China Tourist Visa

Do Indians Need a China Visa?

Yes. Indian passport holders need a visa before travelling to mainland China for tourism. There is no visa on arrival, no e-visa-on-arrival counter, and no general visa-free entry for ordinary Indian passports. For a holiday, family visit or sightseeing trip the correct category is the L (tourist) visa, applied for through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC) in India on behalf of the Chinese Embassy and consulates.

After several years in which China issued almost no tourist visas to Indians, tourist visa issuance resumed in 2025 and direct India–China flights have restarted, so a China trip from Kerala is practical again. Policies change quickly, however: fees, fingerprint rules and appointment systems have all been adjusted in recent months. Everything on this page about money and timing is marked with the date it was last checked, and you should confirm the current figure on the official CVASC and Chinese Embassy websites before you pay anything.

Most Kerala travellers reach mainland China through Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or Bengaluru, or via Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok or Colombo. The visa is a document-and-ties assessment, not an interview. A tidy file with a clear itinerary and proof that you will return to India is what gets approved.

China Visa Types — Which One Do You Need?

China issues visas by letter, and each letter has a distinct purpose. Choosing the wrong one is a common cause of delay, because the CVASC will not let you switch category at the counter without resubmitting.

• L visa (tourist): Sightseeing, leisure, visiting friends and relatives on a short trip. This is the visa covered on this page. Typical stay per entry is 30 days, though the consular officer decides the number of entries, validity and duration.
• M visa (commercial and trade): Business meetings, trade fairs, factory visits and negotiations. Usually needs an invitation letter from a Chinese company or a trade fair organiser.
• F visa (non-commercial visits): Exchanges, lectures, short study tours and cultural visits on invitation.
• Q1 / Q2 and S1 / S2: Family reunion or private visits to relatives who are Chinese citizens or foreigners with Chinese residence permits. Q is for longer stays, S for short ones.
• X1 / X2 (study): X1 for programmes over 180 days, X2 for programmes up to 180 days. Common for Indian medical students.
• Z visa (work): Employment in China, requires a work permit notification from the employer.
• G visa (transit): For passengers transiting through China to a third country who need to leave the airport or stay beyond the visa-free transit windows. Indian passport holders should treat G visa as the safe default if they plan a stopover and are not certain of their eligibility under transit exemptions.

If you are travelling to a trade fair such as the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, the application is an M visa and the supporting papers are different. Mapshore can handle both L and M applications; this page covers L.

China Tourist Visa — Documents Checklist

The CVASC publishes a document list and updates it from time to time. The list below reflects what is normally requested for Indian L visa applicants. Keep originals and clear photocopies, and use English or Chinese for every supporting paper. Documents in Malayalam or Hindi should be accompanied by a certified translation.

• Original passport: Validity of at least six months from your planned date of entry into China, with at least two blank pages facing each other. Old passports with prior travel are useful supporting evidence.
• Online application form: Completed on the official Chinese visa application website, printed, signed and submitted with the photo. Details must match your passport exactly, including spelling of names and parents' names.
• Passport-size photograph: Recent colour photo, 33 × 48 mm, white background, no spectacles glare, no head covering except for religious reasons with the face fully visible. Photos with shadows or wrong dimensions are routinely rejected at the counter.
• Round-trip flight reservation: A reservation or ticket showing entry into and exit from China. A cancellable reservation made through a travel agent is normally enough at this stage; avoid non-refundable tickets until the visa is issued.
• Hotel bookings: Confirmed hotel reservations covering every night in China, or an invitation letter if you are staying with friends or relatives. If you move between cities, show each hotel.
• Day-by-day itinerary: A plain list of cities, dates and activities that matches your tickets and hotels. Inconsistency between these three documents is the single most common reason for a query from the centre.
• Bank statements: The last 6 months of your main account, stamped by the bank. Many centres expect a balance showing comfortable funds for the trip; see the financial section below. Check the current CVASC checklist for any published minimum rather than relying on third-party figures.
• Proof of employment: Employment letter on company letterhead stating role, salary, joining date and sanctioned leave dates, plus the last 3 salary slips. Government employees should attach leave approval and, where required, vigilance clearance for the passport.
• Business owners: GST registration or trade licence, company bank statements, and last 2 years of ITR acknowledgements.
• Income tax returns: Last 2 years of ITR acknowledgement. Strengthens ties and income evidence for all applicants.
• Invitation letter (if applicable): A letter from a Chinese host with their ID or residence permit copy. Not mandatory for ordinary tourism if hotels and itinerary are shown.
• Previous Chinese visas or old passports: If you have held Chinese visas before, include copies; repeat visitors are usually processed more smoothly.
• Minors: Birth certificate, both parents' passport copies and, if one parent is not travelling, a No Objection Certificate. Students should attach a bonafide certificate and the parent's financial proof.

