier pickup anywhere in Indonesia and tracks the application in real time, saving applicants the need to visit a consulate at all.
Applicants for long-term work (Z) and journalism (J1) visas must still provide fingerprints. Travel agents in Bali and Sumatra are preparing “express visa” packages that bundle document submission with courier return, which could spur a surge in outbound group travel during the January–February Lunar New Year peak.
Employers inside Indonesia should update travel-policy guidance and remind staff that passports must still have at least six months’ validity and two blank visa pages even though in-person biometrics are no longer required.
Indonesia sends more than 310,000 visitors to China annually and hosts major Chinese investments in nickel, EV batteries and high-speed rail. Companies on both sides have complained that the previous fingerprint mandate forced technicians and executives to fly to Jakarta multiple times during multi-city roadshows. By dropping the biometric step, consulates in Surabaya, Medan and Denpasar expect to cut appointment wait times from three weeks to under five working days.
Travelers and corporate mobility teams who prefer expert help with the revised procedures can outsource the leg-work to VisaHQ; its China visa desk (https://www.visahq.com/china/) pre-screens documents online, arranges courier pickup anywhere in Indonesia and tracks the application in real time, saving applicants the need to visit a consulate at all.
Applicants for long-term work (Z) and journalism (J1) visas must still provide fingerprints. Travel agents in Bali and Sumatra are preparing “express visa” packages that bundle document submission with courier return, which could spur a surge in outbound group travel during the January–February Lunar New Year peak.
Employers inside Indonesia should update travel-policy guidance and remind staff that passports must still have at least six months’ validity and two blank visa pages even though in-person biometrics are no longer required.
