How to apply for a China tourist visa in India after VFS Global (2026)

Short answer: If you travel on an Indian passport, you need a visa to visit China as a tourist. India is not on any visa-free or transit list in our policy data. Since 26 October 2026 the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai accept and process visa applications directly, so the outsourced visa application centres (VFS Global and the CVASC centres) are no longer the route. You apply online first, then submit your documents at the Embassy or Consulate.

The official announcement is the Embassy’s Notice on the Direct Acceptance and Process of Applications for Chinese Visas (22 October 2026). Services for the Kolkata consular district are temporarily handled by the Embassy in New Delhi.

The older guide, China visa application in India (VFS), describes the previous centre-based process. Use it only for background and follow the steps on this page.

Before you start

• An ordinary Indian passport. The Embassy says it must be valid for more than 6 months and have at least 2 blank visa pages. Provide the passport data pages of any passports issued in the past five years.
• Flexible plans. Don’t buy non-refundable flights or hotels until your visa is approved.
• A few weeks of margin. The Embassy counts 7 working days for regular service and 4 working days for express, from the day after you submit your passport. The online review before that takes extra time, so allow four to six weeks in total.

Do you really need a visa?

Our policy data (last verified 18 October 2026) lists these routes, and India is not on any of them:

• 30-day visa-free entry: 48 countries unilateral (until 31 December 2026), plus 24 with mutual exemption.
• 90-day mutual exemption: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino.
• 240-hour transit: 57 countries.

Sources: NIA. Check your own passport with the visa-free checker. See also the visa-free entry guide and the 240-hour transit guide.

Step by step

1. Find the official channel. Start from the Chinese Embassy in India visa notice or the Consular Service (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The online form is at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA. Don’t use agency or lookalike sites.
2. Check where to submit. It depends on where you live. Maharashtra and Karnataka: Consulate General in Mumbai. Everyone else, including West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh (temporarily): Embassy in New Delhi.
3. Fill in the online form. Use your passport details exactly. Upload your documents and submit for online review. No fee is paid at this stage.
4. Prepare documents. The Embassy asks for your passport, the application form and two recent colour photos (48 mm × 33 mm, white background, taken within the past 6 months). For a tourist (L) visa you also need a travel itinerary, a hotel booking and a round-trip flight booking. You also need bank evidence: either six months of bank statements showing a consistent average monthly balance of at least INR 1 lakh, or a bank deposit certificate of similar value issued at least 3 months before you apply. If you are invited, the official requirements also list an invitation letter and the inviter’s ID, when applicable. Use only what the official requirements page asks for, because the Embassy may request extra documents.
5. Wait for approval, then submit your documents. There is no appointment to book for ordinary tourist applicants. After online approval you get an email. Submit your passport, application form and other required documents at the Embassy or Consulate within 30 days. Check the notice for how submission works for you. Until 31 December 2026, fingerprints are waived for short-term visas with stays of 180 days or less, except that multiple-entry visa applicants are generally required to provide fingerprints. Check the notice for other exemptions, and if you travel later. Appointments by phone apply only to diplomatic, official and courtesy visas.
6. Pay the fee when you collect. Fees for Indian passport holders: single entry INR 2,900, double entry INR 4,400, six-month multiple entry INR 5,900, and 12 months or longer INR 8,800. Express (4 working days) adds INR 1,800. Urgent (2 working days, if available) adds INR 2,700. Only a bank-printed demand draft is accepted, payable to “CHINESE EMBASSY, NEW DELHI” or “CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN MUMBAI”, with your full name, pick-up slip number and phone number written on the back. See the fee notice.
7. Collect your passport and check the visa. Check name, dates, entries and stay length before you book anything non-refundable.

If it doesn’t work

Problem	Why	Fix
You can’t find VFS Global any more	Applications have been taken in-house since 26 October 2026	Start from the official embassy or cs.mfa.gov.cn pages, not a search ad
A site charges extra fees	It may be an agency	Compare against the official fee notice
You’re not sure which visa type you need	Tourism, business and visits differ	Check the official visa category page
Your trip is soon	Regular processing is 7 working days after submission, plus online review	Consider express service and book flexibly

FAQ

Can Indians enter China visa-free?

Not in our policy data. India isn’t on any of the lists above. Check the visa-free checker and the official NIA site close to your travel date.

Can I use 240-hour transit with an Indian passport?

India is not among the 57 countries listed in our data.

Is VFS Global still the right place to apply?

No. From 26 October 2026 the Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai accept applications directly. See step 1, and the official notice.

Still stuck?

Do it yourself with the steps above — or get help from a real person.

Sources: policy data last verified 18 October 2026 (NIA, China Briefing, Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles); Chinese Embassy in India; L visa requirements; Consular Service. Some links are affiliate links — see our disclosure.