China will begin directly accepting and processing visa applications and consular legalisation requests at its Embassy in New Delhi and Consulate General in Mumbai from October 26, 2026. The revised system will replace submissions through Chinese Visa Application Centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, which will stop accepting new applications from that date. Applicants must complete an online application and receive preliminary approval before submitting their passports and supporting documents in person.
The revised jurisdiction depends on applicants’ residence. Residents of Maharashtra and Karnataka must apply through the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai, while applicants from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh must temporarily approach the Embassy in New Delhi. Applicants from other states and Union Territories must also submit their applications in New Delhi. The same jurisdictional arrangements apply to consular legalisation, depending on where the documents were issued.
Applicants must complete the online form through the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ visa portal, upload supporting documents and await email notification of preliminary approval. Passports and documents must be submitted to the designated diplomatic mission within 30 days of approval, with fingerprints collected where required. General requirements include a passport valid for more than six months with at least two blank visa pages, recent photographs and copies of relevant passport details. Tourist visa applicants must provide an itinerary, hotel and return flight bookings, along with six months of bank statements showing a consistent average monthly balance of at least INR 1 lakh, or an eligible deposit certificate for a similar amount. Additional documents vary by visa category, including business, transit, employment and student visas.
For Indian passport holders, the revised fees are INR 2,900 for a single-entry visa, INR 4,400 for a double-entry visa, INR 5,900 for a six-month multiple-entry visa and INR 8,800 for multiple-entry visas valid for 12 months or longer. Group and official group visas cost INR 1,800 per applicant. Where applicable, express processing attracts an additional INR 1,800 charge, while urgent processing costs INR 2,700. Payments will temporarily be accepted only through bank-issued demand drafts, with separate payee details prescribed for the Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai. Cash, personal cheques and other payment methods will not be accepted.
Consular legalisation applications must be submitted directly to the designated diplomatic missions without an appointment. Applicants need the prescribed form, identity documents and the original document requiring legalisation, along with a copy. Documents issued by Indian authorities for use in mainland China must first be notarised in India and legalised by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or its authorised offices. The Hague Apostille Convention does not apply between India and mainland China, making consular legalisation necessary for relevant public documents. Regular processing takes four working days, while an express service of two to three working days will be available through the Embassy. Applications by post or fax will not be accepted.
Applicants with processed documents awaiting collection at the existing visa centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata can collect them until noon on October 30, 2026. Applications submitted online after 5 pm on October 23 will not attract a visa application centre service fee, although fees already collected for earlier submissions remain non-refundable. The revised procedures apply to mainland China, while Hong Kong and Macao continue to follow separate immigration requirements. The changes require travellers and travel agents to plan for the new submission process, jurisdictional rules, documentation requirements and demand draft payments, while ensuring physical documents reach the designated mission within the 30-day deadline after online approval.