# China Tourist Visa from India: Choosing Regular or Express Service > Express saves one to two working days on a China tourist visa from India. Here is what it costs at each Visa Center, when it helps, and why you must choose before paying. _Published: 2026-10-30 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1089_ ## TL;DR The Chinese Embassy usually processes qualified applications in 3 working days on express and 4 on regular. Express adds the Rs1800 Embassy express fee and raises the Visa Center service fee from Rs 2152 to Rs 3172. The service type is fixed once you pay online, and express does not speed up a file with missing documents. ## Key takeaways - Embassy processing for qualified applications: usually 4 working days regular, 3 working days express. - New Delhi and Kolkata collection: 6th working day regular, 4th working day express; Mumbai about 5 normal, 4 express, 2 urgent. - Express costs the Rs1800 Embassy express fee plus a Rs 3172 service fee, against Rs 2152 for regular service. - The service type is chosen when you pay the service fee online and cannot be changed later. - If a visa is refused, the visa and express fees are refunded through the Visa Center; service fees are not. **According to the Chinese Embassy in India, qualified visa applications usually take 4 working days on regular service and 3 on express. Express adds the Embassy's Rs1800 express fee and a higher Visa Center service fee (Rs 3172 instead of Rs 2152), on top of the Rs2900 single-entry visa fee for Indian passport holders.** ## Article Fees and timelines here are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15: the Embassy's notices and the fee pages of the Chinese Visa Application Service Centers (CVASC) in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. For documents and visa types, see our China visa guide for Indians. ### How many days does express actually save? Less than many people expect. The Embassy's processing gap is one working day. What you see at the counter depends on your centre. StageRegularExpressUrgentEmbassy processing (qualified applications)4 working days3 working daysNot listedCollection, New Delhi and Kolkata6th working day4th working dayNot listedCollection, MumbaiAround 5 working daysAround 4 working daysAround 2 working days, after Consulate approvalIn New Delhi and Kolkata, express brings collection forward by two working days. In Mumbai, the gap between normal and express is about one working day, but Mumbai also lists an urgent option. New Delhi has a timing rule. Express applications must be submitted before 12:00. The centre accepts express submissions from 09:00 to 12:00, normal submissions from 09:00 to 15:00, and collections from 14:30 to 17:00, Monday to Friday. ### What does each option cost? You pay in two places. The Visa Center service fee is paid online before you submit the online application. The visa fee and any express or urgent fee are paid at the Visa Center: cash or demand draft in New Delhi, cash only in Mumbai and Kolkata. Charge (Indian passport, single entry)RegularExpressVisa fee (reduced until 31 December 2026)Rs2900Rs2900Embassy express feeNoneRs1800Visa Center service fee (inclusive of tax)Rs 2152Rs 3172VFS Global's China Logistic Fee pages show the same service fees before tax: INR 1823.73 normal and INR 2688.14 express. The centres adjust service fees every quarter with the USD-INR exchange rate. Need more entries? The visa fee changes with entries, not service speed: Rs4400 for double entry, Rs5900 for six-month multiple entry and Rs8800 for 12 months or above. First-time applicants are generally issued a single-entry visa, so most first trips use the Rs2900 row. ### Can you switch from regular to express after paying? No. When you pay the service fee online, you choose Express or Normal, and the CVASC step-by-step notice says the service cannot be changed later. Decide before you pay, not at the counter. The order matters. You pay the service fee, create an account on the Visa Center website, fill in the form and upload your documents with the printed payment confirmation. You visit the centre with your original passport only after the status shows 'online review completed' and you receive the confirmation email. You then have 15 days to submit. ### Does express help if your documents have gaps? Not much. The Embassy says express applications are reviewed first, but approval time depends on the documents being compliant, accurate and sufficient. If the centre asks for supplementary materials, the expected collection date slips whichever service you paid for. For a tourist (L) visa, check these before paying for speed: - Tour itinerary, hotel order and airline ticket order. - 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 (CVASC New Delhi notice, April 2026). - Two colour photos, 48mm x 33mm, taken within 6 months, with no glasses, hats or headscarves. - An accurate, complete form with your own phone number and email; the New Delhi centre warns that