In a key diplomatic development, India will begin issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals starting July 24, 2025 ending a five-year suspension that began during the COVID-19 pandemic and was exacerbated by strained bilateral relations. The move comes as both countries make efforts to repair ties following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
According to Reuters, which cited a post by the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Weibo, Chinese citizens seeking to travel to India must complete an online application, make an appointment, and submit required documents including passport and printed visa form at the Indian Visa Application Center.
“From July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India. They must first fill out the visa application form online on the web link and print it, and then make an appointment on the web link. Then they must take a passport, visa application form and other related documents to submit an application at the Indian Visa Application Center,” the embassy announced.
India-China Diplomatic Thaw Gains Momentum
India had initially suspended all tourist visas in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In April 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) declared that India would not honour tourist visas issued to Chinese nationals in response to China’s restrictions on Indian students seeking to return to Chinese universities.
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Recent months, however, have seen signs of reconciliation. In a major diplomatic breakthrough earlier this year, India and China completed mutual troop withdrawals from Depsang and Demchok, the final friction points in eastern Ladakh ending a four-year military standoff.
The decision to resume tourist visas follows other key steps to normalise ties. Direct commercial flights between Beijing and New Delhi are set to resume in January 2025, and India-China cooperation has extended to resuming pilgrimages to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar also visited China recently to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting, underlining the ongoing efforts at high-level engagement.