Retired applicants should attach pension statements and a letter from the person bearing the cost if they are being sponsored by a child. Homemakers can apply with their spouse's income documents plus a marriage certificate to establish the relationship.

China Visa Fees from India 2026

The Chinese government sets the consular fee, and the CVASC adds a separate service fee. China has been running a reduced consular fee for Indian applicants and has extended that reduction more than once. Published reports at the time of writing put the single-entry consular fee at ₹2,900 and the CVASC service fee at roughly ₹2,100, but figures differ between sources and between centres. Treat the table as indicative and confirm on the CVASC website on the day you apply.

All fees are paid per applicant, including children, and are not refunded if the visa is refused. The payment mode (cash, card or online) depends on the centre. Keep your payment receipt: it carries the tracking number you need to follow the application.

Where to Apply — Chinese Visa Application Service Centres in India

Chinese visa applications for Indian residents are accepted in person at a CVASC. Published information lists centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, with the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata as the issuing authorities. Chinese consular jurisdiction in India is divided by state of residence, so the centre you must use is determined by where you live.

• New Delhi: Handles applicants from the northern and central states and is the largest centre. Appointment slots fill faster here.
• Mumbai: Handles western India and, in practice, is the closest centre to Kerala for many applicants. Confirm on the CVASC jurisdiction list which centre accepts Kerala residents before you travel.
• Kolkata: Handles eastern and north-eastern states.

Centres in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are sometimes mentioned online. At the time of writing we could not confirm them from official sources, so do not plan a trip to a city on the basis of a travel blog. Ask us or check the CVASC site for the current list and the jurisdiction for Kerala.

Because most Kerala applicants live far from the nearest centre, the practical option is to have Mapshore check your file in Kochi or Kozhikode before it is submitted, and to use a courier or authorised representative where the centre allows submission through one. Confirm that option with the centre first: the rules on personal appearance, biometrics and agency submission have changed in the past.

How to Apply — Step-by-Step

The process has four parts: online form, appointment, submission and collection. Allow a week for preparation before any of the waiting time starts.

Check the visa label on collection. Name, passport number, number of entries, validity and duration of stay are printed on it. Errors are far easier to correct at the counter than at the Chinese border.

China Visa Processing Time 2026

Standard processing for Indian L visa applications is commonly reported as 4 to 6 working days after submission, with some centres quoting up to 10 to 15 working days at peak times. Express or rush options, where offered, shorten this at an additional charge. A file that needs additional documents, a request for clarification or a consular interview will take longer than any figure quoted here.

The earliest you should apply is usually 3 months before your date of entry. If you apply too early, the visa's 3-month entry window may close before you fly. A sensible gap is 4 to 6 weeks ahead of departure, with fully refundable bookings until the passport is back in your hands.

Do not buy non-refundable tickets or prepay hotels on the basis of a "guaranteed" quotation from an agent. China's visa decisions are discretionary and nobody can guarantee approval or timing.

Financial Requirements — How Much Bank Balance Is Needed?

