From 22 December, Indian citizens can complete every step of a Chinese visa application online, after the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi switched on its new Consular Services portal. Applicants fill out forms, upload documents and pay fees digitally, visiting the visa centre only for fingerprints and passport drop-off.
Beijing’s move aims to rekindle a lucrative market: Indian outbound travel spend reached US$21.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to triple by 2033. Before the pandemic and the 2020 border clashes, Indian arrivals to China were climbing 19 % annually; volumes cratered during three years of restrictions. With direct Delhi/Mumbai–Shanghai/Guangzhou flights restored in October, easing the visa bottleneck is the next logical step.
If navigating the new portal feels daunting, VisaHQ offers a streamlined concierge service for Indian passport holders applying for China visas. Their specialists review your digital forms, upload compliant documents, schedule fingerprint appointments and provide live status tracking, saving both travellers and corporate travel desks valuable time. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
![China Opens Fully Online Visa Application to Indians, Targeting US$21 Billion Market]()
Initially the portal will process tourist (L), business (M) and exchange (F) visas; work (Z) visas are due in Q1 2026. Appointment capacity has been increased to absorb expected demand, and visa agents report early slots filling rapidly for late-January travel around India’s Republic Day long weekend.
Corporate mobility managers see immediate gains: project teams can rotate faster between IT hubs in Bengaluru and manufacturing partners in Zhejiang, while Chinese suppliers can invite Indian buyers to spring trade fairs without weeks of paperwork. Analysts also view the initiative as a modest confidence-building gesture amid lingering border tensions.
Practical tip: companies should update internal travel policies to reflect the digital process and remind staff that biometric collection remains mandatory on collection day.
Beijing’s move aims to rekindle a lucrative market: Indian outbound travel spend reached US$21.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to triple by 2033. Before the pandemic and the 2020 border clashes, Indian arrivals to China were climbing 19 % annually; volumes cratered during three years of restrictions. With direct Delhi/Mumbai–Shanghai/Guangzhou flights restored in October, easing the visa bottleneck is the next logical step.
If navigating the new portal feels daunting, VisaHQ offers a streamlined concierge service for Indian passport holders applying for China visas. Their specialists review your digital forms, upload compliant documents, schedule fingerprint appointments and provide live status tracking, saving both travellers and corporate travel desks valuable time. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/china/.
Initially the portal will process tourist (L), business (M) and exchange (F) visas; work (Z) visas are due in Q1 2026. Appointment capacity has been increased to absorb expected demand, and visa agents report early slots filling rapidly for late-January travel around India’s Republic Day long weekend.
Corporate mobility managers see immediate gains: project teams can rotate faster between IT hubs in Bengaluru and manufacturing partners in Zhejiang, while Chinese suppliers can invite Indian buyers to spring trade fairs without weeks of paperwork. Analysts also view the initiative as a modest confidence-building gesture amid lingering border tensions.
Practical tip: companies should update internal travel policies to reflect the digital process and remind staff that biometric collection remains mandatory on collection day.