concealment or falsification may lead to rejection. ### When is regular service the sensible choice? - Your flight is more than a couple of weeks away. Regular service still means collection on the 6th working day in New Delhi and Kolkata. - You cannot reach the New Delhi centre before 12:00. - You are applying in a busy period. In April 2026 the New Delhi centre advised applying well in advance because of higher volumes, and early application helps more than express. Do not mistake the Premium Lounge for speed. The lounge costs Rs 3172, but the Embassy says VIP service is a third-party service of the Visa Center and is not related to visa issuance or processing time. ### What happens to the express fee if the visa is refused? The Embassy charges no visa fee or express fee on a rejected application, and both are refunded through the Visa Center. The centre's service fees are non-refundable. So on a refusal, the extra cost of express that you lose is the higher service fee, not the Rs1800. ### What if the trip is a genuine emergency? The New Delhi Visa Center runs a 'green channel' for emergencies such as medical treatment, visiting patients and funerals, and for elderly, sick, disabled and pregnant applicants and toddlers. They can apply without queuing. In Mumbai, the urgent service takes around 2 working days after Consulate approval, with an Embassy urgent fee of Rs2700. Applicants from Maharashtra and Karnataka use the Mumbai centre, and applicants from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal use Kolkata. Everyone else applies in New Delhi. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares the flight reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter a China tourist file asks for. Packages start at INR 1,000 for a flight reservation and go up to INR 3,000 with hotel, itinerary and cover letter included. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us here. ### Frequently asked questions #### Do I need an appointment at the Chinese Visa Center in India? No. Appointments were removed in November 2023. You take your original passport to the Visa Center after your online application shows 'online review completed' and you receive the confirmation email. #### Are fingerprints taken for a China tourist visa in 2026? The fingerprint exemption for short-term visa applicants (stays up to 180 days) has been extended until 31 December 2026. Fingerprints are still collected for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas. #### Does postal return cost extra at the China Visa Center? Yes, it is optional. The New Delhi and Kolkata fee pages list postal service at Rs 1020, while the Mumbai page lists it at Rs 3172. #### Is the China tourist visa fee going up in 2027? The Embassy's notice of 4 January 2026 extends the reduced fees (Rs2900 single entry for Indian passport holders) until 31 December 2026. Our check on 15 October 2026 found no published fees for dates after that, so recheck the Embassy's visa page before applying for travel in 2027. ## FAQ ### Do I need an appointment at the Chinese Visa Center in India? No. Appointments were removed in November 2023. You take your original passport to the Visa Center after your online application shows 'online review completed' and you receive the confirmation email. ### Are fingerprints taken for a China tourist visa in 2026? The fingerprint exemption for short-term visa applicants (stays up to 180 days) has been extended until 31 December 2026. Fingerprints are still collected for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas. ### Does postal return cost extra at the China Visa Center? Yes, it is optional. The New Delhi and Kolkata fee pages list postal service at Rs 1020, while the Mumbai page lists it at Rs 3172. ### Is the China tourist visa fee going up in 2027? The Embassy's notice of 4 January 2026 extends the reduced fees (Rs2900 single entry for Indian passport holders) until 31 December 2026. Our check on 15 October 2026 found no published fees for dates after that, so recheck the Embassy's visa page before applying for travel in 2027. ## Sources 1. [Chinese Embassy in India - Notice on Extension of Visa-Fee Reduction (4 Jan 2026)](https://in.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/qz/202601/t20260104_11797373.htm) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India 2. [CVASC New Delhi - Visa Fees and service fees](https://www.visaforchina.cn/DEL4_EN/qianzhengyewu/jichuzhishi/feiyongbiaozhunjishixian) — Chinese Visa Application Service Center, New Delhi 3. [CVASC New Delhi - STEP 1: Online Submission (18 Dec 2025)](https://www.visaforchina.cn/DEL3_EN/tongzhigonggao/461516066967916544.html) — Chinese Visa Application Service Center, New Delhi 4. [Chinese Embassy in India - FAQs on Applying for Chinese Visa (II) (14 May 2025): no appointment, fingerprints, refunds](https://in.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/qz/202505/t20250514_11622818.htm) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India