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If you are planning a trip to China, the way you apply for a visa in India changed on 26 October 2026. The Chinese visa application centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata no longer take new applications. Instead, you apply online first, wait for an approval email, and then hand in your passport directly at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi or the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai. The good news is that the separate visa centre service fee is gone. The catch is that visa fees must now be paid by bank demand draft only.
All details below are as of 28 October 2026, based on the Chinese Embassy in India’s notices and news reports from the past week.
What changed on 26 October 2026
On 22 October 2026, the Chinese Embassy in India announced that from 26 October it and the Mumbai consulate would directly accept and process visa and legalisation applications, replacing the outsourced visa centres. The key changes are:
- No more visa centre drop-off. New applications go to the embassy in New Delhi or the consulate in Mumbai.
- Kolkata is handled from Delhi for now. Services for the Kolkata consulate’s district are temporarily handled by the embassy in New Delhi.
- Online review comes first. You fill in the form and upload documents on the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal, and only go in person after you receive an approval email.
- No service fee. According to Outlook Traveller, Esquire India and Gulf News, online applications submitted after 5 pm on 23 October 2026 do not attract the visa centre service fee. Service fees already paid on earlier applications are not refunded.
- Demand draft only. The embassy and consulate say cash, personal cheques and other payment methods are temporarily not accepted.
If you had already submitted documents at a visa centre before the switch, news reports say you can collect them from that centre until 12 noon on 30 October 2026. If that applies to you, do not leave it to the last day.
Which office handles your application
Where you submit depends on the state you live in, not the city you fly from. Reports in Outlook Traveller and Gulf News give the following split:
| Your state of residence | Where to submit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra, Karnataka | Chinese Consulate General, Mumbai | Visa applications 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm, weekdays |
| West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh | Chinese Embassy, New Delhi | Temporary arrangement while Kolkata is handled from Delhi |
| All other states and Union Territories | Chinese Embassy, New Delhi | Visa applications 9 am to 12 noon, weekdays |
The working hours above come from the embassy’s visa application notice, which also says collection runs from 3 pm to 5:30 pm in New Delhi and from 10 am to 12:30 pm in Mumbai, Monday to Friday except public holidays. For document legalisation (not visas), the office is decided by where the documents were issued, not where you live.
China visa fees for Indians (as of 28 October 2026)
The embassy’s schedule of fees, dated 22 October 2026, lists these charges for Indian passport holders:
| Visa type or service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single entry | ₹2,900 |
| Double entry | ₹4,400 |
| Six-month multiple entry | ₹5,900 |
| 12-month or longer multiple entry | ₹8,800 |
| Group visa (per applicant) | ₹1,800 |
| Express processing (extra) | ₹1,800, collection in four working days |
| Urgent processing (extra, if available) | ₹2,700, collection in two working days |
You pay the visa fee when you collect your passport, not when you apply online. The demand draft must be printed by the bank. The embassy says handwritten or incomplete drafts are rejected. Write your full name, pick-up slip number and phone number on the back. Drafts for New Delhi are made payable to “CHINESE EMBASSY, NEW DELHI”, and drafts for Mumbai to “CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN MUMBAI”.
Gulf News describes these as a reduced fee schedule valid until 31 December 2026, but the embassy’s fee notice does not mention an end date, so treat that as unconfirmed.
Documents tourists need
Requirements differ by visa category, so always check the official checklist. For a tourist (L) visa, the embassy’s notice lists the following:
- The completed application form and your passport.
- Two recent colour photos, 48 mm x 33 mm, white background, no head covering, taken within the last six months. Gulf News points out that the common 35 mm x 45 mm photo size is not accepted.
- Copies of any previous Chinese visas from the last three years, and any existing Indian visa or residence certificate if you are not an Indian national.
- Personal savings account statements for the last six months showing a consistent average monthly balance of at least ₹1 lakh. Instead, you can give a personal bank deposit certificate of a similar amount, issued at least three months before you apply and signed and stamped by the bank.
- For minors or other special cases, a parent’s or guardian’s account can be used along with a signed authorisation letter from the account holder.
Esquire India also notes a passport valid for more than six months with at least two blank pages. If your balance moves around a lot, check the six-month average before you apply. Some countries also want to see onward or return bookings; our explainer on why countries ask for a return ticket covers the reasoning.
Fingerprints
The embassy says fingerprint collection is waived for short-term visas with a stay of 180 days or less until 31 December 2026. However, the same notice says applicants for stays over 180 days, certain categories (D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z where a residence permit is needed), and multiple-entry visas generally must give fingerprints in person. People under 14 or over 70, and those whose fingerprints were taken in the last five years on the same passport, are exempt. If you are applying for a multiple-entry tourist visa, expect that fingerprints may be needed.
How long it takes
The embassy’s notice says regular processing takes seven working days and express takes four, counted from the day after you hand in your passport. The online review before that adds time. Gulf News quotes about four working days for standard processing, so sources differ; plan using the embassy’s figure. Gulf News suggests starting four to six weeks before departure.
What to do now
- Collect any pending passport. If your documents are still at a visa centre, collect them before 12 noon on 30 October 2026.
- Check your office. Use the table above to find out whether you go to Delhi or Mumbai, and note that office’s weekday submission hours.
- Apply online first. Fill in the form and upload documents at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal (consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA). No fee is paid at this step.
- Get your bank papers ready. Download six months of savings account statements and check the average balance, or arrange a deposit certificate that is at least three months old.
- Get the right photos. Ask the studio for 48 mm x 33 mm on a white background.
- Go in within 30 days. Once the approval email arrives, take your passport, form and documents to the embassy or consulate within 30 days.
- Order the demand draft. Get a bank-printed draft for the right amount and payee, and write your name, pick-up slip number and phone number on the back.
- Book flights with care. Wait until you have a realistic visa timeline before paying for non-refundable tickets. You can compare Delhi to Shanghai fares on Skyscanner or browse our flight deals page, and our guide on when to book international flights explains timing.
Remember that these rules cover mainland China only. Hong Kong and Macao have their own entry procedures. If you would rather avoid the paperwork altogether for a short holiday, our round-up of visa-free options for Indian tourists may help.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a China visa in Kolkata?
Not for now. The Kolkata consular district is temporarily handled by the embassy in New Delhi.
Can I pay the China visa fee by UPI or card?
No. As of 28 October 2026, the embassy and Mumbai consulate accept only bank-printed demand drafts. Cash, personal cheques and other methods are temporarily not accepted.
Do I need to give fingerprints for a China tourist visa?
Short-term visas (stays up to 180 days) are waived until 31 December 2026, but the embassy says multiple-entry visas generally still need fingerprints unless an exemption applies.
Bottom line
Applying for a China visa from India is now a two-stage process: online review first, then an in-person visit to the embassy in New Delhi or the consulate in Mumbai within 30 days. You save the visa centre service fee, but you need a bank-printed demand draft, the right photo size and six months of bank statements averaging ₹1 lakh. Start four to six weeks ahead and check the embassy website before you go, as parts of this arrangement are temporary.
Sources
- Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India: Notice on direct acceptance of visa and legalisation applications
- Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India: Schedule of fees for consular service
- Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India: Notice on Chinese visa application
- Outlook Traveller: China changes visa application process in India
- Esquire India: China visa rules change from October 26
- Gulf News: India-China visa update, what changes for Indian passport holders
