# Is There a China eVisa for Indians? How the Online System Works

> China does not issue an eVisa to Indians. Here is how the online application, the review status and the in-person passport submission work in 2026.

_Published: 2026-10-17 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1423_

## TL;DR

China does not issue an eVisa to Indian passport holders. Since December 2025 you apply online on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website, but your passport still goes to the centre in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata after 'online review completed'. A single-entry visa costs Rs 2,900 until 31 December 2026.

## Key takeaways

- No eVisa: China puts a visa in your passport; it does not issue electronic visas to Indian citizens.
- Online pre-review has been mandatory at the New Delhi centre since 20 December 2025; Mumbai and Kolkata publish the same steps.
- 'Online review completed' is not a visa approval; take your passport to the centre within 15 days, no appointment needed.
- A single-entry visa costs Rs 2,900, plus a Rs 2,152 regular service fee paid online (reduced visa fees valid to 31 December 2026).
- Qualified applications usually take 4 working days (regular) or 3 working days (express) at the Embassy.

**No. China does not issue an eVisa to Indian passport holders. According to the Chinese Embassy in India, since December 2025 you fill the form and upload documents online on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website, but you must still hand in your original passport at the centre in New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata.**

## Article

This post explains what the online system does and does not do, how to move through it without your file bouncing back, and what you pay at each stage. Every figure is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the full country overview, see our China visa guide for Indian citizens.

### Does China issue an eVisa to Indian passport holders?
No. China does not issue an electronic visa to Indian citizens. What changed in December 2025 is the way you apply. The Chinese Embassy in India launched its Online Visa Application System on 22 December 2025, and the New Delhi centre made online submission mandatory from 20 December 2025. The Mumbai and Kolkata centres publish the same steps.

The end product is still a visa in your passport. Your original passport must be handed in at a Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC). The status "online review completed" only means the uploaded file has passed a pre-check; the Embassy states it is not a visa approval, and acceptance is confirmed at the counter.

Two other shortcuts are also closed to most Indians:

- Visa on arrival: there is no tourist visa on arrival. China's "port visa" is only for urgent cases, such as urgent business, a critically ill relative or a funeral, at designated ports (99 ports in 72 cities). China's immigration authority recommends getting preliminary approval before you fly.
- Visa-free entry: India is not on China's unilateral 30-day exemption list (as of 17 February 2026), the 57-country list for 240-hour visa-free transit (August 2026) or the 59-country Hainan list. Indians can only use 24-hour visa-free transit to a third country while staying inside the port's restricted area.

### How does the online visa application system work, step by step?
The sequence below follows the CVASC New Delhi Step 1 notice and the Step 2 notice, which the Mumbai and Kolkata centres mirror.

- Pay the service fee online. The centre's service (logistic) fee is paid first, through VFS Global payment pages. Choose Normal or Express carefully, because the service cannot be changed later.
- Create an account on the Visa Center website for the correct centre (New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata) and log in.
- Fill the form and upload documents: passport, photo and supporting papers, together with the printed payment confirmation email. Click Submit; otherwise the status stays "Pending".
- Respond to corrections. If the status shows "Rejected", the reviewer wants more documents or changes. Edit and resubmit, and the status moves to "Under Review".
- Wait for the confirmation email. Once the status reads "online review completed", you receive an email with a "Visa Application Certificate" attached.
- Visit the centre within 15 days with the certificate and your original passport. No appointment is needed; appointments were removed in November 2023. Pay the visa fee at the counter, because online payment of the visa fee is not available.
S, Q, X and Z applicants (family, study and work visas) submit all documents at the centre and may be interviewed. New Delhi says they attend an interview at the Embassy, while Mumbai and Kolkata mention a possible interview at the Consulate General if informed. The Embassy's notice on online visa processing sets out the change.

### Which Visa Center handles your state?
Create your account with the centre that serves the state you live in. Jurisdiction comes from the Embassy notice of August 2024 and the CVASC service-areas FAQ.

CentreStates coveredSubmission hours (Mon-Fri)CVASC New Delhi (Embassy)All states and union territories not listed belowNormal 09:00-15:00; express 09:00-12:00CVASC Mumbai (Consulate General)Maharashtra and Karnataka08:00-14:00 for applicantsCVASC Kolkata (Consulate General)Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal09:00-12:00The New Delhi centre is on the Concourse Floor of Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, Connaught Place. Mumbai's is on the 8th Floor of Mafatlal Centre, Nariman Point. Kolkata's is in BIPI Building Omega, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar.

### How much do you pay, and when?
There are two separate charges. The service fee is paid online before you submit the form. The visa fee is paid at the centre after the online review. The Embassy extended its reduced fees for Indian passport holders until 31 December 2026 in its notice of 4 January 2026.