China does not publish a fixed bank balance for the L visa, but the centres expect to see that you can fund the trip and that your account behaves like a genuine, regular account. Several service-provider guides quote a balance in the region of ₹1 lakh or more for a short tourist trip; this is a guideline from the market and not an official threshold.

• Trip cost first: Work out flights, hotels, local transport, entry tickets and meals. For a 7 to 10 day trip, a comfortable balance is typically well above the trip cost, not exactly equal to it.
• Six-month history: Salary credits, regular spending and steady balances look credible. Sudden large deposits shortly before applying look staged.
• Who is paying: If another person is funding your trip, attach a sponsorship letter, proof of the relationship and that person's bank statements and ID.
• Cards and forex: Foreign currency purchase records and a travel card are not required but add credibility.
• Payment in China: Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate day-to-day spending. Foreign cards and, increasingly, tourist-friendly payment options work in cities, but cash in yuan remains useful for small vendors. Plan how you will pay before you land.

A stable income with clear leave approval matters more than a very large balance. Applicants with modest savings succeed when ties and the itinerary are consistent.

Common Reasons for China Visa Refusal and Rejection

China does not give detailed refusal letters. In practice the centre either returns incomplete files before submission or the consulate declines with a short note. Most failures fall into a few patterns, and nearly all are preventable.

• Mismatch between form and passport: Name spelling, passport number or date of birth that differs from the passport data page.
• Wrong photograph: Wrong size, shadow, glare, background or a photo not taken in the last 6 months.
• Inconsistent travel documents: Flights, hotels and itinerary do not match in dates and cities.
• Unclear purpose of visit: Applying for an L visa while planning meetings, workshops or paid work. That is an M or Z case.
• Weak financial evidence: Empty accounts, unexplained deposits, or statements that are not bank-stamped.
• Insufficient ties to India: No employer letter, no leave approval, no property or family evidence to show a return.
• Invalid supporting papers: Photocopies that are unreadable, missing signatures, or documents not in English or Chinese.
• Previous immigration problem: Overstay or deportation from China or another country that is not disclosed.
• Missing form fields: Blank fields on the online form or contradictory answers about the travel history of the last year.

If you are refused, check whether the application was returned or formally rejected, correct the specific problem and re-apply. Repeated applications with the same weakness do not improve odds.

China Visa Validity, Entries and Conditions

An L visa has three numbers that people confuse. Validity is the period in which you may enter China. Number of entries is single, double or multiple. Duration of stay is the number of days you may stay after each entry, commonly 30 days for tourist visas. Read all three on the visa label.

• Validity window: Usually 3 months from the date of issue for a single-entry visa. Multiple-entry visas for repeat visitors can run longer at the officer's discretion.
• Duration of stay: Commonly 30 days per entry. Do not overstay: fines and detention follow, and future visa applications are affected.
• Extensions: Short extensions can be requested from the local Exit-Entry Administration Bureau in China; approval is not guaranteed.
• Registration of stay: Hotels register foreign guests with the police. If you stay in a private home, you must register at the local police station within 24 hours.
• Entry ports: Enter and exit through an open port. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen are the main gateways for Indian travellers.
• Passport validity: At least six months remaining at entry and enough blank pages.
• Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: Separate entry rules apply. A mainland L visa does not automatically cover them, and Indian passport rules for each differ. Check each destination's immigration site before you plan.

Visa-Free and Transit Options — What Applies to Indian Passports?

China has introduced several visa-free policies in recent years, which is why you will see headlines about "visa-free China". Almost all of them are limited to specific nationalities, and ordinary Indian passports are not on the main lists as of this writing.

• 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit: Available to citizens of a long list of countries (about 55) travelling through China to a third country with a confirmed onward ticket. The list is published by Chinese authorities and does not include India. If you hold an Indian passport, do not assume you qualify. Verify on the official list before relying on it.
• Unilateral and mutual visa exemptions: China has waived visas for some countries for short stays. These apply to passport nationality, not to where you live or where you fly from.
• Hainan and regional policies: Special arrangements cover specific nationalities for Hainan and some group tours. Check eligibility for Indian passports before you plan around them.
• G visa for transit: If your airline routing involves leaving the airport or a layover beyond what is allowed without a visa, a G visa is the straightforward route for Indian travellers.

