Indian citizens heading to China no longer need to fill out paper forms: the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi has activated its fully digital visa application portal, allowing travellers to complete forms, upload documents and book appointments online. The system, launched at 10:30 a.m. IST on 22 December 2025, is part of a package of confidence-building measures agreed by the two governments this year.
Applicants now create a profile, answer dynamic questionnaires and receive an email once the application passes an “online review” stage; only then must they submit passports at the Visa Application Service Centre (VASC). Embassy officials said the change will cut front-desk processing times by up to 40 % and reduce data-entry errors.
For Indian businesses the timing is significant. Direct flights between Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai resumed in October, and Beijing lifted the five-year freeze on tourist visas for Chinese nationals in November. Faster visa issuance will restore executive travel for supply-chain audits, trade-fair visits and factory acceptance tests—areas that have relied heavily on video calls since 2020.
![Chinese Embassy Goes Digital: Online Visa System for Indians Live from 22 December]()
Indian travellers who prefer expert assistance can turn to VisaHQ, whose India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) already supports China’s new digital application. The service checks uploaded documents for compliance, schedules VASC appointments and tracks passports, taking much of the administrative load off corporate travel desks and individual applicants alike.
Mobility managers should update internal travel policies: the new portal requires PDF uploads of invitation letters in Chinese, proof of accommodation and flight bookings. Frequent travellers may consider biometrics-on-file programmes at the VASC to speed walk-in submissions. HR teams moving assignees to China should note that the Z-work-visa process still requires physical submission of the Notification Letter of Foreigner’s Work Permit.
Analysts view the digital rollout as a step toward eventual e-visas but caution that geopolitical frictions—including unresolved border talks—could still spark sudden policy changes. For now, however, the portal offers Indian travellers a streamlined route back into the world’s second-largest economy.
Applicants now create a profile, answer dynamic questionnaires and receive an email once the application passes an “online review” stage; only then must they submit passports at the Visa Application Service Centre (VASC). Embassy officials said the change will cut front-desk processing times by up to 40 % and reduce data-entry errors.
For Indian businesses the timing is significant. Direct flights between Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai resumed in October, and Beijing lifted the five-year freeze on tourist visas for Chinese nationals in November. Faster visa issuance will restore executive travel for supply-chain audits, trade-fair visits and factory acceptance tests—areas that have relied heavily on video calls since 2020.
Indian travellers who prefer expert assistance can turn to VisaHQ, whose India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) already supports China’s new digital application. The service checks uploaded documents for compliance, schedules VASC appointments and tracks passports, taking much of the administrative load off corporate travel desks and individual applicants alike.
Mobility managers should update internal travel policies: the new portal requires PDF uploads of invitation letters in Chinese, proof of accommodation and flight bookings. Frequent travellers may consider biometrics-on-file programmes at the VASC to speed walk-in submissions. HR teams moving assignees to China should note that the Z-work-visa process still requires physical submission of the Notification Letter of Foreigner’s Work Permit.
Analysts view the digital rollout as a step toward eventual e-visas but caution that geopolitical frictions—including unresolved border talks—could still spark sudden policy changes. For now, however, the portal offers Indian travellers a streamlined route back into the world’s second-largest economy.
