🇨🇳China visas, built right for Indian applicants.

China is one of Asia's most rewarding destinations for Indian travellers — the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, the skyline and bund of Shanghai, the Terracotta Army at Xi'an, the karst landscapes of Guilin, and modern, well-connected cities throughout. For tourists from India, it is also a destination that requires careful, correct paperwork: there is no e-Visa and no visa-free entry for Indian passport holders, so every visit needs a proper consular visa filed in advance.

This guide covers the practical reality of visiting China on an Indian passport — which visa you need, who applies where, the documents, the process, the costs, and the things that most commonly cause delays or queries.

Which China visa do Indian tourists need?

The visa you apply for depends on the purpose of your trip. The main short-stay categories are:

• L visa — tourism. The standard visa for holidays, sightseeing and personal travel. This is what most Indian visitors apply for, and the one we file.
• M visa — commercial / business. For commercial and trade activities, meetings and trade fairs. Requires an invitation from a Chinese trade partner. (This is a business visit, not employment.)
• F visa — exchanges, visits, study tours. For non-commercial visits, exchanges and short investigation trips.
• Q2 visa — short family visit. For visiting Chinese relatives or family members residing in China for short stays.
• G visa — transit. For travellers passing through China to a third country.

The L (tourist) visa is the focus of our service. The L visa is typically issued as a single- or double-entry visa with a stay of up to 30 days per entry for Indian applicants, though validity and number of entries are decided by the mission case by case.

Who applies where — the CVASC jurisdiction

Indian applicants do not submit directly to the Embassy. Applications go through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC), the official outsourced centre, and are then decided by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulates-General in Mumbai and Kolkata. The centre that handles your file depends on which Indian state you live in — your residence determines the consular jurisdiction, so applying at the wrong centre causes rejection or delay.

The first step in every China application is the COVA online form — the China Online Visa Application portal. You complete the form online, then print and sign the confirmation page and bring it, with your documents, to the CVASC centre for biometrics and submission.

Verified from Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) · checked 2026-06-22

Documents for a China tourist (L) visa

A clean L-visa file from India generally includes:

| Document | Notes | |---|---| | Passport | Original, valid at least 6 months beyond intended stay, with at least 2 blank pages | | COVA confirmation | Printed and signed confirmation page from the online application | | Photograph | Recent colour photo to Chinese visa spec (white background, 33mm × 48mm) | | Round-trip flight booking | Confirmed reservation showing entry and exit dates | | Hotel bookings | Confirmed accommodation for the full stay, matching the itinerary | | Day-by-day itinerary | A clear travel plan covering the cities and dates | | Financial proof | Bank statements / salary slips / ITRs showing you can fund the trip | | Invitation letter | If staying with a host in China, an invitation with the host's details |

Requirements can change and the mission may ask for more on a given profile — we match the file to the current CVASC checklist for your jurisdiction.

The China visa process, step by step

The process for an Indian applicant is consular and document-led:

1. Confirm your category and jurisdiction — L visa for tourism, and the CVASC centre that covers your state of residence.
2. Complete the COVA online form and print the signed confirmation.
3. Assemble the document file — passport, photo, bookings, itinerary, financial proof.
4. Submit at the CVASC centre with biometrics (fingerprints), where required.
5. Pay the visa fee and service fee, then collect the passport once the decision is made.

China visa costs — what to budget

The fees below are the third-party government and centre charges you pay directly — they are not our service fee, which is separate. The Chinese visa fee for Indian nationals depends on the number of entries; the CVASC adds a service charge per applicant.

| Cost | Approx (per applicant) | Note | |---|---|---| | Chinese visa fee (Indian nationals) | INR 1,400 – 2,200 | Varies by single / double / multiple entry; set by the mission | | CVASC service fee | INR 600 – 1,200 | Centre handling charge; higher for express/rush | | Photographs | INR 300 – 600 | China-spec photos | | Travel insurance (recommended) | INR 1,000 – 4,000 | Not mandatory but strongly advised |

Our visitor-visa filing service is from INR 9,999, all-in (18% GST included). Embassy and CVASC fees are passed through at cost, separately — we do not mark them up. Figures above are approximate and change; confirm current fees at the time of filing.

China visa processing times

| Route | Typical processing | Note | |---|---|---| | Standard | About 4 working days at the centre | Plus courier / collection time | | Express | 2 – 3 working days | Higher service fee | | Rush | Same / next working day where offered | Subject to availability |

Apply at least 2 – 3 weeks before travel to allow for appointment availability and any additional document requests.

Travel tips for Indian visitors to China

• Payments are app-based. Cash and foreign cards are rarely accepted day-to-day; most Indians link a card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before or on arrival.
• The internet is filtered. Many Indian-familiar apps (WhatsApp, Google, Instagram) are blocked behind the Great Firewall; plan your communication and maps accordingly.
• Language. English is limited outside major hotels and tourist sites; offline translation apps help a lot.
• Register your stay. If you are not in a hotel (which registers you automatically), you may need to register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival.

Why Lifeset Overseas for your China visa

We are a licensed visa consultancy in Patiala, Punjab. You get one consultant from your first call to the visa decision, and an honest assessment up front. Our fees are fixed and disclosed — our visitor-visa service is from INR 9,999 all-in (18% GST included), with embassy and CVASC fees passed through at cost. We complete the COVA form correctly, build the file the mission expects, and file at the right jurisdiction so your China trip is approved without avoidable queries.

China visa FAQs

Do Indians need a visa for China? Yes. Indian passport holders need a consular visa for China — there is no e-Visa and no visa-free entry for India. Tourists apply for the L visa before travel.

Is there a China e-visa for Indians? No. Every Indian tourist must apply for a paper/consular visa through the CVASC centre. The visa-free transit schemes do not apply to Indian nationals.

How long can I stay in China on a tourist visa? The L visa is usually issued with a stay of up to 30 days per entry, though entries and validity are decided case by case by the mission.

How much money do I need to show? There is no fixed published threshold, but you should show bank statements and income proof that comfortably cover your trip. A clean financial pattern over a few months helps.

My China visa was refused — what now? Identify the exact reason, fix it, and reapply with a stronger, honest file. We diagnose refusals individually.

Further reading

• Visitor visa hub — short-stay visas explained
• Our China visitor visa page — full requirements, process and costs