Airlines can refuse boarding if you do not hold the correct visa. If you transit via China to a third country, ask the airline whether you can stay airside and whether you need a visa for the connection. A mistake at check-in is expensive.

Tips for a Strong China Visa Application from Kerala

• Keep one story. Your form, itinerary, flight reservation and hotel bookings must tell the same story in dates and cities.
• Choose the right city mix. A first trip to China commonly covers Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai, or Shanghai with Hangzhou and Suzhou, or Guangzhou with Hong Kong. A realistic route reads as credible.
• Apply with enough time. Begin 6 weeks before travel. Rush services are not offered everywhere.
• Get the photo right. Use a studio that knows the 33 × 48 mm specification. A wrong photo is the cheapest way to lose a day.
• Use a clean employer letter. Role, salary, leave dates, return date, contact number. Company letterhead, signature and stamp.
• Prepare for payments in China. Set up a way to pay for local transport and meals before you land and carry some yuan.
• Check your phone and apps. Many Western apps and Google services do not work without a VPN or eSIM roaming that routes outside China. Get an eSIM or roaming plan before departure.
• Buy travel insurance. Not required for the visa, but medical care for foreigners is expensive and unfamiliar.
• Check customs and health rules. Carry prescribed medicines with a doctor's letter and check import restrictions for certain medicines and food.
• Collect and verify. Check every field on the visa label before leaving the centre.

Travellers from Kerala often travel in families or groups. A group application with the same flights and hotels is easier to review than separate files that do not match. Each person still needs their own form, photo and supporting papers.

China Visa FAQs — Quick Answers

Is there a China e-visa for Indians? There is no e-visa-on-arrival. The online form must be completed and printed, and the application submitted at the CVASC. Some online application options have been introduced; check the official portal to see whether your category is covered.

How much is a China tourist visa from India? Reported figures for a single-entry L visa are around ₹2,900 consular fee plus a CVASC service fee of about ₹2,100, subject to change. Confirm with the CVASC.

How long does it take? Commonly 4 to 6 working days in regular service, longer in peak seasons.

Can I apply from Kerala? Yes, but you must lodge at the designated CVASC for your jurisdiction. We prepare and review the file in Kochi and Kozhikode.

Do I need an invitation letter? Not for ordinary tourism if hotel bookings and an itinerary are provided.

Do I need to give fingerprints? Normally yes at submission. Temporary exemptions have been reported for some short-stay categories; confirm on the day.

Can I use a Schengen or UAE visa to enter China? No. China requires its own visa, and a Schengen or UK visa does not replace it. See our guides for Schengen and UK visas if you are planning those trips as well.

Can I work or study on an L visa? No. Employment needs a Z visa and study needs an X visa.

How Mapshore Helps with Your China Visa Application

Mapshore is a Kerala travel company with visa desks in Kochi and Kozhikode. For China, our role is to make sure a complete, consistent file reaches the CVASC and to remove the mistakes that cause returns and delays. We do not guarantee approval: the decision rests with the Chinese consular authorities.

When you visit, we check your passport and photo against the specification, review your bank statements and employer letter, build a day-by-day itinerary and book cancellable flight and hotel reservations that match it. We help you complete the online form accurately, tell you which CVASC applies to you, and advise on appointment timing around holidays. Our fee is disclosed in advance and is separate from the consular and CVASC fees.

We also arrange complete China holiday packages from Kerala, including flights, hotels, local transfers and eSIM guidance. Keeping the visa file and the trip booking under one coordinated plan avoids the most common cause of trouble, which is documents that do not agree with each other. If you are combining China with other destinations, talk to us about your USA, Schengen or Canada plans in the same consultation.

If you have been refused before or are unsure which visa type fits your trip, book a consultation. We will tell you honestly whether to reapply and what to change.