ChargeAmountWhen it is paidSingle-entry visaRs 2,900At the centreDouble-entry visaRs 4,400At the centreSix-month multiple entryRs 5,900At the centre12 months or above multiple entryRs 8,800At the centreExpress / urgent feeRs 1,800 / Rs 2,700On top of the visa feeCentre service feeRs 2,152 regular / Rs 3,172 expressOnline, before submissionNew Delhi accepts the visa fee in cash or demand draft; Mumbai and Kolkata take cash only. If an application is rejected, the Embassy refunds the visa and express fees through the centre, but the service fee is non-refundable. 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.

### How long after "online review completed" do you get your passport back?
The Embassy says qualified applications usually take 4 working days (regular) or 3 working days (express) to process. Collection dates differ by centre:

- New Delhi and Kolkata: regular on the 6th working day after submission, express on the 4th. New Delhi express files must be handed in before 12:00.
- Mumbai: normal around 5 working days, express around 4, urgent around 2 (after Consulate approval).
Add the time your file spends in online review, which is not published. In April 2026 the New Delhi centre advised applying well in advance because of higher application volumes. If you need your passport back urgently mid-process, you can submit a withdrawal letter through the Visa Center; once the Embassy approves it, the passport and Embassy fees are returned.

### What gets an online application sent back?
- Someone else's phone number or email. The New Delhi centre requires the applicant's own contact details and clear copies.
- Photo problems. Photos must be colour, 48mm x 33mm, taken within 6 months, bare head and no glasses. Attach each photo in its own upload box.
- Old visas. Upload only previous visas from the last 5 years.
- Thin tourist funds. For an L (tourist) visa, the New Delhi centre's April 2026 notice 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.
- Missing travel papers. The L checklist lists a tour itinerary, a hotel order and an airline ticket order. A verifiable reservation is safer than a paid ticket until the visa is issued; see our travel itinerary service.
- Paying for VIP help. The Embassy says the VIP service is a third-party service of the Visa Center and is not related to visa issuance or processing time.
Building an L visa file? Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, day-wise itineraries and cover letters. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full set (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp us on +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Can I get a Chinese visa on arrival at an airport in China?
Not as a routine option. China's port visa is only for ordinary-passport holders with an urgent need, such as urgent business, visiting a critically ill relative or attending a funeral, who could not get a visa in time. It is issued at 99 designated ports in 72 cities, and China's National Immigration Administration recommends getting preliminary approval before travelling.

#### Do I need to book an appointment at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center?
No. Online appointments were cancelled in November 2023. You go to the centre only after your online status shows 'online review completed', and you must submit within 15 days of receiving the confirmation email.

#### Will I have to give fingerprints for a China tourist visa?
Usually not for a short trip. The fingerprint exemption for short-term visa applicants (stays of up to 180 days) has been extended until 31 December 2026. Fingerprints are still collected for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas.

#### Can I switch from Normal to Express after paying the service fee?
No. The CVASC Step 1 notice says the service you choose when paying online cannot be changed later. Decide between Express (Rs 3,172) and Normal (Rs 2,152) before you pay.

## Steps

1. **Pay the service fee online** — Pay the Visa Center service (logistic) fee through the VFS Global payment page for your centre, choosing Normal or Express. The choice cannot be changed later.
2. **Create a Visa Center account** — Register on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website for the centre that covers your state: New Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata.
3. **Fill the form and upload documents** — Complete the online form and upload your passport, photo, supporting documents and the printed payment confirmation email, then click Submit.
4. **Fix any requested corrections** — If the status shows 'Rejected', add the requested documents or corrections and resubmit; the status changes to 'Under Review'.
5. **Receive the Visa Application Certificate** — When the status reads 'online review completed', download the Visa Application Certificate from the confirmation email. It is not a visa approval.
6. **Submit your passport and pay the visa fee** — Within 15 days, take the certificate and your original passport to the centre without an appointment and pay the visa fee, for example Rs 2,900 for a single entry.

## FAQ

### Can I get a Chinese visa on arrival at an airport in China?

Not as a routine option. China's port visa is only for ordinary-passport holders with an urgent need, such as urgent business, visiting a critically ill relative or attending a funeral, who could not get a visa in time. It is issued at 99 designated ports in 72 cities, and China's National Immigration Administration recommends getting preliminary approval before travelling.

### Do I need to book an appointment at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center?

No. Online appointments were cancelled in November 2023. You go to the centre only after your online status shows 'online review completed', and you must submit within 15 days of receiving the confirmation email.

### Will I have to give fingerprints for a China tourist visa?

Usually not for a short trip. The fingerprint exemption for short-term visa applicants (stays of up to 180 days) has been extended until 31 December 2026. Fingerprints are still collected for D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas.

### Can I switch from Normal to Express after paying the service fee?

No. The CVASC Step 1 notice says the service you choose when paying online cannot be changed later. Decide between Express (Rs 3,172) and Normal (Rs 2,152) before you pay.

## Sources

1. [Chinese Embassy in India - Notice Regarding Online Visa Processing Approval (8 Dec 2025)](https://in.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/embassy_news/202512/t20251208_11768481.htm) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in India
2. [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
3. [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
4. [National Immigration Administration of China - Visa-Free Transit Policies (20 Aug 2026)](https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183412/content.html) — National Immigration Administration of China