China has announced the launch of its new Chinese Online Visa system for Indian travellers starting December 22, 2025, marking a key step toward easing bilateral tensions. The platform enables digital submissions, streamlined processing and supports renewed tourism, business and educational mobility between the two nations.
TheInterviewTimes.com | December 8, 2025: The Chinese Embassy in India has announced the launch of a new Chinese Online Visa system for Indian applicants from December 22, signalling a cautious but clear move toward normalising people-to-people ties between the two countries. The platform will allow Indians travelling to China to fill visa forms, upload documents and streamline the application process before visiting the visa centre.
The service will initially operate through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in New Delhi, which will continue functioning on weekdays under its existing schedule.
How the Chinese Online Visa System Works
Under the newly introduced Chinese Online Visa platform, applicants will be able to complete key steps digitally. Indian travellers can submit their visa forms online, upload required documents and then schedule an appointment for physical submission and biometrics at the Visa Application Service Center.
The embassy has directed applicants to the dedicated New Delhi link on the official portal for guidelines, eligibility rules and document checklists. According to officials, the shift is aimed at reducing paperwork, cutting processing time and offering predictable timelines for tourists, professionals, business travellers and students.
Travel industry experts say the introduction of the Chinese Online Visa system is expected to gradually ease long-standing application hurdles.
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Part of Broader India–China Visa Restoration
The launch comes just weeks after India fully restored visas for Chinese nationals. On November 26, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced that India’s tourism and business visa categories for Chinese travellers are now fully functional.
This reopening is part of a coordinated set of “people-centric confidence-building measures,” which includes the revival of direct commercial flights and reopening of certain pilgrimage routes that were suspended after the 2020 border crisis.
Analysts say both nations appear to be cautiously exploring limited engagement avenues without altering their positions on core geopolitical issues.
Lingering Tensions Highlight Complexity
Despite these developments, friction between the two sides persists. The recent case of a UK-based Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh, detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport, underlined these tensions. Chinese officials allegedly questioned the validity of her passport due to Beijing’s territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh.
India lodged a strong diplomatic protest, reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and urging China to ensure Indian citizens are not harassed during travel.
Experts say such incidents show that while practical measures like the Chinese Online Visa may ease mobility, deep-rooted disputes still complicate bilateral relations.
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What the New Visa System Means for Indian Travellers
For Indian citizens, the Chinese Online Visa system offers a smoother but not fully contactless experience. Physical submission and biometrics remain mandatory. However, travel stakeholders believe the digital shift could support a gradual revival of:
- India–China tourism
- Business delegations
- University admissions and academic exchanges
- Technical and professional visits
Its effectiveness, they say, will depend on stability at the diplomatic and security levels.
Officials in both capitals will closely monitor the uptake of the system and whether easier mobility contributes to more predictable engagement in a relationship that remains one of Asia’s most complex.
Key Takeaways
- China will launch the Chinese Online Visa system for Indian travellers on December 22, 2025.
- Applicants can fill forms and upload documents online before submitting biometrics in person.
- The move coincides with India fully restoring visas for Chinese citizens.
- Lingering political disputes continue to shadow the cautious diplomatic thaw.
- Travel, business and educational exchanges may gradually strengthen if geopolitics remain stable.