China Multiple-Entry Visa for Indians

If you travel to China more than once a year for work or family, a multiple-entry visa saves repeat applications. The rules below come from the Embassy's FAQs and fee notice and the Chinese Visa Application Service Centers (CVASC) in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For other visa types, see our China visa guide for Indians.

Who gets a multiple-entry Chinese visa?

No Indian applicant is entitled to multiple entries. The visa officer decides the visa type, number of entries, validity and duration of stay according to your purpose, length of stay and documents, and the Embassy may ask for more documents or an interview.

The Embassy's FAQ sets out the pattern:

• First-time applicants are generally issued a single-entry visa.
• To ask for double or multiple entries, show a Chinese visa obtained in the past five years, with a copy of the visa page.
• Your passport needs enough validity for the visa you request. The basic rule is at least 6 months' validity and 2 or more blank visa pages.

In practice, your first trip builds the history that supports a later multiple-entry request.

What does each entry option cost in rupees?

The Embassy's fee notice of 4 January 2026 sets one fee table for Indian passport holders, based on the number of entries rather than the visa type. These reduced fees are valid until 31 December 2026.

The visa fee is paid at the Visa Center: cash or demand draft in New Delhi, cash only in Mumbai and Kolkata. If an application is rejected, the Embassy charges no visa or express fee and refunds both through the centre. The service fee, paid online beforehand, is non-refundable and is adjusted every quarter with the USD-INR exchange rate.

Validity, entries and duration of stay: what is the difference?

These three terms are printed on every Chinese visa and are easy to confuse. The Embassy defines them as follows.

• Validity period: the time within which you can enter China.
• Number of entries: how many times you can enter during that period.
• Duration of stay: the days allowed after each entry, counted from the day after entry.

A multiple-entry visa does not let you stay longer per trip than the duration printed on it. Staying beyond it without an extension is illegal overstay. To extend inside China, apply to the local public security exit and entry authority at least 7 days before your permitted stay ends.

How do you request multiple entries through the online system?

1. Pay the Visa Center service fee online for Normal or Express service. You cannot change the service later.
2. Create an account on the Visa Center website for the centre that covers your state, and fill in the online form.
3. Upload your passport, photo and supporting documents with the printed payment confirmation. Include previous Chinese visas from the last 5 years only, as these support the multiple-entry request.
4. Click Submit. If the status shows 'Rejected', correct and resubmit; it then shows 'Under Review'.
5. When the status reads 'online review completed', a confirmation email with the Visa Application Certificate arrives. It is not a visa approval.
6. Within 15 days, take your original passport and the certificate to the Visa Center. No appointment is needed. Pay the visa fee there.

Which documents support a tourist or business request?

A multiple-entry request still rests on a complete file for the purpose of travel.

• Tourist (L): tour itinerary, hotel order, airline ticket order and bank proof. CVASC New Delhi's notice of 9 April 2026 asks for personal savings-account statements for the last 3 months with a minimum consistent monthly balance of INR 1 lakh, or a deposit certificate of a similar amount made at least 3 months before applying.
• Business (M): an invitation from the Chinese trade partner or trade fair, a copy of the inviting company's business licence and the inviter's ID. The invitation must carry a handwritten Chinese signature and the company's official seal; contract or personnel seals are not accepted. Your cover letter should give the company profile and the exact purpose and duration of the trip.

Photos must be 48mm x 33mm, colour, taken within 6 months, bare head and no glasses. A non-compliant photo can get the application rejected or returned.

Which centre handles your state, and how fast is it?

Embassy processing for qualified applications is usually 4 working days regular or 3 express. Requests for supplementary documents push the date back, and in April 2026 the New Delhi centre advised applying well in advance because of higher volumes.

If you are planning repeat trips, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram can prepare the flight reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter for each file. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for all four. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can Indians enter China visa-free?

Not for regular trips. India is not on China's unilateral 30-day visa-exemption list, the 240-hour visa-free transit list or the Hainan visa-free list. Indians can only use the 24-hour visa-free transit to a third country while staying inside the port's restricted area.

Do I need to give fingerprints for a short-term multiple-entry visa?

Short-term visa applicants (stay up to 180 days) are exempt from fingerprinting until 31 December 2026. Fingerprints are still collected for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas.

What if I need my passport back while the visa is processing?

Submit a withdrawal letter with the reason through the Visa Center. Once the Embassy approves it, the application is treated as withdrawn and your passport and Embassy fees are returned through the centre.

Does the visa type change the multiple-entry fee?

No. The Embassy's fee table for Indian passport holders is set by number of entries, so a business, tourist, student or work visa with the same entries costs the same. Express or urgent fees and the service fee are extra.